Accelerating Asia Ventures, Singapore-based independent venture capital accelerator, announced last Friday its investment in eight new startups joining its twelfth cohort.
Selected from a pool of over 700 applicants – an acceptance rate of just over 1 percent – these companies are established businesses with significant traction, already generating an average of $37,881 in monthly revenue, Accelerating Asia Ventures said in a statement.
With the addition of Cohort 12, the Accelerating Asia Ventures portfolio now numbers 100 startups, collectively valued at over $1.1 billion and having raised over US$152 million in follow-on funding.
The firm continues its strong commitment to gender-lens investing, with three new female-founded startups joining a portfolio where 45 percent of companies have at least one female founder.
The startups in this latest cohort hail from Singapore, Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh.
These startups include Chamak (Bangladesh), a business to business (B2B) trade finance platform; biniyog.io (Bangladesh), a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financing marketplace; Fineksi (Indonesia), a document automation firm for credit analysis; InsureCow Ltd. (Bangladesh), a firm creating a new asset class for rural financing; InLustro Learning Private Limited (India), a job simulation platform for workforce readiness; Kustodian.life (India), an infrastructure for seamless financial exits; Podium (Singapore), a peer discovery platform for working women; Wellspring Global (Bangladesh), a healthier food and drinks for emerging market middle class.
“We saw a major theme of AI in the applications, but we filter for substance. The founders in Cohort 12 exemplify this. They aren’t building AI for its own sake; they are on the ground, using it as a practical tool to solve tangible, real-world problems in their emerging markets,
“They have the grit and proven models, and our role is to be the reliable partner that provides the capital, credibility, and community they need to get to the next level,” said Amra Naidoo, General Partner of Accelerating Asia Ventures.
Craig Bristol Dixon, General Partner of Accelerating Asia Ventures, said for the firm’s investors, these numbers prove the effectiveness of our system.
“Our fund is backed by a community of angels, mentors, and successful founders who want a smarter way to invest in the region. We provide the qualified, vetted deal flow they can’t access alone and de-risk the opportunity by managing diligence and portfolio support,
“It’s a system for those who want to be hands-on, making venture capital investing more accessible than they might think,” he added.
Accelerating Asia Ventures is also closing its second fund and is seeking value-add partners to complete the round.
The fund is designed for accredited investors, including senior executives, ex-founders, and family offices, who are looking for a structured, hands-on way to invest in the next generation of startups in Asia.
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