ASEAN's Companies Rise as the Architects of a Connected Economy

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- What does it mean to be an ASEAN enterprise today? For decades, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region have been described as the backbone of their economies — yet, for the first time, a new generation of businesses is redefining what that truly means.

The first ASEAN SME100 Awards and the ASEAN Halal Brand Awards organised by Business Media International, held in conjunction with the ASEAN SME Forum, marked a turning point — one that celebrated not just success, but transformation.

The Rise of the Borderless SME

The inaugural ASEAN SME100 Awards honoured companies that have broken past national boundaries to establish themselves as regional forces. These are not just growing businesses — they are ambitious disruptors shaping the new narrative of ASEAN competitiveness.

Across industries — from digital technology to logistics, from manufacturing to lifestyle — these companies are proving that size is no longer the measure of influence. Agility, innovation, and regional collaboration are the new currencies of success.

Their stories are evidence that ASEAN's economic promise isn't just theoretical — it's unfolding in real time, led by enterprises that refuse to see geography as a limitation.

Halal as a Regional Language of Trust

Running parallel to this transformation is another quiet revolution — the rise of ASEAN's halal industry. The ASEAN Halal Brand Awards celebrated brands that have gone beyond compliance to turn halal into a global value system: one that blends ethics, authenticity, and ambition.

In a world where halal products represent a market projected to exceed USD 5 trillion by 2030, ASEAN's halal champions are redefining what trust and quality mean in a borderless economy. These brands have not only earned certification — they have earned regional respect by proving that faith and modern business innovation can thrive together.

From Recognition to Regional Identity

The awards serve a larger purpose: to reshape how ASEAN sees itself. For too long, SMEs have been viewed as national players, their growth confined within borders. The ASEAN SME100 and ASEAN Halal Brand Awards challenge that narrative, recognising those who have evolved beyond being local champions to become regional catalysts.

This shift mirrors a deeper regional truth — that ASEAN's future will be written not by governments or multinationals alone, but by SMEs bold enough to connect across cultures, sectors, and markets.

A Platform for the Future

Held alongside the ASEAN SME Forum, the twin awards represent more than celebration; they are a declaration — that ASEAN's entrepreneurial class is ready to lead. These programmes are not about prestige alone, but about creating new pathways for SMEs to access visibility, credibility, and partnerships across borders.

They turn recognition into opportunity. They transform awards into accelerators.

As ASEAN moves toward deeper economic integration, one truth becomes clear: the next wave of regional powerhouses will not emerge from size, but from vision — the kind that sees ASEAN not as ten separate markets, but as one interconnected ecosystem.

For more information about the SME100 Awards 2025 ASEAN and the complete list of winners, please visit www.sme100.asia

LIST OF WINNERS OF THE ASEAN SME100 AWARDS 2025 IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

1. APEIRON CONSULTANCY INC
2. ASE EDUCATION GROUP PTE LTD
3. BEYOND INSIGHTS SDN BHD
4. CK PACKAGING & PLASTIC INDUSTRIES SDN BHD
5. COLDWORLD ENGINEERING PTE LTD
6. COMPLETE HUMAN NETWORK SDN BHD
7. CS CLOUD SDN BHD
8. EDKA DIGITAL CO., LTD
9. ENERCON ASIA PTE LTD
10. FILIPINO HOMES
11. FPT FOOD PROCESS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
12. GRIFFIN PROTECTION INTEGRATED SECURITY PTE LTD
13. HOWERN WASSER SDN BHD
14. INNODENT TRADING CO., LTD
15. MATA GROUP HOLDING CO., LTD
16. MCE MARKETING SDN BHD
17. MOST CAPITAL GROUP SDN BHD
18. MX ENGINEERING PTE LTD
19. NETGAIN SYSTEMS PTE LTD
20. NEXT ENERGY SDN BHD
21. PET PROTECT FOOD CO., LTD
22. PROTUS WONDERLAND PTE LTD
23. PT. RAVELWARE TECHNOLOGY INDONESIA
24. RM APPLICATIONS SDN BHD
25. UNIQTEK CO., LTD
26. YOSHITEC PRECISION ENGINEERING (M) SDN BHD

ASEAN OUTSTANDING YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS 2025

1. MR. ANG SOON ENG - CK PACKAGING & PLASTIC INDUSTRIES SDN BHD
2. MR. LEONG CHIA HANN, JASON - MOST CAPITAL GROUP SDN BHD
3. MR. SONG MINGQIANG, STEVEN - MX ENGINEERING PTE LTD
4. MR. STEVEN CHIEW CHOON MENG - NEXT ENERGY SDN BHD
5. MR. RANDY BUDI WICAKSONO - PT. RAVELWARE TECHNOLOGY INDONESIA

SME100 ASEAN WOMEN LEADERSHIP AWARDS 2025

1. MS. TEH CHAI PENG - COMPLETE HUMAN NETWORK SDN BHD
2. MS. LEONG HUEY MIIN - NETGAIN SYSTEMS PTE LTD
3. MS. PAN XIAOJING - PROTUS WONDERLAND PTE LTD

SME100 ASEAN SUSTAINABLE BRAND AWARDS 2025         

1. COLDWORLD - COLDWORLD ENGINEERING PTE LTD
2. ENERCON - ENERCON ASIA PTE LTD
3. HOWERN WASSER - HOWERN WASSER SDN BHD
4. YOSHITEC - YOSHITEC PRECISION ENGINEERING (M) SDN BHD

ASEAN HALAL BRAND AWARD

1. CAP KUNCI - EHH FOOD INDUSTRY SDN BHD
2. F&N - FRASER & NEAVE HOLDINGS BERHAD
3. McDONALD'S MALAYSIA - McDONALD'S MALAYSIA
4. NESTLE - NESTLE MALAYSIA BERHAD
5. PAYLESS INSTANT NOODLES - NISSIN - UNIVERSAL ROBINA CORPORATION
6. ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES - ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES SDN BHD
7. ZUS COFFEE - ZUSPRESSO (M) SDN BHD

 

About BUSINESS MEDIA INTERNATIONAL Business Media International is a subsidiary of SGX-listed Audience Analytics Limited (1AZ.SG), a regional leader in promoting growth for companies in Asia through data-driven brands and initiatives. We own renowned media brands such as SME Magazine, HR Asia, Capital Asia, Energy Asia, Logistics Asia, TruthTV, and CXP Asia as well as business impact assessment brands such as SME100, HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia, Golden Bull Awards and CXP Asia Best Customer Experience Awards. We organise various exhibitions and have the proprietary software-as-a-service — Total Engagement Assessment Model – in our portfolio.

Adrian Cheng Marketing Manager Business Media International Email: adrian@businessmedia.asia

About BUSINESS MEDIA INTERNATIONAL

Business Media International is a subsidiary of SGX-listed Audience Analytics Limited (1AZ.SG), a regional leader in promoting growth for companies in Asia through data-driven brands and initiatives. We own renowned media brands such as SME Magazine, HR Asia, Capital Asia, Energy Asia, Logistics Asia, TruthTV, and CXP Asia as well as business impact assessment brands such as SME100, HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia, Golden Bull Awards and CXP Asia Best Customer Experience Awards. We organise various exhibitions and have the proprietary software-as-a-service — Total Engagement Assessment Model – in our portfolio.

Adrian Cheng

Marketing Manager

Business Media International

Email: adrian@businessmedia.asia 

 

 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

ASEAN's Companies Rise as the Architects of a Connected Economy

Imagery Here

HONG KONG, June 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HYROX has officially announced that Hong Kong will host the 2027 PUMA HYROX World Championships. The sport's pinnacle event will take over the AsiaWorld-Expo from 10 - 13th June 2027.

The decision to bring the World Championships to Hong Kong marks a true full-circle moment for the sport. It was here in 2022 that HYROX hosted its very first event in the APAC region, welcoming fewer than 1,000 competitors. Just four years later, the city's sixth race, a monumental success this past May, drew nearly 20,000 participants. This explosive trajectory, from those humble beginnings to becoming a global fitness powerhouse, makes Hong Kong the natural home for this pinnacle event.

HYROX continues to disrupt the mass-participation sports landscape. Following a record-breaking 2025/2026 season featuring 1.5 million participants across 95 cities, projections for the upcoming season exceed 2 million athletes. From this massive worldwide community, only the top 0.5% will earn the chance to travel to Hong Kong and battle for the ultimate title of World Champion, reinforcing HYROX's commitment to delivering world-class, high-stakes experiences for competitors and fans alike.

Hosting this prestigious event brings significant economic value to the city, cementing its status as a global hub for sports. The PUMA HYROX World Championships represent a multi-day festival of fitness that merges elite professional racing with massive age-group participation, offering host cities a high-reward, zero-infrastructure-risk alternative to traditional sporting mega-events. With the upcoming 2026 PUMA HYROX World Championships in Stockholm expected to draw 1 million viewers worldwide, Hong Kong is poised to step into an even brighter global spotlight in 2027 as the sport's explosive growth continues to accelerate.

Miss Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said, "We welcome HYROX's decision to bring its World Championship 2027 to Hong Kong. This choice not only showcases our capacity to host large-scale sporting events but also underscores Hong Kong's appeal as a premier tourist destination. As an emerging and highly popular sports, HYROX and its World Championships will further elevate the sporting atmosphere and help cultivate a dynamic sports culture in Hong Kong.  We look forward to welcoming participants and their friends and families from all over the world. We hope they will share their high energy and triumphant moments with us, while also enjoying our city's attractions and culinary delights before and after the intense competitions."

Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said, "We are excited that Hong Kong will host the PUMA HYROX World Championships 2027, the flagship finale of HYROX's global season and the first time this premier event will be staged in the APAC region. It adds another world-class mega event to our city's calendar and underscores Hong Kong's standing as the Events Capital of Asia. We look forward to welcoming elite athletes and HYROX fans from around the world to Hong Kong, where they can stay longer, explore more, and experience all that our vibrant and diverse city has to offer."

Christian Toetzke, Co-Founder and CEO at HYROX, commented, "The PUMA HYROX World Championships represent the pinnacle of our season - a moment where our entire global community comes together to celebrate athletic excellence and the sheer spectacle of hybrid racing. Hosting our 2027 season finale in Hong Kong is a historic step forward, demonstrating not only the growth of our sport in the APAC region, but also our commitment to bringing world-class hybrid racing to new global hubs. We cannot wait to deliver an unforgettable experience in this vibrant city. "

Marwin Hoffman, VP Train Marketing BU at PUMA, said, "Our partnership with HYROX is rooted in a shared commitment to performance, and we are incredibly proud of the years we've spent working alongside them to grow the sport. Having recently extended our global partnership, we are more energized than ever to support HYROX's explosive growth, and we look forward to doing that as we build to the World Championships in 2027 and beyond."

More details on ticketing, event schedule, and qualification pathways for the 2027 PUMA HYROX World Championships will be announced soon.

For more information on the campaign, media enquiries, interviews or samples requests please contact: pr@hyroxhk.com

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Hong Kong Brings the PUMA HYROX World Championships to the APAC Region for the First Time in 2027