Kuala Lumpur (VNA)🙈 – Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation on June 25 officially launched “Startup ASEAN”, a digital platform serving as a unified hub connecting entrepreneurs, investors, governments, and startup ecosystem builders across ASEAN member states.

Speaking at the launch, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn highlighted that the platform reflects ASEAN’s continued commitment to regional integration while leveraging innovation and technology to unlock unprecedented opportunities. He also commended Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair in 2025, for its leadership in advancing the ASEAN Technology Startup Ignite initiative, one of the region’s key economic priorities this year. The year-long programme has successfully connected more than 11,000 startups with 5,000 investors and supported a thriving startup ecosystem valued at over 130 billion USD. The new Startup ASEAN platform builds on this momentum, bringing all stakeholders together under one digital roof. It is expected to promote open innovation, improve access to capital, and strengthen ASEAN’s position as a dynamic and connected innovation powerhouse. Kao also noted that Kuala Lumpur’s recent entry into the top 20 emerging startup ecosystems, ranking 18th in Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, demonstrates Malaysia’s solid national foundation and growing influence in regional innovation. He expressed confidence that the platform, under Malaysia’s leadership, will play a key role in shaping a more inclusive and future-ready ASEAN. It is expected to facilitate startup-friendly policies, strengthen inter-member readiness, and foster meaningful partnerships across the bloc. The platform’s launch comes just weeks after ASEAN leaders adopted the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, marking the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN Community and reaffirming the commitment to ASEAN Vision 2045. The vision outlines a resilient, innovative, and people-centered region based on four strategic pillars: politics-security, economy, society-culture, and connectivity. The Secretary-General described the platform as a timely and tangible step toward building a responsive and adaptable ASEAN equipped to navigate the evolving global landscape. He affirmed the ASEAN Secretariat’s ongoing support for the initiative and called on all member states to work together to reinforce the regional innovation ecosystem./.