Startup grants and accelerators in Asia

Deep-tech focused venture firm running accelerator programs for startups in Southeast and South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America through its Orbit Startups initiative.

Government-backed non-dilutive grant (up to Rs 20 lakh, ~$24,000) for proof-of-concept, prototyping and product trials, applied for through DPIIT-approved incubators, plus optional convertible-debt funding for market entry.

BANSEA is Asia's oldest angel investment network, established in 2001, and promotes early-stage investment in Southeast Asia. It offers startups investment opportunities from its angel investors, along with help to fine-tune business plans and mentoring. Startups can submit their company through the site to raise with BANSEA.

Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors. It has 53 chapters on 4 continents, and its members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Startups can apply through the site to present to its investors.

Government co-investment for first-time Singapore-based founders: Enterprise Singapore matches your own paid-up capital 1:1, up to S$50,000, plus mentorship from an Accredited Mentor Partner.

India-focused accelerator and founders academy helping early-stage teams go from idea to market, connecting founders with mentors and seed investors across the region.

IAN Group invests in innovative companies that solve real-world problems, driven by technology and targeting large markets. Its investment strategy draws on the Group's mentor and expert pool and global networks. Investment is made through funds including the IAN Alpha Fund and the IAN Angel Fund.

Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd is Malaysia's focal point agency for early-stage technology startups, offering the Cradle Investment Programme (CIP) which includes CIP Spark and CIP Sprint grant schemes. Beyond monetary aid, Cradle provides commercialisation support and value-added services to help technology entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

J-Startup is a startup development support program run by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) that identifies and promotes promising Japanese startups capable of competing globally. Companies are selected through a strict examination process involving recommendations from venture capitalists, accelerators, and corporate innovation leaders, plus approval by an external review committee. Selected companies are designated 'J-Startup Company' and featured/promoted by the program. The programme page does not specify what designated companies receive beyond the designation itself.

Government-backed accelerator helping non-Korean startups expand into the Korean and Asian markets — up to KRW 950M (~$633,000) in program support across three phases, no equity required, free office space in Korea included.

BIRAC's Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) Scheme provides early-stage grant-in-aid funding of up to INR 50 lakh to help innovators and young biotech startups convert ideas into a Proof of Concept over an 18-month period. The scheme is delivered through a network of 8 BIG Partners who provide mentoring, monitoring, networking and business development support to grantees.

Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia is a three-month, equity-free program for Seed-to-Series B startups in Southeast Asia, offering direct engineering support, 1-to-1 mentoring, technical workshops, and in-person bootcamps in Singapore and San Francisco. Participants also gain early access to Google AI products, potential Cloud credits, and free Cloud TPU access to accelerate their technology and business.