Asia is not one startup ecosystem. It is ten. China and Japan are the largest technology economies in the world after the United States. India is the third largest startup ecosystem globally by funded company count. South Korea has built world-class semiconductor and shipbuilding industries that are now generating defence and space technology spinouts. Singapore has become the financial and legal hub through which Southeast Asian deep tech companies raise international capital. Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are building their first generation of defence and space capable startups. The Central Asian states are investing in sovereign space infrastructure for the first time. Follow every Asia startup story at BestStartup Asia.
This article covers ten Asian startups across defence, space and climate technology — one or more from every major region of the continent. South Asia. Southeast Asia. Northeast Asia. Central Asia. Each one solving a problem that is specific to its geography, its threat environment or its resource endowment. Each one verified with real funding data from 2025 and 2026.
South Asia — India Leading the Region
1. GalaxEye — Chennai, India. Multi-Sensor Defence Satellites.
GalaxEye builds satellites that combine radar and optical imaging sensors in a single platform — a capability that gives defence and agricultural customers imaging data regardless of cloud cover, darkness or weather conditions. Conventional optical satellites cannot see through clouds. Radar satellites can but produce lower-resolution images. GalaxEye’s multi-sensor fusion architecture delivers the clarity of optical imaging with the all-weather reliability of synthetic aperture radar simultaneously.
The Chennai startup raised a Series A in March 2026. Its primary customers are defence agencies that need persistent surveillance over contested territories and agricultural operators that need crop monitoring regardless of monsoon cloud cover. India’s border surveillance requirements — across the Line of Actual Control with China, the Line of Control with Pakistan and India’s extensive maritime exclusive economic zone — create an immediate domestic procurement market. The Indian Space Research Organisation and the Indian Army’s intelligence corps have both engaged with domestic satellite startups for border monitoring applications. Website: galaxeye.space. Follow South Asia defence and space news at BestStartup Asia.
2. Digantara — Bengaluru, India. Watching Everything in Space From Asia.
Digantara has built what it describes as the world’s first commercial space surveillance asset — a satellite network dedicated to monitoring the orbital environment and tracking objects that ground-based radar cannot reliably detect. As satellite constellations grow, as debris accumulates and as China and Russia demonstrate anti-satellite capabilities, the ability to know what is in orbit and where it is going becomes a critical national security requirement for any country with space assets.
Digantara has raised a Series B and is ranked 15th on Seedtable’s global defence tech startup ranking with a score of 75. It provides space situational awareness data to the Indian Space Research Organisation, to commercial satellite operators and to international defence and intelligence customers who need an Asian-based space surveillance provider independent of US government systems. Its SCOT space weather and object tracking constellation is positioned to become the Asian equivalent of what Slingshot Aerospace provides to the US Space Force. Follow India space startup news at BestStartup Asia.
3. Newspace Research and Technologies — Bengaluru, India. Rocket Engines for Indian Defence.
Newspace Research and Technologies has raised $73.2 million — the highest total funding of any defence contractor startup in Asia. The Bengaluru company develops rocket propulsion systems, tactical missiles and aerospace subsystems for Indian defence applications. India’s ambition to reduce dependence on foreign defence imports, codified in the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat defence indigenisation programme, creates a sustained domestic procurement opportunity for companies that can deliver rocket and missile propulsion systems to the specifications required by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
Newspace occupies a position in India’s defence tech ecosystem similar to what Anduril and L3Harris occupy in the US — a company that bridges deep technology expertise with the specific requirements of government defence procurement. Its propulsion systems are certified for integration into Indian defence platforms, giving it a regulatory and technical moat that newer entrants cannot quickly replicate. Also read: Zhongyi raises CNY 100M for physical AI in China. Follow Asia defence startup news at BestStartup Asia.
4. Tonbo Imaging — Bengaluru, India. AI Vision for Soldiers at Night.
Tonbo Imaging builds AI-powered imaging and sensor systems for defence applications — night vision equipment, thermal cameras, multi-spectral sensors and AI-enabled targeting systems that give soldiers and weapon platforms the ability to see, identify and engage threats in darkness, fog and adverse weather conditions. Its systems are deployed on Indian Army platforms along the Line of Actual Control with China and have been evaluated by multiple international customers.
Tonbo’s technology addresses one of the most basic operational requirements in modern land warfare: the ability to see and fight at night. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have both demonstrated that night vision and thermal imaging capability determines tactical advantage in close-quarters combat. India’s geography — long borders with China and Pakistan in high-altitude terrain where operations occur at night and in poor weather — makes Tonbo’s technology directly relevant to the Indian Army’s most operationally demanding environments. Follow India deep tech and defence startup news at BestStartup Asia.
Northeast Asia — Japan and South Korea
5. Innovative Space Carrier — Tokyo, Japan. Japan’s First Private Space Launch Company.
Japan’s constitutional and political constraints on military development have historically limited the country’s defence technology ambitions. That is changing rapidly. The Japanese government’s 2022 National Security Strategy committed to doubling defence spending over five years. The country’s space agency JAXA is collaborating with private startups for the first time. And Japan’s long-standing expertise in precision engineering, robotics and materials science is creating a generation of deep tech companies with direct defence and space applications.
Innovative Space Carrier raised $20 to $30 million in seed funding in March 2026 in Tokyo, making it one of the largest defence seed rounds in Japanese history. The company is developing space launch vehicles designed to serve both commercial satellite deployment and Japanese Self-Defence Force requirements for sovereign, assured access to space. Japan currently depends on US launch vehicles for most of its defence satellite deployments. Innovative Space Carrier is building Japan’s domestic alternative. Follow Northeast Asia and Japan startup news at BestStartup Asia.
6. Clean Planet — Tokyo, Japan. Compact Nuclear Energy for Asia.
Clean Planet is developing compact nuclear fusion and condensed matter nuclear reaction technology — a path toward a clean, scalable and geographically independent energy source that could transform the energy security of resource-poor Japan. Japan imports approximately 90 percent of its energy. Its nuclear reactors have operated under strict post-Fukushima constraints. The country’s industrial economy depends on energy imports that are subject to global price volatility and geopolitical risk.
Clean Planet raised $15 to $20 million in a seed round in March 2026 and has partnerships with Tohoku University, one of Japan’s leading nuclear science research institutions. Its approach to compact nuclear reactions — focused on lower-temperature, higher-safety condensed matter processes rather than conventional hot fusion — is designed to produce energy systems that are small enough for industrial facility or military base deployment. If validated commercially, it would give Japan energy security independence for the first time in its modern industrial history. Follow Japan and Northeast Asia startup news at BestStartup Asia.
Southeast Asia — Singapore and Beyond
7. Exosat — Singapore. Sovereign Satellites for the Non-Aligned World.
Exosat was backed by Y Combinator in its 2026 batch and is building a constellation of low-cost communication satellites designed with zero ITAR and EAR-controlled components — meaning it can be manufactured anywhere in the world, launched from any country and operated free of US government export control requirements. The company has signed hundreds of millions of dollars in letters of intent with operators across Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and holds an ITU filing for 11,000 satellites.
Exosat’s strategic positioning is precise. Countries across Southeast Asia and Central Asia want satellite connectivity infrastructure that is neither Chinese nor American — both because of sovereignty concerns and because both options come with geopolitical strings. Exosat offers a neutral alternative. Its Singapore base gives it access to the financial and legal infrastructure of the world’s most internationally connected city state, while its ITAR-free design gives it the manufacturing flexibility to produce at a cost that Starlink and OneWeb cannot match. Follow Southeast Asia and Singapore startup news at BestStartup Asia.
8. Qosmosys — Southeast Asia. The Most Funded Space Startup in the Region.
Qosmosys has raised $100 million — the highest total funding of any space tech startup in Southeast Asia. The company is developing space technology infrastructure for Southeast Asian sovereign and commercial requirements, positioning itself as the regional anchor company in a space sector that has historically been served almost entirely by American, European and Japanese providers.
Southeast Asia’s 680 million people live across an archipelago of more than 25,000 islands spread across six million square kilometres of ocean. Satellite connectivity, maritime domain awareness, weather monitoring and agricultural imaging are all commercially and strategically essential capabilities that cannot be served by terrestrial infrastructure alone. Qosmosys is building the space assets that serve those needs from within the region rather than depending on foreign providers whose satellites and ground stations may not prioritise Southeast Asian requirements. Follow Southeast Asia space and startup news at BestStartup Asia.
9. Amperesand — Singapore. Clean Energy Infrastructure for Asia’s Growth.
Amperesand raised $80 million in a Series A in 2026 — the largest individual climate tech funding round for a Southeast Asian startup in 2026. The Singapore company builds clean energy infrastructure for industrial and commercial customers across Southeast Asia, addressing the fundamental challenge that the region’s fastest-growing economies face: how to power rapid economic development without locking in the carbon emissions that would undermine global climate commitments.
Southeast Asia’s energy transition is one of the most commercially significant climate opportunities in the world. The region’s electricity demand is projected to double by 2040. It is currently served overwhelmingly by coal-fired power. The financing, technology and policy frameworks to replace that coal with clean energy are the defining infrastructure challenge of the next decade. Amperesand is positioning itself at the centre of that transition with commercially structured clean energy products designed for Southeast Asian market conditions rather than European or American ones. Follow Southeast Asia climate tech and startup news at BestStartup Asia.
10. Raphe mPhibr — India. The Highest-Funded Military Tech Company in South Asia.
Raphe mPhibr has raised $154 million — the highest total funding of any military tech startup in South Asia. The company develops advanced composite materials and structures for aerospace and defence applications — the lightweight, high-strength structural components that modern military aircraft, drones, missiles and space launch vehicles require. Composites replace traditional metal in airframes and structures, reducing weight by 30 to 50 percent while maintaining or improving structural strength.
India’s defence indigenisation programme — the government’s push to manufacture 75 percent of defence equipment domestically by 2027 — creates a direct and large procurement opportunity for companies that can supply certified aerospace-grade composite structures to Indian defence manufacturers. Raphe mPhibr’s materials are qualified for integration into Indian defence platforms. With $154 million raised, it has the capital to scale manufacturing to the volumes that prime contractors and the government require. Also read: UAE MENA startup funding September 2026. Follow every Asia startup story at BestStartup Asia.
Why Asia’s Defence and Space Startup Moment Has Arrived
Three forces are converging across Asia simultaneously. China’s military buildup is forcing every Asian country to reassess its defence capabilities and its dependence on foreign suppliers. The commercial space economy is creating procurement opportunities for startups that were previously monopolised by government agencies and large aerospace primes. And the climate crisis is generating urgent demand for clean energy infrastructure from countries that cannot afford either the carbon cost of fossil fuels or the energy insecurity of import dependence. The ten companies above are building at the intersection of all three forces simultaneously. They span South Asia, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. They address defence, space and climate. And they are doing it with verified, deployed technology rather than laboratory projections. Follow every Asia startup and technology story at BestStartup Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Asian defence tech startup has raised the most funding?
Newspace Research and Technologies in Bengaluru, India has raised $73.2 million — the highest total funding of any defence contractor startup in Asia. Raphe mPhibr has raised $154 million in military tech materials, making it the highest-funded military tech startup in South Asia.
What is Exosat and why is it significant?
Exosat is a Singapore-based YC-backed startup building a constellation of low-cost communication satellites with zero ITAR and EAR-controlled components, meaning it can be manufactured anywhere and operated free of US export control requirements. It has signed hundreds of millions in LOIs across Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and holds an 11,000-satellite ITU filing.
Why is Japan investing in space startups now?
Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy committed to doubling defence spending over five years. The country needs sovereign, assured access to space independent of US launch vehicles. Japan’s JAXA is now collaborating with private startups for the first time. Companies like Innovative Space Carrier are building Japan’s domestic space launch capability.
Where can I follow Asia defence tech and startup news?
Follow every Asia defence tech startup, space company and climate technology story at BestStartup Asia updated every week.