The inaugural Korea–ASEAN AI Youth Festa highlighted youth-led innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence under the ASEAN Startup Year 2025 initiative.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 4 November 2025 — The Korea–ASEAN AI Youth Festa 2025 concluded successfully in Kuala Lumpur, marking a major milestone in regional innovation and youth entrepreneurship. As a flagship event under the ASEAN Startup Year 2025, the Festa brought together 22 pioneering startups from ASEAN and Korea, each showcasing bold solutions that are reshaping the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI).
Over the course of the event, participants engaged in virtual acceleration programmes, mentoring sessions, and the highly anticipated Demo Day finale. The winning teams impressed a panel of investors, mentors, and industry experts with their practical and visionary innovations. The top prize went to Atlas Robotics, recognised for its intelligent pallet jacks designed for warehouse automation. Treasurer, a fintech company offering AI-powered financial solutions, secured second place, while AFA, a sports tech startup, took third for its integrated super-app connecting players and venues.
Image by: The ASEAN Secretary
Endorsed by the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI) and supported by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) of Korea, Cradle Fund Malaysia, and the ASEAN Secretariat, the event underscored the importance of Korea–ASEAN cooperation in building a thriving regional AI ecosystem. The initiative demonstrated how cross-border partnerships can accelerate innovation, enhance startup competitiveness, and drive sustainable digital transformation.
The success of the first Korea–ASEAN AI Youth Festa 2025 has paved the way for future editions, strengthening ongoing collaboration between ASEAN and Korea in technology, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment.
Source: The ASEAN Secretary
