The Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2024 list includes small companies and startups in the continent that caught investors’ attention. 

The fourth annual Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list has been released, and it includes three companies from the Philippines. The Philippines is one of the 16 countries and territories that are represented in this year’s list. 

“Our fourth annual Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list showcases small companies and startups in Asia-Pacific that grabbed investors’ attention—and their checkbooks,” said Forbes Asia.

“This varied mix of 100 companies share one common trait: a strong innovative streak,” Forbes Asia added. “Their offerings range from AI navigation systems for space exploration to cutting-edge cell therapies to advanced healthcare diagnostics.” 

Last year, a total of nine companies from the Philippines were included in the list. 

Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2024 List 

The 100 companies that made it to this year’s list operate in 10 different industries. India contributed the most number of companies to the list with a total of 20. 

Singapore came in second with 15 companies, while mainland China landed in third with 10. Japan and Indonesia round up the top five with nine and eight companies on the list, respectively. 

3 PH Companies on the List

The first of the three companies on the list is Lista, which is listed under the Finance category. Founded in 2021, the goal of Lista is to help individuals as well as small businesses manage their finances. 

Lista achieves this goal through their app, which the company says has been downloaded more than 2.5 million times. According to Forbes Asia, the company has raised over $5 million (approximately PHP 281 million) in funding.  

Second on the list is Mober, which Forbes Asia classified under their Construction & Logistics category. Mober seeks to help companies with their sustainability goals in last-mile delivery and counts the likes of IKEA and Monde Nissin as its clients. 

The company seeks to grow its fleet to 238 electric trucks by the early part of 2025, which also marks the tenth year since the company was founded. Mober currently has 60 electric trucks as part of its fleet.

Last and certainly not the least is Zed. A neobank founded in 2020, Zed is the first of its kind to secure a credit card after successfully securing a license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

According to Forbes Asia, the company does not intend to charge interest or annual fees from its clients. Instead, it plans to collect a share of network fees. These fees will be taken from what merchants pay with each purchase.

The inclusion of these three companies are testament to the attractiveness of Philippine small companies and startups for investors and their potential for growth in the international scale. These companies serve as an inspiration to fellow startups to continue striving for growth and tirelessly work to achieve their goals. 

The complete list of Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2024 can be found here.