About Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia
The Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia comprises 4.69K companies, including 670 funded companies having collectively raised $5.08B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 226 are Series A+ funded, and 4 have achieved unicorn status.
Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia has seen 65 acquisitions and 31 IPOs.
This sector includes companies building Software-as-a-Service platforms purpose-built to manage operational workflows unique to a single industry vertical.
Vertical SaaS sector is also known as Vertical Software or Industry-Specific SaaS.
It includes specific salon booking and point-of-sale software, dedicated construction project scheduling software, restaurant kitchen management dashboards, and customized hotel property management platforms. It excludes generic horizontal cloud software lines (like general Salesforce CRM, broad Microsoft Excel tools, or horizontal QuickBooks accounting applications).
Top Vertical SaaS Companies in Southeast Asia
There are 4,694 Vertical SaaS startups in Southeast Asia which include Trax, NextBillion AI, Ai Palette, AfterShip, Cialfo. Out of these, 670 startups are funded, with 226 having secured Series A+ funding, and 4 achieving unicorn status.
2026 has seen the creation of 142 Vertical SaaS startups in Southeast Asia. Over the past 10 years, an average of 249 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and INSEAD.
Here is the list of top Vertical SaaS startups in Southeast Asia
1. Trax
Cloud-based data analytics solutions for retail shelf management. The platform offers signal based merchandising data and analytics solutions to manage product placement and inventory. It generates reports to manage performance and support the decision making process. It offers AI powered solutions to execute, measure, and manage retail strategies. Features include merchandising, in-store execution, shopper engagement, market measurement, analytics and shelf monitoring solutions, workforce management, inventory optimization, and more.
Key facts about Trax
- Founded Year: 2010
- Location: Singapore (Singapore)
- Stage: Series E
- Total Funding till date: $1.03B
- Investors: Hopu Investments, SoftBank Vision Fund and 34 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Venture Debt, Nov 08, 2023, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 79/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 410 Competitors
Provider of an AI-powered mapping platform. It allows users to build custom maps for web and mobile applications. It provides geocoding APIs, search APIs, routing, navigation, matrix calculation, map data curation, and high footfall landmark solutions. It features multi-lingual text, data management, image classification, sentiment analytics, and video annotation capabilities. It has use cases in logistics, fleet management, ride-hailing, delivery, and e-commerce applications.
Key facts about NextBillion AI
- Founded Year: 2020
- Location: Singapore (Singapore)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $34.2M
- Investors: Alpha Wave Global, Lightspeed Venture Partners and 26 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, May 23, 2022, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 75/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 87 Competitors
3. Ai Palette
AI-powered platform for CPG innovation, trend discovery, and product development. It is a SaaS platform that helps consumer packaged goods brands discover emerging trends in real-time, create new product concepts, and virtually validate them. The platform offers solutions for marketing, R&D innovation, and consumer insights, catering to various industries like flavor and fragrance houses, and ingredient companies. It provides tools like Foresight Engine, Concept Genie, Screen Winner, FoodGPT, and Brand SAY to monitor brand equity and accelerate innovation. The platform uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide data-driven insights for faster, cost-effective brand discovery, launch, and growth. It helps in innovation, renovation, and optimizing product portfolios. The platform offers resources like blogs, reports, webinars, and case studies. It is a cloud based platform that offers subscription based services.
Key facts about Ai Palette
- Founded Year: 2018
- Location: Singapore (Singapore)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $12.7M
- Investors: Exfinity Venture Partners, pi Ventures and 10 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Jun 24, 2024, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 71/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 3 of 1,562 Competitors
4. AfterShip
Provider of post-purchase platform for tracking, returns, and shipping solutions. It offers tools for shipment tracking, returns management, and multi-carrier shipping. The platform provides AI-powered delivery prediction and warranty management. It also includes connectors for marketplaces, such as TikTok Shop and SHEIN Marketplace. The platform offers features like AI email parsing and product discovery.
Key facts about AfterShip
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Singapore (Singapore)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $67M
- Investors: Tiger Global Management, Business Switch and 3 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Apr 22, 2021, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 71/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 579 Competitors
5. Cialfo
Provider of AI-powered platform streamlining college counseling and application processes. The platform offers tools for profile building, career exploration, and university discovery. It also provides features such as application preparation and progress tracking. The platform integrates with other tools to support counselors and students in the college admission process.
Key facts about Cialfo
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Singapore (Singapore)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $77M
- Investors: SEEK Investments, Vulcan Capital and 36 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Mar 10, 2022, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 70/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 92 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia
142 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia. 387 Vertical SaaS startups in Southeast Asia were founded in 2020 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 142 |
2025 | 139 |
2024 | 158 |
2023 | 190 |
2022 | 197 |
2021 | 311 |
2020 | 387 |
2019 | 356 |
2018 | 316 |
2017 | 297 |
Stage-wise distribution of Vertical SaaS sector companies in Southeast Asia
Out of the total 4,694 Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia, 670 have secured funding. Among them, 226 have reached Series A or higher, and 142 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 4,694
Funded - 670
Series A+ - 226
Series B+ - 142
Series C+ - 110
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 4,694 |
Funded | 670 |
Series A+ | 226 |
Series B+ | 142 |
Series C+ | 110 |
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Funding Trends in the Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia
Total funding year-on-year in the Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia
The Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia saw a total funding of more than $4.74B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2021 at more than $1.83B. There has been a total funding of $173M in 2026 till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $173M |
2025 | $149M |
2024 | $156M |
2023 | $306M |
2022 | $678M |
2021 | $1.83B |
2020 | $441M |
2019 | $403M |
2018 | $434M |
2017 | $176M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Vertical SaaS in Southeast Asia
In the year 2026, till September 2026, Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia have raised $170M in equity funding across 21 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till August 2025), Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia had raised $134M across 23 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 26.37% rise in funding in Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia as compared to 2025.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Seed | 3800 | Sep 23, 2026 | - | |
Series A | 5241 | Aug 25, 2026 | - | |
Series B | 8881 | Aug 12, 2026 | ||
Series B | 9902 | Aug 10, 2026 | and 2 more | |
Series B | 5527 | Aug 05, 2026 |
Top Investors in Vertical SaaS in Southeast Asia
Plug and Play Tech Center is the top investor in Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Sunnyvale (United States) | ||
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) | ||
Singapore (Singapore) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) | - |
M&A activity in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia
In the year 2026, till May 2026, 2 acquisitions happened in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia. Last year, in 2025, a total of 10 acquisitions happened in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | May 15, 2026 | ||
Management Buyout | Mar 12, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 30, 2025 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 11, 2025 | ||
Business Acquisition | Aug 28, 2025 |
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Acquisition trends in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia
Here are the acquisition trends in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 2 |
2025 | 10 |
2024 | 5 |
2023 | 14 |
2022 | 9 |
2021 | 4 |
2020 | 4 |
2019 | 3 |
2018 | 2 |
2017 | 1 |
IPOs in Vertical SaaS in Southeast Asia
In the year 2025, till August 2025, 3 IPOs happened in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Vertical SaaS sector in Southeast Asia:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Aug 28, 2025 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jul 04, 2025 | Singapore stock exchange. ( SGX) | |
Apr 10, 2025 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
May 09, 2023 | Bursa Malaysia (KLSE) | |
Mar 22, 2023 | Bursa Malaysia (KLSE) |
Colleges which produce the most Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Vertical SaaS in Southeast Asia
Most number of Vertical SaaS startups in Southeast Asia have been founded by alumni from National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and INSEAD.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
National University of Singapore (NUS) | 81 |
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | 39 |
INSEAD | 15 |
Singapore Management University (SMU) | 15 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 12 |
Stanford University | 12 |
Imperial College London | 11 |
Harvard University | 10 |
Columbia University | 9 |
BITS Pilani | 8 |
Total funding in Vertical SaaS companies founded by alumni from top colleges in Southeast Asia
In the last 10 years, Harvard Business School graduates' Vertical SaaS companies in Southeast Asia have raised the most funding among top colleges. Harvard University alumni are second, and Tel Aviv University alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Harvard Business School | $1.15B |
Harvard University | $1.14B |
Tel Aviv University | $1.08B |
University of Pennsylvania | $332M |
Tsinghua University | $331M |
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | $233M |
University of California (Berkeley) | $206M |
BITS Pilani | $173M |
IIT Kanpur | $161M |
University of Chicago | $156M |
Top News in Vertical SaaS in Southeast Asia
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