FedEx Celebrates Innovative Asia Pacific Startups, Empowering Businesses to Scale through its Small Business Grant Contest

L-R - Su Yang, Cofounder, Linkerbot; Conor Madigan, Cofounder and CEO, Aether Fuels; Salil Chari, President, Asia Pacific, FedEx; Heidi Wyle, Founder and CEO, Venti Technologies; Andrew Minett, Cofounder and CTO, Sicona Battery Technologies

L-R - Salil Chari, President, Asia Pacific, FedEx; Heidi Wyle, Founder and CEO, Venti Technologies, the winner of 2026 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest

SINGAPORE, April 9, 2026 —Federal Express Corporation, one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, today announced the Winner of the 2026 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest (SBGC) in Asia Pacific.

The Winner, Venti Technologies (Singapore), and three special mention recipients, Aether Fuels (Singapore), Linkerbot (China), and Sicona Battery Technologies (Australia), will share a combined prize pool of US$69,000. Each company receiving funding to support the next phase of growth across the region and beyond.

Now in its fifth year in Asia Pacific, the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, in collaboration with Forbes Asia, spotlights emerging companies from the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list. A panel of judges from FedEx and Forbes Asia selected this year’s finalists from a diverse field of startups and small businesses, recognizing ventures with scalable business models, strong innovation, and the potential to compete globally.

The Winner received a grand prize worth US$30,000:

The following three small businesses were accorded Special Mentions and awarded a cash prize of US$13,000 each:

“The entrepreneurs recognized this year reflect the extraordinary pace of innovation across Asia Pacific,” said Salil Chari, president of Asia Pacific, FedEx. “From clean energy, robotics, to autonomous mobility, these companies are solving real‑world challenges with scalable, technology‑driven solutions. At FedEx, we support businesses not only through funding, but by enabling smarter, data‑enabled supply chains and reliable cross-border logistics that help them reach new markets with confidence. This contest reflects our commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders as they grow beyond local borders and compete on the global stage.”

Launched in the U.S. in 2012, the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest now spans 31 international markets across Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. For more information about the contest, please visit.