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Singapore leads Southeast Asia’s green startup scene with 494 companies, representing a 45% share. (Photo: unsplash)
Singapore leads Southeast Asia in the number of green startups, with 494 companies accounting for around 45% of the regional total—far surpassing second- and third-ranked Indonesia and Malaysia. By sector, nature, agriculture and food-focused ventures dominate Southeast Asia’s green startup landscape, followed by energy transition.
The report notes that technology itself is no longer the primary constraint to developing a green economy in the region; instead, gaps in infrastructure, coordination, data availability and financing have emerged as the main bottlenecks.
Nearly 500 green startups put Singapore well ahead of peers
A new report by Singapore-based consultancy Padang & Co. analysed 1,089 green startups and SMEs across six major Southeast Asian economies—Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. It found Singapore standing out by a wide margin, underpinned by structural advantages including a global capital orientation, high levels of urbanisation, strong government support, and a greater willingness to adopt technology driven by resource constraints.
