Asia-Pacific High-Growth Enterprise Awards: Regional Vitality and Lessons from Latin America

Observing Regional Economic Vitality through Asia-Pacific High-Growth Company Selection

The Financial Times (FT) and research institution Statista have jointly launched the 2027 Asia-Pacific High-Growth Company Selection, the ninth edition of this ranking. The selection is open to independent enterprises in 15 Asia-Pacific economies, including Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc., requiring them to achieve organic revenue growth between 2022 and 2025, with revenue no less than $100,000 in 2022 and no less than $1 million in 2025. The application deadline is October 30, 2026, and the final list will be published in March 2027.

This selection has been running for eight years, uncovering a large number of high-growth companies annually. The top company in 2026 was Borong, an e-commerce technology platform from Malaysia, followed by Bznav, a law and accounting group from South Korea. These companies span traditional industries and technological frontiers, showcasing the diversity and resilience of the Asia-Pacific economy.

Why Can the Asia-Pacific Continuously Produce High-Growth Companies?

The Asia-Pacific region boasts the world's most dynamic combination of economies — from China's manufacturing and digital ecosystem to India's service outsourcing and IT innovation, and to Southeast Asia's e-commerce and supply chain relocation. Strong domestic demand, active venture capital investment, and regional integration (such as RCEP) provide a broad stage for small and medium-sized enterprises. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific companies are adept at leveraging global market fluctuations, achieving counter-trend growth through technological upgrades and business model iterations.

What Can Latin America Learn from This?

Although there are differences in industrial structure and policy environment between Latin America and the Asia-Pacific, the success paths of Asia-Pacific high-growth companies offer clear insights for Latin America:

1. Technology Empowering Traditional Industries: The success of e-commerce platforms like Borong shows that digital transformation is not exclusive to developed economies. Latin America should accelerate the promotion of infrastructure such as fintech and logistics technology to lower the barriers for SMEs to participate in the digital economy. 2. Breakthrough in Niche Markets: Many high-growth companies in the Asia-Pacific are not giants but focus on specific niche markets (e.g., Indian wine production). Latin America's abundant agricultural, mining, and energy resources can incubate high-value export-oriented enterprises through branding, sustainable certification, and innovative marketing. 3. Regional Synergy and Openness: Asia-Pacific companies benefit from regional supply chain networks and free trade agreements. Latin American countries like Mexico and Chile have deepened cooperation through the Pacific Alliance and Mercosur, but internal barriers remain high. Strengthening regional connectivity (e.g., transoceanic railways, digital borders) will unleash more growth space.

Signals for Latin American InvestorsThe historical results of the FT list also reflect capital flows: technology (e-commerce, SaaS), healthcare, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing are the fastest-growing tracks in Asia-Pacific. Latin American investors can benchmark these areas, focusing on local startups with similar potential or expanding mid-sized companies. In particular, Latin American companies that benefit from nearshoring (such as Mexican manufacturing) or energy transition (such as Chilean lithium, Brazilian green hydrogen) may become the next regional growth engine.