Global early-stage venture capital firm Antler has announced an investment of US$7.4 million into several startups across Southeast Asia during the first half of 2025, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI) ventures.
The Singapore-headquartered firm’s investments span key innovation hubs including Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Of the total, US$2.8 million has been specifically allocated to seven AI startups that graduated from its new AI Disrupt residency programme. This brings Antler’s AI investments globally to 74 deals in 2024.
Also Read: Antler introduces pre-seed programme AI Disrupt in response to fast-moving market
The AI Disrupt programme is a four-week, in-person residency based in Singapore, designed to accelerate AI-focused companies that already possess a minimum viable product (MVP) and are serving live customers with their core AI technology. The programme provides tailored support aimed at rapidly scaling go-to-market strategies and technical capabilities.
Winnie Khoo, Partner at Antler, said: “With the speed of product development made possible through technology today, we are matching that with our support to founders and investment into startups. AI startups are moving 10x faster than just two years ago, and AI Disrupt is purpose-built for founders with market-validated products to move and scale much faster. These AI founders do not wait. Moving aggressively is a moat that founders can gain in the AI age.”
Each of the seven selected startups secured US$400,000 in funding after a four-week intensive sprint. Additionally, during the residency, each startup gained access to over US$650,000 worth of cloud computing, infrastructure, and tooling credits, specifically tailored for AI development to enhance their execution speed.
The startups that received investment through Antler AI Disrupt include:
- Iris: Autonomous, no-code agents for workflow automation and data collection.
- Nugen: Domain-aligned AI enhancing reliability in specialised agent workflows.
- IndustrialMind.ai: Intelligence solutions optimising manufacturing operations.
- Lambdai Space: AI-driven radar imaging for actionable climate and insurance insights.
- Anamaya AI: AI-powered travel aggregation optimising corporate travel.
- AppSecAI: Automation of application security accelerating software delivery.
- 5.Y (GLUCOSE): Autonomous customer engagement and personalisation in complex industries.
Southeast Asia’s early-stage venture market faced significant headwinds in the first half of 2025. The region witnessed a 68 per cent year-over-year decline in seed funding and a 53 per cent drop in overall early-stage investments. This challenging environment has led to longer fundraising cycles, stricter investor scrutiny, and fewer avenues for follow-on capital for many founders.
Despite this backdrop, Antler strategically focuses on highly curated AI startups with high potential, providing larger initial investments and targeted support to enable faster scaling. This proactive stance reflects Antler’s strong belief that emerging technologies will drive the region’s next wave of growth and innovation.
Also Read: Antler backs Otonoco AI to modernise compliance with GenAI
Jussi Salovaara, co-founder and Managing Partner Asia at Antler, commented: “The current funding landscape across Southeast Asia in early 2025 demands that founders be sharper than ever in both their approach and execution. We are prepared to match their speed and provide flexible early capital that enables them to accelerate, but we are also more selective. Once a team can demonstrate a compelling use case for their technology and the ambition to scale globally, we will back them with conviction.”
Applications are now open for the next AI Disrupt residency, scheduled to commence on 21 October 2025 in Singapore. The upcoming programme will continue focusing on compounding technical edge, unlocking go-to-market traction through targeted coaching, deep technical sessions with ecosystem partners, and investor preparation tailored for AI-first companies.
Interested parties can apply via this link.
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