NextGen Tech 30 honours the most promising growth-stage companies driving the future of Asia’s economy. Powered by Granite Asia, the program convenes sovereign funds, institutional investors, government agencies, and industry leaders to elevate companies with the potential to scale globally from Asia.
Being named to the NextGen Tech 30 is more than recognition — it’s a launchpad for your next stage of growth.
Raise your profile among global investors, strategic partners, and policymakers looking to back Asia’s next wave of category leaders.
Tap into high-impact media exposure across Asia, increase credibility with customers, and attract top talent.
Meet a curated circle of capital allocators, corporates, and regulators through closed-door events and high-level introductions.
Now in its third year, the program has grown in scope and reach, with an expanded judging panel and a deeper focus on impact and traction across Asia.
Submit your nomination for a business to be considered for NextGen Tech 30. Nominations close on 30 June 2026.
All partners, including government agencies, banks, and investors will jointly vote and select the finalists. See our Partners for details.
Our Judging Panel will review the finalists to determine the NextGen Tech 30 companies.
The NextGen Tech 30 list will be announced on 30 September 2026, with the winners opening the SGX trading day by striking the gong. Media and celebratory events begin!
Expanded coverage: from ASEAN, Japan, Korea, India, and cross-border China
New categories: AI in industry, agentic AI, and core technology
Enhanced evaluation framework and wider nominating partner base
Technologies powered by AI that are changing the way products are being made.
Innovative AI agents that are transforming the enterprise and/or consumer experience.
Technologies or platforms that are foundational to empowering the next tech wave.
Use of AI, novel ideas, and core technology to solve problems and fulfil needs in industry-defining ways.
Meet at least one:
Headquartered or primary operations in Asia
Companies may be nominated by partners or apply directly
Judging board of 8–9 leaders from across the region
Shortlisted companies are evaluated using both quantitative metrics and qualitative insights
Institutional investors
Corporations and ecosystem builders
Industry associations and public sector partners
Founders and executives with high-growth company visibility
Meet our expert judges, presented in alphabetical order.
Explore our esteemed partners, listed alphabetically.
You can submit your nomination on our website before midnight on 30 June 2026.
You need to provide details demonstrating your innovation, financial performance, and regional focus.
There is no cost to enter the NextGen Tech 30.
Yes, companies can submit additional information or corrections, if needed, after the initial submission.
Yes, companies can apply for multiple categories if they meet the criteria for each.
Yes. We welcome all investors to nominate and contribute.
After clicking the Submit button, a message acknowledging your submission will pop up.
You can directly contact the Granite Asia team at nextgen@graniteasia.com with any questions or technical issues related to the submission process.
Benefits include recognition, networking opportunities, market access, and increased visibility among industry peers and investors.
Honourees receive support in terms of resources, strategic partnerships, and opportunities for growth and expansion provided by Granite Asia and its strategic partners.
Yes, all information submitted will only be visible to the judging board and will not be disclosed to the media.
Shih Guan is the Managing Director and Head of the Digital Economy Group at DBS, which provides DBS services and connectivity to innovative new economy companies regionally. Before joining DBS, Shih Guan spent over 12 years in investment banking, building experience across sell-side (investment banking), buy-side (corporate development), and financial regulation and policy.
He began his career in capital markets policy and regulation at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and has held senior roles at Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, and ING Netherlands. Beyond financial institutions, Shih Guan has worked on transactions spanning power and utilities, transport and logistics, real estate, and consumer sectors, with assignments across London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and Cameroon. Shih Guan is a CFA charterholder.
Scott Beaumont led Google Asia Pacific from 2019 to 2024, overseeing its fastest-growing region and half of Google’s global user base. He previously served as President of Google Greater China and Korea, and earlier as Managing Director of Partnerships in Northern and Central Europe.
Before joining Google, Scott founded mobile software startup Refresh Mobile, known for its pioneering app Mobizines. He was also EVP of Business Development at T-Mobile International, where he helped establish the T-Mobile Venture Fund. Scott began his career as a telecoms equity analyst at HSBC James Capel, during the early rise of the internet and mobile technologies.
Wai Hoong is currently a Managing Director and is Temasek’s Head of Southeast Asia as well as Head of the Technology and Consumer (Asia) investment team. Prior to joining Temasek, he was a Partner at General Atlantic leading their Southeast Asia investing program and previously was a Managing Director at CVC Capital Partners.
Earlier in his career, Wai Hoong held a variety of investment management and investment banking roles at firms including Headlands Capital Partners, LLC, Blum Capital Partners LP, and Morgan Stanley.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan.
Sanjay joined Google in early 2020 with a career spanning nearly three decades across media, entertainment, telecoms and FMCG, giving him a deep understanding of the region’s consumer and business landscape.
In his previous role as Country Head and Vice President of Google India, he led teams that supported businesses in their digital transformation journey. He also drove initiatives in support of making India a leading digital economy — from making the internet safer, to ensuring diverse groups, including SMEs, women entrepreneurs and startups succeed online.
Before Google, Sanjay was Managing Director of Star and Disney India, where he played a pivotal role in extending Star’s traditional television content to digital consumers through Hotstar. He is also widely credited for building their sports business.
Sanjay spent the early years of his career at Hindustan Unilever, where he went on to lead marketing for two of the company’s critical segments: oral and home care. He then moved to serve as Bharti Airtel’s Chief Marketing Officer for its mobile business, spearheading the growth agenda for the company.
A native of Delhi, Sanjay is a postgraduate from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kolkata, and an engineer from Delhi College of Engineering.
Mukul Chawla (Singapore) joined KKR in 2021 and is a Partner and Head of Asia Pacific Growth Equity. He chairs the Investment Committee and Portfolio Management Committee for Asia Next Generation Technology. Mr. Chawla is a member of the Board of Directors of Advanced Navigation, Musinsa, Nxera, Privy, KiotViet and GrowSari, and has been involved with KKR’s investments in Employment Hero, SmartHR, Rebel Foods, Darwinbox and DCar. Prior to joining KKR, he was senior managing director at Temasek, where he established and led their global technology and North America franchises, led private equity transactions across Europe, Asia and the Americas, and served on their global investment and management committees. Earlier, he worked at Warburg Pincus in New York and Cisco Systems in Silicon Valley, and served an appointment at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Mr. Chawla holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and a Bachelor’s degree from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani.
Dr Jeffrey Jaensubhakij was appointed Group Chief Investment Officer of GIC in January 2017. He oversees GIC’s total investment portfolio and works with investment group heads to develop and manage investment strategies across all asset classes. He also leads the development of medium- and long-term investment strategies and capabilities to optimise the risk-reward of the total portfolio across changing investment environments. He joined GIC in 1998 as an economist and subsequently joined the Equities department as a portfolio manager. He led the US & Developed Markets Equities team out of New York before being appointed President, Europe in 2011 to head GIC’s investment activities in Europe across public and private asset classes. He became President of Public Markets and Director of Public Equities in 2013 and Deputy Group Chief Investment Officer in 2016.
Dr Jaensubhakij holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Cambridge University, as well as a Master’s and PhD in Economics from Stanford University.
Oliver leads OpenAI’s international strategy and operations across APAC, EMEA, and Latin America as the Managing Director. Based in Singapore, he helped establish the company’s regional hub with offices in Tokyo and Seoul.
He has scaled multiple high-growth unicorns from early-stage through IPO. As Asana’s first Chief Revenue Officer, he grew the business from under $20 million to $500 million in run-rate revenue, led its international expansion across nine countries, and grew international revenue. Since 2016, Oliver has served as an Independent Board Director of Grab, coaching the executive team through fundraising, competitive strategy, and international expansion. Alongside his career, Oliver is also a leadership performance coach for founders and revenue leaders of high-growth technology ventures. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Piyush Gupta was the Chief Executive Officer and Director of DBS Group from November 2009 to March 2025. Under his leadership, DBS underwent a significant and successful transformation, being named Best Bank and Best Digital Bank in the world on several occasions, as well as one of the top ten transformative organisations of the 2010 – 2020 decade by Harvard Business Review.
Prior to joining DBS, Piyush had a 27-year career at Citigroup, where his last position was Chief Executive Officer for South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University and Chairman of the Mandai Park Holdings Board. In addition, he sits on the board of Singapore’s National Research Foundation and is a member of the Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore – Future Economy Advisory Panel. Piyush is a term trustee of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA). Previously, he has been a member of the Singapore Emerging Stronger Taskforce, aimed at defining Singapore’s future in a post-COVID world, the UN Secretary General’s Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Board of the Institute of International Finance, and the McKinsey Advisory Council.
Piyush has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, India and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad.
Piyush was awarded the Public Service Star by the President of Singapore for his meritorious services to the nation in 2020. He is a recipient of the 2023 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest honour conferred by the Indian Government on the country’s diaspora.
Piyush was named one of the world’s top 100 best-performing chief executives in the Harvard Business Review – 2019 edition of “The CEO 100”. He was named Global Indian of the Year by the Economic Times in 2021, Singapore Business Awards’ Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year in 2016, and Singapore Business Leader of the Year by CNBC in 2014.
In his personal capacity, Piyush takes a keen interest in nature and is a Co-Chairman of the BirdLife International Advisory Group.
Nick Khaw is an economist and Head Research & Co-Head, Private Markets at Khazanah Nasional. Nick is also a trustee of the Khazanah Research Institute, Yayasan Khazanah and UEM Group Berhad. Prior to Khazanah, Nick served as an economist in Malaysia’s Economic Planning Unit, where he was directly involved in several national development initiatives. Nick holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard Kennedy School and completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at Harvard College. He is currently pursuing a part-time PhD in Political Economy Research at King’s College London. He writes a monthly column for The Edge Malaysia. All his writings can be found at www.nicholaskhaw.com.
Reijiro Yamamoto, a founding Partner of Integral and GCA, has over 20 years of experience in investment banking activities including domestic and cross-border M&A, MBOs, LBOs, going-private transactions, debt-restructuring, workouts of multi-national insolvent companies and sales of non-performing loans in Japan, Europe and the US. He is extremely knowledgeable on deal financing issues, having arranged, structured, and negotiated financing for numerous transactions.
Reijiro Yamamoto began his career with Mitsui Bank (the current Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)) in 1984. In 1990, he joined AT Kearney as a management consultant in Chicago, and subsequently, he moved to London in 1991, where he engaged in Sakura Bank’s (currently SMBC’s) structured finance. After 7+ years in London, he returned to Japan in 1998 and joined Sakura Bank’s Mergers and Acquisitions Department (currently SMBC’s M&A firm), where he was in charge of the cross-border M&A group. In 2000, he joined Unison Capital, one of the first buyout funds in Japan. When he was with Unison Capital, he played a key role in the success of Unison’s first fund. He provided advisory services to his portfolio companies, often taking on the director role at the companies in which the fund invested.
While at GCA, he structured and closed the MBO of World Co., Ltd., the largest MBO in Japan and also led a lot of landmark M&A deals in Japan, such as a US$19 billion worth merger between Hankyu and Hanshin railway companies. He was also an the investment committee of Fund I of Mezzanine Corporation, a 100% subsidiary of GCA and the first independent Mezzanine investment firm in Japan.
Reijiro Yamamoto is a frequent speaker at seminars regarding M&A and buyouts at Waseda University, Hitotsubashi ICS and other forums. He received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as a Master’s from the Lauder Institute. He earned his undergraduate degree from Hitotsubashi University, where he majored in Economics.
Mr Lee Chuan Teck is the Executive Chairman of Enterprise Singapore.
Enterprise Singapore is the government agency championing enterprise development. The agency partners committed companies to build capabilities, innovate, and go global. It drives growth – empowering local businesses and shaping industries, anchoring Singapore as a trade and startup hub, and establishing trust in products through quality and standards.
Previously Enterprise Singapore’s Chief Executive Officer, Chuan Teck was appointed as Executive Chairman on 1 April 2024.
Prior to this, Chuan Teck was Permanent Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Trade and Industry from June 2018 to April 2023 where he was responsible for the development of Singapore enterprises, and oversaw the tourism and energy sectors, as well as competition and consumer protection issues. On the trade front, he focused on expanding economic connectivity and strengthening bilateral economic relationships with Southeast, South and Central Asia and Latin America.
Chuan Teck started his public service career with the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 1992 covering various roles, including reserves investment, monetary policy and capital market regulation. In 2014, he was appointed Deputy Secretary (Land and Corporate) of the Ministry of Transport, where he led the restructuring of the public bus and rail sector and spearheaded the deployment of autonomous vehicles in Singapore.
He also serves on the boards of Clifford Capital Holdings, Clifford Capital Asset Finance, Clifford Capital Credit Solutions, Economic Development Board, National Research Foundation, Singapore Health Services, Singapore Trade Data Exchange Services and Vertex Holdings.
Chuan Teck was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2021.
Jenny Lee is a Senior Managing Partner at Granite Asia. She leads global investor relations and investment strategy and was instrumental in setting up GGV’s first China office in 2005 and re-opening the Singapore office in 2019.
A self-starter, an investor and an entrepreneur, Jenny spent the last 23 years overseas and is frequently the first to invest in new innovative applications and products. She is best known for investments in sectors like Edtech, Fintech, Food and Agritech, Metaverse, and Energy Sustainability and Automation Technologies. Her portfolio includes 21 companies valued at over $1 billion each. She has had 17 IPOs up to date, including 4 recent IPOs since 2021, across 5 different global exchanges, and numerous portfolio company exits via M&A.
Jenny’s global investment track record over two decades and early operation and finance work experience with Singapore Aerospace in Singapore; Morgan Stanley, and JAFCO Asia in Hong Kong enhanced her role as a preferred board member with deep domain expertise and global investment experience.
Born and raised in Singapore, Jenny is highly respected in the Asia business community and serves as a board member of Temasek since 2022. She also serves on the governing boards of both Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Duke-NUS Medical School. In addition, she is a member of Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council; Singapore Business Federation; Future Economy Advisory Panel; Asia Business Council; and the International Advisory Council of Edmond de Rothschild.
Jenny has been a member of the Forbes Global 100 VC Midas list since 2012 and was the first woman to break the top 10 in 2015. She was also recognised by Forbes as one of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the past 3 years (2022-2024). In 2019, Jenny was named to the Forbes Asia Power Businesswomen 25 list and received the Business Times’s Outstanding Overseas Executive Award. In 2016, she was named to the Vanity Fair New Establishment list, Fast Company Most Creative People in Business list, and is consistently recognised by The New York Times and CB Insights among the top 100 venture capital investors worldwide, ranking #8 among top venture capitalists in Asia.
Jenny graduated from Cornell University with an M.S. and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
Jwalant Nanavati is a Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, Asia ex-Japan, based in
Singapore. He is also a member of the Global Investment Banking Management Committee for the firm.
As Head of Investment Banking for the region, Jwalant is responsible for business areas including Advisory, Capital Markets and Financing Solutions. He also leads the Investment Banking coverage and sector teams across Asia.
Jwalant joined Nomura from BNP Paribas in 2018, where he was Co-Head of TMT Investment Banking,
Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. He was also previously their Head of Investment Banking (Advisory &
Capital Markets), India, based in Mumbai since 2013. Prior to BNP Paribas, he held various leadership roles in Investment Banking at Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers across New York, Hong Kong, and Mumbai.
Jwalant has worked extensively with Corporate and Financial Sponsor clients throughout his career, as well as companies in the Technology, Media & Telecom sector. In addition, he has worked with clients in Infrastructure, Natural Resources, Industrials and Real Estate sectors, advising on a broad range of transactions.
Jwalant holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering and Economics from Northwestern University. He has also attended management leadership programs at the Kellogg School of Management and IMD.
Mr Ng Yao Loong is Head of Equities at Singapore Exchange (SGX Group) and leads the development and strategic direction of the cash equities franchise. He also oversees the index business.
Mr Ng joined SGX Group in April 2020 as Deputy Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and took on the role of CFO in October that year. As CFO, he was responsible for finance related, corporate development, workplace services and index business functions. Mr Ng transitioned to his current role in December 2024.
He was previously with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) where he spent more than seven years in senior positions, including Assistant Managing Director of the Development and International Group. Before joining MAS, he was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley in Singapore and Citigroup in Hong Kong and London.
Mr Ng holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge.
