Forbes Asia 100 To Watch 2026

The latest annual list of 100 Asia-Pacific companies to watch spotlights a wave of AI-driven enterprise technology, robotics and green tech ventures, with the featured startups collectively having raised nearly $2.4 billion to date and close to $1 billion in 2026 alone. The selection spans 16 countries and territories and includes early- to growth-stage firms such as 24 Solution Group, A Star Quantum, Aaritya Broking, Abcoffee, Agnit Semiconductors, AIM Pharmaceutical International and Algo Artis. Several companies on the list disclosed recent funding rounds: 24 Solution Group raised $5 million in December 2024 and a further $3 million in a B+ round in late 2025; Aaritya Broking secured $33 million in April in a series B led by Accel India; Abcoffee raised $6.4 million in May in a pre-series B; A Star Quantum extended a round with $5.7 million in June, taking total financing to $13 million; Agnit Semiconductors raised $2.6 million in March; and Algo Artis closed $9.8 million in series B funding in June.

"I lead and edit all Forbes Asia's non-wealth lists," said Rana Wehbe Watson, the editorial director who compiled the list, framing the editorial approach and criteria behind the selections.

The editors applied specific eligibility thresholds—companies must be privately held, headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, have no more than $50 million in annual revenue and no more than $100 million in total funding through Aug. 15—to surface firms seen as poised for growth. The resulting compilation reflects a heavy tilt toward enterprise technology: nearly a quarter of the entries are providers of AI-related services, and robotics companies number 10, from service robots for eldercare to automated lab assistants. Biotech and green-tech startups also earned spots, with several entrants targeting environmental solutions such as seaweed-based plastics or modular water-treatment systems.

Individual company highlights illustrate the list's sector spread and commercial traction. Bangkok-based 24 Solution Group, popularly known as 24X, operates a nationwide network of roughly 1,500 technicians offering B2B handyman, maintenance and renovation services; the firm expanded into EV charging and solar installations in 2023. Tokyo-based A Star Quantum develops mathematical and quantum algorithms for enterprise planning, counting Japan Airlines among its customers and raising $5.7 million in a series B extension in June. Bangalore’s Aaritya Broking operates the Sahi trading app, which had more than 5 million downloads as of early August and uses AI to flag unusual trading volumes; the company closed a $33 million series B in April led by Accel India. Abcoffee, a Mumbai grab-and-go chain, has doubled to more than 100 outlets and says it serves over 350,000 cups a month, following a $6.4 million pre-series B in May.

Life sciences and hardware also feature prominently. AIM Pharmaceutical International, spun out of an academic lab, is advancing a Parkinson’s drug toward first-in-human trials in mainland China and maintains a pipeline of preclinical programs. Agnit Semiconductors in Bangalore claims to be India’s first vertically integrated gallium nitride (GaN) chipmaker, and raised $2.6 million in a seed extension in March. Algorithmic decisioning firm Algo Artis, a DeNA spinoff, is pursuing applications across logistics and energy and raised $9.8 million in June, with backers including Salesforce Ventures.

Looking ahead, the list signals investor appetite for startups that blend AI, automation and sustainability into sector-specific solutions. With nearly $1 billion raised in 2026 by the featured companies so far and diversified representation across 16 countries, the selected firms are positioned to convert emerging technology advantages into commercial scale—contingent on continued product-market fit, regulatory paths for biotech entrants and expanded enterprise adoption of AI-driven tools.