On 7 May 2025, Chairperson of KUMPUL, Faye Wongso and Managing Director  of KUMPUL, Mega Prawita convened in Tokyo, Japan, to network with global innovation leaders ahead of Asia’s Largest Startup Conference, SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025, where tech innovators from all over the world gather, discuss, and take action to realize sustainable cities through high technology. 

On this occasion, KUMPUL co-hosted Asia MirAI Day 2025 with ​TechShake, Startup Island TAIWAN, ERIA, Techsauce, ​InnoLab Asia, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) as a featured event at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025 focusing on gathering ecosystem builders, startups, and investors across Asia to explore market expansion opportunities across ASEAN and Japan, with a special focus on AI among many other key industries.

At the vibrant stage ahead of Asia MirAI Day 2025, together with its long-time ecosystem enabler partners in Southeast Asia, KUMPUL took a bold step forward by strengthening its commitment toward a stronger global alliance through the formation of ATLAS (Accelerating Transformation & Linkage for Advancing Startups).

The “WHY” Behind ATLAS

Southeast Asia continues to demonstrate strong and resilient economic momentum, with each ATLAS founding country, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand contributing uniquely to the region’s upward trajectory. 

• According to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) (2024), Indonesia is expected to sustain 5.2% growth by 2025, fueled by its large consumer base and booming digital economy. This positions Indonesia as one of the largest and most dynamic markets in the region. 
• Other Southeast Asian countries are also showing strong momentum. The Asian Development Bank (2024) reports that Vietnam is expected to grow by 6.6% in 2025, driven by manufacturing and innovation-led exports. The country has emerged as a critical hub for innovation and tech production in Asia, and is already attracting NVIDIA, a giant technology company to invest.
• On the government-backed innovation front, the Philippines is strengthening its startup ecosystem through expanded programs and increasing tech adoption. According to the IMF (2024), the Philippines is projected to maintain 6.0% growth, driven by a robust services sector, a growing digital workforce, and continued remittance demand.
• Lastly, the World Bank and IMF (2024) report that Thailand expects 2.9% growth by 2025, supported by investments in digital transformation and Industry 4.0. Its leadership in building an AI ecosystem and fostering public-private collaboration positions the country as a strategic driver for tech policy and scalable innovation.

This strong and digital economic momentum must be leveraged through a strategic and sustained approach to ensure long-term growth, rather than becoming a one-time surge. A thoughtful, collaborative effort is essential to transform this momentum into lasting progress that benefits the broader ecosystem.

ATLAS is formed by the region’s leading startup ecosystem enablers from each country, united by a shared vision to catalyze regional collaboration and amplify the impact of cross-border innovation across Southeast Asia and beyond.

The Official Launch of ATLAS

The launch of ATLAS was taken place at Tokyo, Japan at 7 May 2025 by an MoU signing between the founding members bring with them a decade-long track record of nurturing startups, accelerating innovation, and facilitating collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, and policymakers throughout Asia Pacific:

• Faye Wongso — Chairperson of KUMPUL
• Kotaro Adachi — Co-founder and CEO of TechShake
• Oranuch (Mimee) Lerdsuwankij — Co-founder and CEO of Techsauce
• Cong-Thang Huynh — Co-founder and CEO of InnoLab Asia.

That moment marked a testament to KUMPUL’s commitment to take a broader and stronger step toward global expansion in Southeast Asia and beyond. ATLAS emerges as a strategic alliance among leading innovation enablers in Southeast Asia. Formed to amplify opportunities, foster cross-border collaboration, drive sustainable innovation, and strengthen the regional startup ecosystem, ATLAS represents a unified movement to shape the future of entrepreneurship across the region.

How’s ATLAS lead the Movement

ATLAS serves as more than just an alliance, but it is a movement to unite Southeast Asia’s innovation champions. Established with a shared vision, the alliance was formed to:

• Facilitate Cross-Border Collaboration 
  By encouraging strategic partnerships across the region, enabling knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and market expansion.
• Foster a Thriving Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
  By cultivating inclusive, dynamic innovation environments that evolve in response to emerging trends and future challenges.
• Promote Continuous Innovation and Adaptation
  Through programs that support sustainable growth and technological advancement.

To bring this vision to real action, ATLAS will lead a series of strategic initiatives designed to strengthen innovation ecosystems across the region by: 

• In-Person Convergence for Collective Innovation
  Hosting strategic convenings, summits, and delegations across the Asia-Pacific region to strengthen connections and catalyze collaboration.
• Ecosystem Insights through Global Partnership Whitepapers
  Producing thought leadership content and research to inform and guide the development of innovation ecosystems across Southeast Asia.
• Global Market Access Accelerator Program
  Supporting startups in entering and scaling across international markets through targeted programs, mentorship, and strategic partnerships.

To ensure effective governance and long-term growth, the founding members have formed the ATLAS Alliance Committee, which is responsible for setting the alliance’s strategic direction, organizational structure, and key programming. Looking ahead, ATLAS will enter its next chapter in mid-2025, by expanding its reach by welcoming new strategic partners who share its vision and values. This expansion is designed to strengthen regional collaboration and amplify the collective impact of the alliance across Southeast Asia.

What ATLAS Brings to the table for its members 

ATLAS offers its members a range of exclusive benefits designed to foster innovation and collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region with:

• Regional Access and Visibility
  By providing exclusive invitations to regional conferences across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and exclusive opportunities to network with key ecosystem players through premium networking platforms.
• Strategic Connections and Collaboration
  By offering resource-sharing platforms and facilitating strategic partnerships that lead to co-developed programs, joint initiatives, and ecosystem-wide pilot projects.
• Data-driven Insights
  Through regular insights and comprehensive reports on ecosystem trends and developments.

To join ATLAS, potential partners must demonstrate:

• Strategic Fit and Mission Alignment
  In supporting startups, innovation, and entrepreneurship through shared values and common objectives.
• Relevant Industry Expertise
  Ecosystem players and stake holders such as investors (VCs, CVCs, angels), incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, innovation hubs, or government ecosystem supporters.
• A commitment to sustainability and long-term collaboration
  Including measurable impact in areas such as job creation, investment, and innovation programs.

As ATLAS moves forward, the alliance welcomes conversations with global stakeholders who are passionate about shaping the next generation of innovation and entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia.

Ready to be part of this journey? Complete this form and join ATLAS in shaping the future of entrepreneurship beyond borders!