TWO Philippine startups made it to Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch list for 2026, highlighting the growing presence of local ventures in artificial intelligence-powered marketing and financial technology.
Marketing technology startup Clouted and fintech firm OneLot were included in the sixth annual Forbes Asia 100 to Watch, which recognizes small companies and startups on the rise across the Asia-Pacific region.
The list featured companies from 16 countries and territories, with India leading with 19, followed by Singapore with 15, China with 10, Japan and South Korea with nine each, and Indonesia and Australia with eight each.
Forbes Asia said AI-driven innovation was the dominant theme this year, with nearly a quarter classified as enterprise technology firms offering AI-related services.
The companies featured have raised a combined $2.4 billion in funding to date, including nearly $1 billion in 2026.
Clouted, which was founded in 2024 by chief executive Justin Banusing, was recognized under the enterprise technology category. The startup, which has headquarters in Manila and Los Angeles, operates a marketing platform that automates the creation and distribution of short-form videos.
According to Forbes Asia, Clouted combines artificial intelligence with a network of more than 100,000 freelance video editors to optimize the distribution of videos across social media platforms. The company has run video distribution campaigns for brands including movie studio Lionsgate and Grammy-winning producer Zedd.
Clouted raised $7 million in seed funding in May in a round led by Slow Ventures, with AppWorks, a16z Speedrun and Peak XV’s Surge also among its backers, Forbes Asia said.
OneLot, meanwhile, was included under the finance category. Founded in 2023 and led by chief executive Harm-Julian Schumacher, the company provides working capital loans to used-car dealers in the Philippines.
The fintech firm uses artificial intelligence and in-person vehicle inspections to assess dealers’ inventories before extending credit lines secured by the vehicles. Forbes Asia cited research firm Mordor Intelligence, which estimates the Philippine used-car market at $6.3 billion.
OneLot has raised $3.3 million in seed funding from investors co-led by Accion Ventures and 468 Capital, with Crestone Venture Capital and Everywhere Ventures also participating, according to Forbes Asia.
Forbes Asia said companies were selected through submissions and nominations from accelerators, incubators, universities, venture capital firms and other organizations.
To qualify, companies must be privately owned, for-profit ventures headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, with annual revenue of not more than $50 million and total funding of not more than $100 million through Aug. 15.
Companies were evaluated based on factors including their industry and regional impact, market fit, business model, innovation, revenue growth and ability to attract funding.
