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The ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) hosted the Ecothon Demo Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the 15th of this month. After a fiercely contested competition, the startup Eco Terra claimed first place by producing biochar, biofertilizer and other value-added products from palm oil industry waste, a result that upended expectations and reshuffled the field.
The demo day served as a platform for exchange among green and sustainable startups, jointly organized by ASEIC, Malaysia’s Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, and the German Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). Fourteen startups spanning climate tech, resource circulation and climate finance took part in this year’s edition, presenting innovative business models to roughly fifty attendees that included government officials and representatives of the startup ecosystem, all gathered to discuss the participating companies’ growth potential and commercial pathways.
In his welcome remarks, Mohammad Mahil bin Ahmad, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, said: ‘The partnership between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea, which has continued since 2019, is an important bridge for green innovation.’ He stressed that ‘the government will support regional startups as they grow and expand into larger markets by creating an inclusive, sustainable and knowledge-based ecosystem.’
Malaysia has demonstrated a strong commitment to nurturing green startups, participating in the program for five consecutive editions since 2022. By hosting the demo day locally this year, as it did last year, the organizers significantly expanded opportunities for direct networking and business partnerships with local startups.
With this event, ASEIC successfully concluded its 2026 Ecothon schedule, producing a total of forty-three graduating teams across Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
ASEIC plans to operate follow-up programs for Ecothon graduates to identify their future needs and strengthen their fundraising capabilities. Through these efforts, the center intends to help the teams secure tangible investment outcomes and actively contribute to building and revitalizing the foundation of the green startup ecosystem across ASEAN.
Source: kspost.biz