[This is a sponsored article with Cradle Fund (Cradle).]
Recently on November 5, the Korean–ASEAN AI Youth Festa 2025 wrapped up in KL, marking a key milestone in advancing collaborative pushes in AI-driven entrepreneurship. An initiative under the Korea–ASEAN Digital Innovation Flagship Project (KADIF), it’s funded by the ASEAN–Korea Cooperation Fund through the Government of Korea.
The programme was hosted by Korea’s National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) together with the ASEAN Secretariat, co-implemented by Cradle under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).
Its Malaysian edition was additionally tied to the execution of the ASEAN Startup Initiative’s Priority Economic Deliverables (PED), a multi-year blueprint designed to drive regional startup development.
This year, 22 startups from 11 countries joined an eight-week acceleration programme led by Y&Archer (South Korea-based startup accelerator and seed investor).
The final stage culminated in a live pitching session at the Startup ASEAN Summit, where participants competed for a total prize pool of approximately US$35,000. The top teams were awarded as follows:
- 1st Place: US$20,000 (approx. KR₩28 million)
- 2nd Place: US$10,000 (approx. KR₩14 million)
- 3rd Place: US$5,000 (approx. KR₩7 million)
The top three winners highlighted the range of AI solutions across ASEAN and Korea. Atlas Robotics from Singapore won first place for its autonomous robotics improving sustainable logistics.
Malaysia’s Athletes For Athletes (AFA), a startup leveraging IoT to solve problems for sports venue operators, was awarded second place for AI-driven sports community engagement.
Coming in third place was Treasurer, a South Korean investment company, which was recognized for its AI-powered personalized financial learning service built on a Learn-to-Earn model.
Shaping ASEAN’s digital future
AI Youth Festa 2025 serves as a preview of how Malaysia and our regional partners’ collaborative plan to shape ASEAN’s innovation priorities in the coming years.
“This event serves as an exceptional platform to drive AI innovation, nurture youth talent, and advance our collective pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SGDs),” said NIPA’s President, Park Yun Kyu.
“It is my firm belief that this [AI Youth] Festa will become a catalyst for visionary partnerships, and inclusive growth, linking the aspirations of ASEAN and Korea in our shared digital future.”
What made this year unique was the competition’s firm alignment with the UN SDGs to solve realistic social issues, like climate change and global population decline.
In his own words, Mr. Park explained that AI could tackle many of these challenges, such as improving road safety and healthcare. Ultimately, the programme’s focus is on creating innovations that benefit humanity, a point he emphasised repeatedly.
Aside from prize money, the winners gained mentorship, access to Korea’s startup ecosystem, and opportunities to connect with international innovation platforms.
Mr. Park shared that one plan under consideration is to hopefully invite winners to a preliminary challenge in Korea to personally experience its startup ecosystem.
“And if they wish to go to Silicon Valley, we have strong networks in Silicon Valley that we can introduce them to,” he said, with the possible opportunity of presenting their solutions at the Silicon Valley–based Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC).
Bridging the digital divide
During our interview, the President of NIPA emphasised the need for countries to build their own sovereign AI models. This is because each country faces different challenges and has different demands.
“Some [ASEAN] countries are advanced, while others are a little behind,” he said. NIPA’s part is to collaborate and help these countries gain access to the infrastructure and networks needed to grow.
The initiative also reflects Korea’s growing role in shaping the ASEAN digital innovation landscape, serving as capacity builder to help ASEAN countries in bridging different stages of digital transformation.
Apart from infrastructure and technology, Mr. Park remarked on the importance of ethical and responsible AI, such as filtering what’s real and what’s fake.
His advice for countries is to first establish public policies regarding the ethical usage of AI so that companies will then follow. It’s a method that has worked for South Korea, where its government introduced the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in 2019.
He also pointed to lessons from other advanced ecosystems, like China, which ASEAN can study to accelerate its digital transformation while remaining locally relevant.
By bridging differences in digital readiness among member states, initiatives like AI Youth Festa demonstrate how regional collaboration can strengthen capacities and foster innovation across borders.
These efforts feed into the broader ASEAN–Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026–2030), which aims to tackle priorities such as education, sustainability, and economic resilience.
The partnership builds on AI Youth Festa’s momentum, laying the foundation for ASEAN to emerge as a globally competitive hub for innovation and technology-driven development.
Fueling the next phase of innovation
While the AI Youth Festa may have concluded, the support for its participants continues.
Cradle, MOSTI, and NIPA will explore follow-up opportunities through the ASEAN Startup Initiative, including market access programmes, funding pathways, and continued engagement with regional innovation networks.
This ensures that the momentum generated at the AI Youth Festa translates into long-term impact.
“For Malaysia, and for Cradle under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), this is a proud moment. It reflects our shared belief that innovation is not a solo effort, it’s a team sport. And when we bring together different minds and markets, that’s when breakthroughs happen,” said Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group CEO of Cradle.
He noted that there are over 750 AI-driven startups across the region, with nearly 200 in Malaysia, tackling everything from language technology to clean energy.
“Global players are also recognising our potential, with billions in investment being channelled into AI infrastructure, cloud technology, and digital talent development. But more importantly, what makes this region special isn’t just our technology.”
“It’s our collaborative spirit, the willingness to share ideas, to learn from one another, and to create solutions that truly matter to people.”
With initiatives like AI Youth Festa paving the way, Malaysia is setting the stage for an ASEAN innovation ecosystem that is collaborative and ready to compete globally.
Featured Image Credit: ROK Mission to ASEAN
Last modified: December 4, 2025
