KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 – The Korea-ASEAN AI Development & Startup Competition 2025, known as AI Youth Festa, is now officially open for applications. Organised under the Korea-ASEAN Digital Innovation Flagship Project (KADIF).
The competition will identify and support 22 promising AI startups—two each from the 10 ASEAN Member States and the Republic of Korea—offering expert mentorship, investor exposure, regional networking, and a chance to win cash prizes of up to KRW 28 million (USD 20,000).
Jointly implemented by Korea’s National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), the ASEAN Secretariat, and Malaysia’s Cradle Fund under MOSTI, this inaugural competition seeks to accelerate regional innovation in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Shortlisted startups will join an intensive 8-week accelerator led by a top Korean firm, with the programme culminating in a high-profile Demo Day during the Startup ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur from 3–5 November 2025. Applications are open now via https://startup-asean.org until 20 August 2025.
