From robots to cancer screenings, Asia’s next wave of AI startups is moving into the real world

From underwater drones and cancer screening to industrial maintenance and real-time fraud detection, Asian startups are expanding artificial intelligence beyond software and into the physical world. At the NextGen Tech 30 (NGT30) event, more than half of the 30 showcased companies are applying AI to industries like wind farms, warehouses, pharmacies, construction, and low-Earth orbit. This shift marks a departure from the software-focused firms that dominated earlier cohorts.

With nearly half of the honourees headquartered in Singapore, and others from Japan, China, India, Malaysia, and South Korea, the NGT30 event highlights the growing depth and breadth of Asia's innovation base. Minister for National Development and MAS deputy chairman Chee Hong Tat emphasized the potential for these firms to reshape business models and transform industries. However, turning promising startups into internationally competitive companies presents a new set of challenges.

To address these challenges, NGT30's senior managing partner Jenny Lee sees this year's cohort as part of a broader evolution of AI, describing it as AI 3.0. This shift moves beyond frontier models and AI agents, focusing on deploying AI models in real-world environments. One Singapore-based awardee, Menlo Research, is developing an open-source humanoid robot named Asimov and an AI agent called Jan, which has attracted an international community of developers and enthusiasts.

Another notable entrant is Japanese startup Craif, which uses AI to analyze microRNA extracted from urine for signs of multiple cancers, including pancreatic, lung, and breast cancer. With a 90% accuracy rate, Craif aims to expand its test to Singapore and Southeast Asia. As these companies grow, securing access to capital becomes a critical aspect of their scaling journey.

Chee Hong Tat highlighted Singapore's efforts to strengthen its growth capital ecosystem and connect promising companies with the capital they need to succeed.