Two Malaysian Startups Land on Forbes Asia's 100 to Watch List

KUALA LUMPUR -- Two Malaysian companies, Bateriku and Respond.io, have secured spots on Forbes Asia's 100 to Watch 2026 list, an annual ranking that highlights promising small businesses and startups across the Asia-Pacific region.

The sixth edition of the list features 100 companies from 16 countries and territories, with artificial intelligence emerging as a dominant theme. Nearly a quarter of the honorees are enterprise technology firms offering AI-related services, while robotics also gained traction with 10 companies making the cut.

Bateriku, headquartered in Shah Alam and led by CEO Azarol Faizi Zakaria Ansari, was selected in the consumer technology category. Founded in 2014, the company provides on-demand car battery replacement and roadside assistance through its app, website, and hotline. It connects stranded motorists to a network of 1,000 mechanics, 2,000 partner repair shops, and tow truck operators across 270 locations in Malaysia.

The company expanded into Indonesia in 2023 and raised US$7.4 million in a Series B round the following year from investors including Retirement Fund Inc, also known as KWAP, Gobi Partners, and VentureTECH.

Respond.io, based in Kuala Lumpur, was named in the enterprise technology category. Founded in 2017 and led by CEO Gerardo Salandra, the firm provides software that consolidates communication channels -- including WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, email, and voice calls -- into a single inbox for customer service and sales teams. Its platform incorporates AI tools capable of answering simple queries, organizing customer data, and routing more complex conversations to human workers.

Respond.io said it processes more than two billion messages every quarter for 10,000 businesses across 180 countries. In June, it raised US$62.5 million in a Series B round from investors including Camber Partners and Endeavor Catalyst.