Malaysia

Airwallex, co-headquartered in Singapore and California, has received approval from Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank of Malaysia, for its e-money issuing and Class A licences, enabling the company to offer a broader range of payment services in Malaysia.

Malaysia-founded PolicyStreet has secured RM84 million (US$21 million) in the first close of its Series C funding round, the insurtech firm said in a press release on Wednesday.

Germany-based AIXTRON, a supplier of deposition equipment for compound semiconductors, is set to spend €40 million ($46 million) in building a new manufacturing facility in Malaysia, according to a release on Wednesday of the firm.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Gobi Partners, a venture capital (VC) firm based in Malaysia and Hong Kong, have announced the first close of a joint investment initiative, the Gobi–HKU Fund I, during a ceremony marking its launch and initial investments.

Japan-based Cybozu, a collaborative office software company known for its Kintone platform, has committed an initial $6.4 million investment to expand its operations in Malaysia.

South Korea's POSCO International is targeting an annual rare earth supply of $230 million from Southeast Asia, as it accelerates efforts to build a stable global supply chain for heavy rare earth elements critical to electric vehicle (EV) traction motors.

Singapore-based super app Grab's revenue in 2025 grew 20 percent year on year, reaching a record $3.37 billion as the firm continued to grow to expand its user base, improve frequency and engagement in the platform, and optimize incentive levels.

CARSOME Group Inc. reported FY2025 EBITDA of $23 million, more than doubling year-on-year, reflecting continued margin expansion and cost discipline across its core markets.

Asia-focused venture capital firm Gobi Partners has invested in Cortical Labs, a biotechnology company developing computing systems that combine living human neurons with silicon hardware.

We talked to Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, Group Chief Executive Officer at Cradle Fund, to learn more about the entity’s achievements in 2025 and its plans and aspirations for 2026. He also shared his views on the outlook of tech ecosystem in Malaysia and Southeast Asia for 2026.