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Startup Competitions in Asia (2027): 13 Pitch Competitions for Early-Stage Founders With Prizes, Rules and Deadlines

Startup Competitions in Asia for Early-Stage Founders: Prizes, Rules and 2027 Deadlines

Asia now has some of the best-funded startup competitions in the world, and many of them are run or backed by governments that want foreign founders to set up locally. Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India and the Gulf all have competitions where an early-stage team can win equity-free cash, a sponsored trip and a room full of investors. We checked every competition below on the organiser's own website in November 2026: the prize, whether it takes equity, who can apply, and the next date or deadline. When an official page does not show 2027 dates yet, we say so instead of guessing. Events from the 2025 version of this article that ended, changed or are not really competitions are listed in a separate section.
Quick answer: for open deadlines right now, apply to the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition in Singapore (free, S$2.5M+ in prizes, apply by 31 March 2027) and the SusHi Tech Challenge 2027 in Tokyo (JPY 10 million grand prize, apply by 18 December 2026). For the biggest government programmes, watch for the next calls of SLINGSHOT in Singapore (over S$2 million in grant prizes in 2026) and the K-Startup Grand Challenge in Korea (first prize KRW 100 million, for founders who are not Korean nationals). Women founders with revenue should plan for the Cartier Women's Initiative regional awards (up to $100,000).
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Startup Competitions in Asia Compared

CompetitionWhereTop prizeWho can applyNext confirmed date
SLINGSHOTSingapore (SWITCH)Over S$2M in grant prizes (2026)Deep tech startups worldwide; Top 50 flown in2026 finals held 27-29 Oct 2026; 2027 call not announced
Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan CompetitionSingapore (SMU)S$2.5M+; two S$100,000 Chancellor's CupsAt least one founder studying or graduated in the last 5 yearsApply free until 31 Mar 2027; finals 28 Sep-1 Oct 2027
K-Startup Grand ChallengeKorea (Pangyo, Seoul)KRW 100M first prize, plus grantsPre-startups and startups up to 7 years old, CEO not a Korean national2026 call closed 17 Jun 2026; 2027 call not announced
SusHi Tech Challenge 2027Tokyo Big SightJPY 10M grand prizeStartups with an existing product in sustainable-city techApply by 18 Dec 2026; final 21 May 2027
Startup World Cup (Asian regionals)Vietnam, India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Gulf$1M investment at the Grand FinaleAny stageNext season's regionals not announced
GITEX AI Asia SupernovaSingapore (Marina Bay Sands)SGD 30,000 cash (SGD 60K+ pool)Startups applying through the exhibitor portalGITEX AI Asia 29-30 Apr 2027; applications open
Supernova 0XDubai (Expand North Star)USD 135,000 equity-free poolExhibiting startups, Pre-Seed to Series AFinals 10 Dec 2026
InnoVEX Pitch ContestTaipei (COMPUTEX)USD 10,000 cash + 2027 boothFounded after 1 Jan 2018; fee unless exhibitingInnoVEX 2027 on 1-4 Jun 2027; call not announced
IVS LAUNCHPADKyoto (IVS)JPY 10M to the winnerAny nationality, demoable product2027 dates not announced
JUMPSTARTERHong Kong (Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund)Up to US$5M investment (2026)Seed to Series A, AI and sustainability2027 format announced, dates not yet
National Startup Awards 6.0India (Startup India, DPIIT)Rs 25 lakh per category winnerDPIIT-recognised Indian startupsApplications set to close 20 Nov 2026
Cartier Women's InitiativeRegional awards incl. East Asia, South and Central Asia, MENA$100,000 grantWomen-led impact businesses, $50K-$5M revenue2027 edition closed; next call not announced
EF Hult PrizeCampus and national rounds worldwide$1M seed investmentTeams of 2-4 studentsQualifiers run September to February
Sources: each competition's official website, rules, guidelines and FAQ pages, checked 3-4 November 2026. Prizes and rules change every year, so read the current rules before you apply.

The Best Startup Competitions in Asia for 2027

1. SLINGSHOT: over S$2 million in grant prizes in Singapore

SLINGSHOT is the deep tech startup competition of the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), run by Enterprise Singapore. Its 10th edition in 2026 offered over S$2 million in grant prizes, and the Top 50 Global Startups across five challenge domains (such as advanced computing and intelligence, and advanced manufacturing and industrial systems) won a sponsored trip to Singapore to pitch live. The competition says it grew from 1,000 applications from 80 markets in its first year to over 6,800 applications from more than 150 markets in 2025. Next date: the 2026 finals took place on 27-29 October 2026. Dates for 2027 are not announced yet (checked November 2026).

2. Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition: S$2.5 million+ and free to enter

The Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) is a biennial deep tech pitch competition run by Singapore Management University for startups building urban solutions and sustainability technology. At least one founder must be studying at a university anywhere in the world or have graduated in the past five years. Prizes for the 13th edition total more than S$2.5 million in cash, investment, grants and services, including two Chancellor's Cups of S$100,000 cash each, and finalists can apply to SMU's Urban SustaInnovator accelerator and its S$10 million fund. The 2025 Chancellor's Cups went to ChemT Biotechnology (Singapore) and Zhejiang Polar Code Technology (China). Next date: applications are open, online and free, from 27 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, with an early-bird deadline of 31 January 2027. Fifty finalists are announced in July 2027, and the finals week in Singapore runs from 28 September to 1 October 2027.

3. K-Startup Grand Challenge: Korea's government programme for foreign founders

The K-Startup Grand Challenge (KSGC) is run by Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups for founders who want to enter the Korean market. The CEO must not be a Korean national, and pre-startups and companies up to seven years old can apply; you do not need a Korean company to apply. In 2026, 80 teams started the online phase, 40 moved on to an on- and offline phase with a chance to pitch at COMEUP, and 20 continue to a scale phase until June 2027. According to the 2026 guidelines, the Top 20 at the KSGC Demo Day share KRW 380 million in prize money (KRW 100 million for first place), the top 8 can receive KRW 250 million in growth grants, and each of the 40 second-phase teams gets KRW 8 million towards travel. All prizes are equity-free, and visa support is included. Next date: the 2026 call ran from 6 May to 17 June 2026 and is closed. The 2027 call is not announced yet.
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4. SusHi Tech Challenge 2027: JPY 10 million in Tokyo

The SusHi Tech Challenge is the pitch contest of SusHi Tech Tokyo, the startup conference backed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The name stands for "Sustainable High City Tech", and the 2027 themes include physical AI, quantum, smart city resilience and longevity. You need an existing product, the pitch is in English, and you must be able to exhibit at a booth for all three event days; the 20 semifinalists have the JPY 300,000 booth fee waived. The grand prize winner receives JPY 10 million, and corporate partners plan special awards. More than 800 startups applied for the 2026 contest. Next date: apply by 5:00 p.m. JST on 18 December 2026. Screening runs from January to March 2027, the semifinal is on 20 May and the final on 21 May 2027 at Tokyo Big Sight.

5. Startup World Cup: Asian regionals for a $1 million investment

The Startup World Cup, organised by Pegasus Tech Ventures, holds more than 100 regional pitch competitions, and regional winners go to the Grand Finale in San Francisco to compete for a $1 million investment prize. In the 2025-2026 season, Asian and Gulf regionals included Saudi Arabia (13 November 2025), Vietnam (12 December 2025), Dubai (7 February 2026), India in Greater Noida (12 March 2026), Nagoya in Japan (23 April 2026) and Bandung in Indonesia (7 May 2026). The Southeast Asia Finale was held at Techsauce Global Summit in Bangkok on 28 August 2026; its winner went to San Francisco and the runner-up got a place in the Startup World Cup Asia Finale. Next date: the 2026 Grand Finale was set for 4-6 November 2026 in San Francisco. Regional dates for the next season are not announced yet.

6. GITEX AI Asia Supernova: SGD 30,000 in Singapore

The Supernova Pitch Competition is the startup competition of GITEX AI Asia in Singapore. Startups apply through the exhibitor portal, which means booking a startup pod at the show; 50 are shortlisted for the semi-finals and 10 pitch in the finals, each with a 2-minute pitch and 3 minutes of questions. The prize pool is more than SGD 60,000: SGD 30,000 for first place, SGD 20,000 for second and SGD 10,000 for third. The 2026 winners were Ailytics (Singapore), LifeScapes (Japan) and Codepresso (Korea). Next date: applications are open for 2027, and GITEX AI Asia 2027 takes place on 29-30 April 2027 at Marina Bay Sands.

7. Supernova 0X at Expand North Star: USD 135,000 in Dubai

Supernova 0X is the pitch competition of Expand North Star, the startup event that runs with GITEX Global in Dubai. For 2026 it is split by stage: Pre-Seed (MVP or prototype, less than $250,000 raised), Seed ($250,000 to $3 million raised) and Series A, and three startups per stage reach the final. The prizes add up to USD 135,000 in equity-free cash. You must be an exhibiting startup at Expand North Star to apply. Next date: applications were set to close on 10 November 2026; semi-finalists are announced on 1 December, the semi-finals run on 8-9 December and the finals on 10 December 2026 at Expo City Dubai.
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8. InnoVEX Pitch Contest: hardware and AI startups in Taipei

The InnoVEX Pitch Contest runs at InnoVEX, the startup area of COMPUTEX in Taipei. Startups founded after 1 January 2018, or research teams planning to start a company, can apply. In 2026 the registration fee was NT$40,000 for Taiwanese teams and USD 1,350 for overseas teams, waived for InnoVEX exhibitors. The Grand Prize included USD 10,000 in cash, a seat in the KPMG Energize programme and a booth at InnoVEX 2027, the Future Star Award was reserved for early-stage startups, and sponsors added prizes such as the Taiwania Capital Innovation Award (USD 10,000) and the Plug and Play Taiwan Award (USD 5,000). Registration closed on 5 May 2026 and the final took place on 4 June 2026. Next date: InnoVEX 2027 runs on 1-4 June 2027; the 2027 contest rules are not published yet.

9. IVS LAUNCHPAD: JPY 10 million in Kyoto

IVS LAUNCHPAD is the pitch event of IVS, a startup conference in Kyoto, and has run since 2007. It is open to any industry and any nationality, and the only formal requirement is a product you can demo. The winner receives JPY 10 million, and IVS and Kyoto Prefecture also present the Startup Kyoto International Award for startups aiming at global markets. In 2026 the application deadline was 7 May, interviews followed in May, and the finalists pitched on the main stage on 3 July 2026. Next date: Dates for 2027 are not announced yet (checked November 2026).

10. JUMPSTARTER: up to US$5 million in Hong Kong

JUMPSTARTER is the startup programme of the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund in Hong Kong. For JUMPSTARTER 2026, the fund picked a Top 30 from more than 700 submissions from over 60 regions and countries, with a focus on AI and sustainability. The finalists pitched live at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 12-13 March 2026 for up to US$5 million in investment; most were at seed stage, some at Series A, and half came from outside Hong Kong. Next date: JUMPSTARTER says it has evolved "beyond the pitch stage" for 2027; the new format's dates and rules are not published yet.
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11. National Startup Awards 6.0: Rs 25 lakh per category in India

The National Startup Awards are run by Startup India and DPIIT, India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Only DPIIT-recognised startups can apply, in up to three of 20 sectoral categories, plus two special categories: Women-Led Startup of the Year and the North-East Startup Excellence Award. Each winner in those categories receives Rs 25 lakh in cash, and a separate Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award has a Rs 25 lakh pool. Next date: the sixth edition was launched on 27 October 2026, and applications were set to stay open until 20 November 2026, according to All India Radio. Check the Startup India portal for the current status before you apply.

12. Cartier Women's Initiative: up to $100,000 for women-led businesses

The Cartier Women's Initiative is a written application judged by a jury, not a live pitch battle, and it is one of the best-paid programmes for women founders in Asia. Its Regional Awards cover nine regions, including East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Oceania. The top three in each region receive grants of $100,000, $60,000 and $30,000, plus a fellowship with INSEAD training and coaching. It is not for idea-stage founders: the business must be women-led and women-owned, have an impact goal, earn $50,000 to $5 million in annual revenue, employ 5 to 250 people and have raised no more than $2 million in dilutive funding. The 2026 fellows were celebrated in Bangkok on 10 June 2026. Next date: applications for the 2027 edition closed on 16 June 2026. The next call is not announced yet.

13. EF Hult Prize: $1 million for student founders

The EF Hult Prize is a global competition for teams of two to four students enrolled in any degree programme, building a for-profit startup that supports at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal. Teams pitch on campus or apply online between September and February, compete at national rounds in April and May, and the best go through a digital incubator and a global accelerator before the Global Finals in September. The winner receives $1 million in seed investment, and the Hult Prize Foundation takes an equity stake, typically 10%. The 2026 winner was Flow Guard Solutions. Next date: check whether your university runs a campus round; otherwise use the open application.

More Pitch Stages in Asia

  • FLY ASIA (Busan): FLY ASIA, run by the Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Technology Startup Investment Agency, held its 2026 edition on 7-8 October 2026 at BEXCO, with FLY ASIA Awards in a global and a domestic track.
  • HKUST-SINO One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition (Hong Kong): a university competition with an HKUST track and an International Student Track; the 2026 final took place on 12 October 2026.
  • Techsauce Global Summit (Bangkok): hosted the Startup World Cup Southeast Asia Finale in 2026; the 2027 summit runs on 25-27 August 2027 at QSNCC.

Startup Competitions That Ended, Changed or Are Not Competitions

The 2025 version of this article listed 20 events. We removed those that are not startup competitions, that we could not confirm on an official page, or that appeared twice:
  • Echelon (Singapore): the 2026 edition on 3-4 June ran an AI Workflow Competition for builders solving SME problems, not a startup pitch competition.
  • Supernova at GITEX Asia: listed twice in the old article; it is now one entry (number 6), and the old "prize pool exceeding USD 100,000" figure is replaced by the official SGD 60,000+ pool.
  • Pitch for $1 Million (StartCon): the StartCon website still shows its 2019 edition, so we removed it.
  • RISE (Hong Kong): the official website shows no upcoming edition.
  • PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: an accelerator programme, not a competition. See our lists of startup incubators in Asia and accelerators for female entrepreneurs instead.
  • Startup Grind Global Pitch, World Entrepreneur Summit, Investor Connect Dubai, Take Off Tokyo and the Tech in Asia Conference: the old links went to listing sites, and we found no current official competition page with prizes and dates.
  • NexTech Week Tokyo, ATxSG and MWC Asia: trade shows and conferences rather than startup competitions. MWC's Asian event is now MWC Shanghai (23-25 June 2027), a connectivity show; the ATxSG site did not load for us.
  • COMEUP (Seoul): Korea's startup festival is now the stage for the K-Startup Grand Challenge Demo Day (see number 3).
  • She Loves Tech, Seedstars and the Rice Bowl Startup Awards: She Loves Tech's site lists 2024 as its latest Global Final, Seedstars' local competition pages point to 2020 events, and we found no current Rice Bowl edition.
  • Old figures: the Lee Kuan Yew competition now offers S$2.5 million+ (not "over S$1 million"), and SusHi Tech is about sustainable-city technology, not culinary tech.

Which Startup Competition in Asia Should You Enter?

  • You want equity-free cash: SLINGSHOT (over S$2 million in grant prizes in 2026), the K-Startup Grand Challenge (KRW 100 million first prize), the SusHi Tech Challenge and IVS LAUNCHPAD (JPY 10 million each), and Supernova 0X (USD 135,000 pool).
  • You want an investor, not just a prize: the Startup World Cup's $1 million investment, JUMPSTARTER (up to US$5 million in 2026) and the EF Hult Prize's $1 million seed round.
  • You want to move to a new market: the K-Startup Grand Challenge for Korea (incorporation and visa support) and SLINGSHOT or the Lee Kuan Yew competition for Singapore.
  • You are a student or recent graduate: the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition, the EF Hult Prize and the HKUST One Million competition.
  • You build deep tech or hardware: SLINGSHOT, the Lee Kuan Yew competition and the InnoVEX Pitch Contest at COMPUTEX.
  • You are a woman founder: the Cartier Women's Initiative regional awards, India's Women-Led Startup of the Year category, and our lists of grants for women entrepreneurs in Asia and startup events for female entrepreneurs.
Comparing regions? Our guides to startup competitions in Europe and startup competitions in North America use the same format, our list of deep tech startup competitions covers hard tech, and our pitch competition events guide lists more stages worldwide.

How Founders Use Asian Startup Competitions to Raise Money

A competition rarely funds the whole round, but its deadline is a good reason to finish your deck: our guide to a fundraising pitch deck that tells a story helps, and you can practise the short version with an elevator pitch generator. Then turn the judges and investors in the room into meetings: our list of early-stage VCs in Asia and the wider list of early-stage VC firms are your follow-up list. Avoid the classic pre-seed fundraising mistakes, such as pitching investors who do not invest at your stage.
Most competitions sit inside a bigger event, so plan the trip with our guides to startup events in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangalore and Dubai. If you are still choosing where to base the company, compare the best startup cities in Asia and the best cities for early-stage startups; for edtech, see the edtech accelerators in Asia. For more non-dilutive money, Grant Grants explains prize competitions and innovation challenges and equity-free funding.
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FAQ About Startup Competitions in Asia

Which startup competitions in Asia are open for applications now?

As of early November 2026, the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition in Singapore takes applications until 31 March 2027 (early bird 31 January), and the SusHi Tech Challenge 2027 in Tokyo until 18 December 2026. GITEX AI Asia's Supernova competition also accepts applications for April 2027.

Which Asian startup competition has the biggest prize?

By prize pool, the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (S$2.5 million+) and SLINGSHOT (over S$2 million in grant prizes in 2026). By single investment, the Startup World Cup ($1 million), JUMPSTARTER (up to US$5 million in 2026) and the EF Hult Prize ($1 million seed).

Are there startup competitions in Asia that take no equity?

Yes. SLINGSHOT pays grants, the K-Startup Grand Challenge pays prize money and growth grants, the SusHi Tech Challenge and IVS LAUNCHPAD pay JPY 10 million in cash, and Supernova 0X offers USD 135,000 in equity-free cash. The EF Hult Prize does take equity, typically 10%.

Can foreign founders apply to the K-Startup Grand Challenge?

Only foreign founders can: the CEO must not hold Korean nationality, though Korean co-founders are allowed. The 2026 call closed on 17 June 2026, and the 2027 call is not announced yet.

When is the SusHi Tech Challenge 2027 deadline?

5:00 p.m. JST on 18 December 2026. Twenty semifinalists pitch on 20 May 2027 and the final is on 21 May 2027 at Tokyo Big Sight, where the grand prize winner receives JPY 10 million.

Are there startup competitions in Asia for women founders?

Yes. The Cartier Women's Initiative has regional awards for East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa, with grants of up to $100,000, and India's National Startup Awards have a Women-Led Startup of the Year category worth Rs 25 lakh.

Do I have to pay to enter?

Some competitions are free, such as the Lee Kuan Yew competition. Others are tied to an exhibition: GITEX AI Asia's Supernova goes through the exhibitor portal, Supernova 0X is for exhibiting startups, and InnoVEX charged non-exhibitors a fee of USD 1,350 in 2026. SusHi Tech waives its JPY 300,000 booth fee for semifinalists.

Which competitions suit student founders?

The Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (one founder studying or graduated in the last five years), the EF Hult Prize (teams of two to four students) and the HKUST-SINO One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition.

Is SLINGSHOT open for 2027?

Not yet. The 2026 finals took place in Singapore on 27-29 October 2026, and Enterprise Singapore has not announced the 2027 call.

How can I get my startup in front of more investors and judges?

Get covered where investors and AI assistants look: you can publish a guest post in the Fe/male Switch startup blogs. Get featured and earn a backlink.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-11-04 01:52 Top 20