Forbes Asia names 15 Singapore firms on list of 100 small companies to watch in 2026

Forbes Asia has unveiled its annual list of 100 small companies to watch in 2026, released on August 25. Singaporean firms accounted for 15 of the 100 companies, making it the second-largest representation after India, which had 19 firms. China followed with 10 entries, while Japan and South Korea each had nine companies on the list.

Indonesia and Australia also featured eight companies each. The total amount raised by all the companies on the list amounts to US$2.4 billion (S$3 billion), with nearly US$1 billion raised in 2026 so far. Each company on the list is a privately-owned for-profit venture located in the Asia-Pacific region, with an annual revenue of no more than US$50 million and a total funding of no more than US$100 million as of August 15.

A significant portion of the companies on the list are enterprise-tech firms offering AI-related services, with Pollo AI being one example. This Singapore-based company assists brands in generating marketing videos using scripts, templates, and multimodal AI-generation models. Robotics is another sector experiencing rapid growth, with 10 companies making the cut, including those building service robots for the elderly and specialized automatons for research labs.

Biotech companies, such as India's Theranautilus, are also leveraging robotics, as they develop medical nanorobots for targeted cancer therapies. Sustainability-focused green tech companies are also prominent, with 10 of the 100 companies included, such as Australian plastic-alternatives producer Uluu, which provides solutions for environmental issues.