Young companies shine at the 2025 Emerging Enterprise Awards, Events &
Dynamic young businesses from across the region took the spotlight at the 18th Emerging Enterprise Awards, held on Nov 20 at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach. The programme celebrates innovation, resilience and excellence among enterprises under 10 years old, with this year’s cohort showcasing strong momentum across technology, sustainability and consumer sectors.
Top honours: Emerging Enterprise Award
Three companies earned the flagship Emerging Enterprise Award for their enterprising mindsets, sustained growth and readiness to scale beyond home markets:
- Evo Commerce (Singapore): Provides affordable, premium grooming and beauty products that have built a loyal consumer following.
- Mesh Bio (Singapore): Develops clinical decision support and automation tools that help manage chronic diseases more effectively.
- Dodo Ventures (Malaysia): Designs effective, stylish pimple patches, blending skincare efficacy with consumer-centric design.
The trio stood out for consistent performance, market traction and clear strategies for regional expansion.
Championing the green economy: Sustainability Award
Recognising companies harnessing growth opportunities in the green transition, the Emerging Enterprise Sustainability Award was presented to:
- Hydroleap (Singapore): Offers advanced wastewater treatment solutions aimed at reducing environmental impact and operational costs.
- Green Environmental Engineering (Malaysia): Provides integrated sustainability services addressing complex environmental challenges for public and private sectors.
- My-Care Healthcare (Hong Kong): Produces specialised nutrition for patients with swallowing difficulties, diabetes and kidney disease, marrying healthcare needs with sustainable practices.
These winners demonstrate how sustainability can drive innovation and commercial value, from industrial water treatment to specialised healthcare nutrition.
Ones to watch: Most Promising Start-up
Hivebotics (Singapore) clinched the Most Promising Start-up Award for its work in AI-powered facility management robotics. The company’s solutions aim to automate complex building operations, boosting safety, efficiency and productivity.
A regional showcase of entrepreneurial depth
This year’s awards drew close to 600 applications spanning a broad range of industries. More than a third came from markets beyond Singapore, including Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia—highlighting a vibrant regional pipeline of high-potential ventures poised for cross-border growth.
About the programme
The Emerging Enterprise Awards is jointly organised by The Business Times and OCBC, with support from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Enterprise Singapore, Mastercard, Paia Consulting, Rajah & Tann Asia and RSM Singapore. The initiative continues to spotlight enterprises that pair strong fundamentals with bold ambition—businesses that are redefining what young companies can achieve across the region.
From smarter healthcare and robotics to sustainable infrastructure and consumer innovation, this year’s winners reflect a new generation of founders building scalable solutions to real-world problems. Their success signals a robust and increasingly interconnected startup ecosystem—one ready to shape the next wave of regional growth.
