AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 Returns With a Sharper Focus on Founder–Investor Dialogue

A curated pitch forum bringing Asian startups and global investors together for focused, meaningful conversations.

AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 is returning on March 18, 2026, bringing together Asian startups and global investors for a curated pitch and discussion forum designed to support fundraising readiness, clearer storytelling, and more meaningful investor engagement.

Scheduled from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM (KST), the virtual event marks the first edition of the AsiaStartupExpo series for 2026 and continues its role as a cross-border platform connecting founders with venture capital firms actively exploring opportunities across Asia.

The quarterly event is jointly hosted by beSUCCESS, AsiaTechDaily, KoreaTechDesk, and IndiaTechDesk.

A Pitch Forum Built for Real Conversations

AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 follows a pitch-led but dialogue-driven format that prioritises interaction over presentation alone. Rather than a traditional demo day, the event is structured to encourage live discussion between founders and investors, allowing startups to articulate their vision, market opportunity, and fundraising goals while receiving immediate feedback.

Each selected startup will deliver a four-minute pitch, followed by live discussion with participating investors, creating space for deeper questions around execution, scalability, and market positioning.

While participating startups are evaluated on clarity, execution, and potential, the expo is not positioned as a conventional competition. The emphasis remains on learning, relevance, and building relationships that extend beyond the event.

Investor Panel: Fundraising Reality Check for 2026

The session will open with an investor-led panel discussion focused on the realities of fundraising in the current market environment.

Titled “Fundraising Reality Check: What Investors Expect in 2026,” the discussion will explore topics such as realistic fundraising expectations, valuation conversations founders often get wrong, how investors evaluate pitches across different industries, and what typically drives second meetings and follow-ups after a pitch.

Investor participants for the Q1 2026 edition will be announced in the coming weeks.

Building on Momentum From Previous Editions

Over the past year, AsiaStartupExpo has evolved into a consistent regional platform for early-stage and growth-stage startups to engage with investors across Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and global markets.

Previous editions have featured a diverse mix of venture capital firms, angel investors, and ecosystem leaders, with many participating startups going on to secure follow-up meetings, partnerships, and ongoing fundraising conversations after the event.

By refining the flow of pitches and discussions, the Q1 2026 edition aims to further improve the quality of interaction for both founders and investors.

Why Attend AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026

AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 is designed to deliver practical value for everyone in the startup ecosystem—founders, investors, and partners—by creating a setting where conversations are relevant, focused, and actionable.

For startup founders, the event offers a rare opportunity to pitch directly to investors who are actively exploring opportunities across Asia. Beyond visibility, founders benefit from live feedback that helps refine their fundraising narrative, clarify market positioning, and identify gaps in strategy. The short pitch and discussion format mirrors real investor meetings, making it especially valuable for founders preparing for upcoming fundraising rounds.

For investors, AsiaStartupExpo provides curated exposure to startups across sectors such as AI, SaaS, fintech, climate, and deep tech. Rather than broad, unfiltered deal flow, investors engage in focused discussions that highlight execution quality, founder clarity, and scalability. The format allows investors to quickly assess opportunities, ask direct questions, and identify companies worth deeper follow-up.

For ecosystem partners and operators, the expo serves as a window into emerging trends, founder challenges, and investor expectations shaping Asia’s startup landscape in 2026. It creates opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, and ecosystem building across borders, while fostering meaningful connections with founders and investment leaders.

Overall, AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 is built to move beyond surface-level pitching—offering participants insight, access, and conversations that continue well after the event ends.

Momentum From AsiaStartupExpo Q4 2025

The upcoming edition builds on the strong momentum of AsiaStartupExpo Q4 2025, which concluded the series’ inaugural year with a high-quality cohort of startups and active investor participation from across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

The final 2025 edition saw Autharva, Inc., a US-based AI-native identity security startup, named the overall winner for its work on an agentic identity control plane addressing emerging enterprise risks tied to AI agents and non-human identities. Investors highlighted the company’s clarity of problem definition, enterprise readiness, and relevance to regulated industries increasingly adopting autonomous AI systems.

Climate-focused startup Climate Seal was named runner-up, earning strong feedback for its AI-powered platform that enables audit-ready carbon footprint calculations and ESG compliance at scale. The recognition underscored growing investor interest in sustainability infrastructure and compliance-driven technology.

In addition to the top two startups, AsiaStartupExpo Q4 2025 featured founders across AI, deep tech, healthcare, sustainability, security, and consumer technology, with many participants securing follow-up investor discussions after the event. Investor judges consistently cited the quality of dialogue, relevance of problems addressed, and enterprise applicability of the solutions presented.

This outcome reinforced AsiaStartupExpo’s role as a curated founder–investor platform, where early signals around infrastructure, compliance, and enterprise-grade innovation increasingly shape investor attention—setting a strong foundation for the 2026 editions.

Event Details

AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 is open to startup founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem partners interested in Asian innovation and cross-border growth.

Startups preparing for fundraising or refining their investor narrative are encouraged to apply to pitch. Investors seeking curated exposure to promising Asian startups can register to join the session and engage directly with founders.

• Event: AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026
• Date: March 18, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM (KST)
• Format: Virtual startup pitch & investor discussion session

Designed to support sharper pitches and more relevant investor conversations, AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 brings together founders and investors committed to building the next generation of Asian technology companies.

Startup founders are invited to apply to pitch, while investors can register to engage with a curated group of promising startups.
Registration is now open via the official event page.

Quick Takeaways

• AsiaStartupExpo Q1 2026 will take place on 18 March 2026, bringing together Asian startups and global investors for a curated pitch and discussion forum.
• The event features a short-pitch, live-discussion format, enabling founders to receive real-time investor feedback rather than deliver long presentations.
• An investor-led panel discussion will open the session, offering practical insights into fundraising expectations, valuations, and follow-ups in 2026.
• The upcoming edition builds on the momentum of AsiaStartupExpo Q4 2025, where AI identity security startup Autharva, Inc. was named winner and Climate Seal was selected as runner-up.
• Previous editions have attracted venture capital firms, angel investors, and ecosystem leaders from Asia, Europe, and the US, with multiple startups securing post-event investor conversations.
• Startup applications and investor registrations are now open, with limited slots available for participating founders and investors.