Mitihoon – KASIKORNBANK (KBank), through its venture capital arm Beacon VC, in collaboration with Google Cloud, has announced the successful conclusion of the Earth KATALYST project. This three-month accelerator program was specifically designed to enhance the technological capabilities and business strategies of startups in the fields of climate, environmental, and agricultural technologies across Southeast Asia. Five standout startup teams from the program demonstrated their impressive ability to leverage the Google Earth Engine to create tangible positive impacts on both society and the environment. Their innovations also demonstrated potential in meeting the business sector’s needs by improving management efficiency and promoting sustainability.
Mr. Thanapong Na Ranong, Managing Partner, Beacon Venture Capital Company Limited (Beacon VC), said as the venture capital arm of KBank, Beacon VC is committed to continuously strengthening Thailand’s startup ecosystem. This is achieved through support in various dimensions, including venture funding, knowledge sharing, advisory services, and access to technological tools. Most recently, Beacon VC has expanded its role to actively support climate tech startups in alignment with KBank’s mission to drive Thailand towards achieving its greenhouse gas reduction targets and creating a sustainable positive impact on the planet.
This year, Beacon VC collaborated with Google Cloud to launch the Earth KATALYST project, a three-month training program designed to enhance the technological capabilities and business strategies of startups in the fields of climate, environmental, and agricultural technologies. The goal is to empower these startups to generate tangible positive impacts on society and the environment. Throughout the program, participating startups received comprehensive support, including mentorship from industry experts, benefits from the Google for Startups Cloud Program, and strategic guidance from global partners such as New Energy Nexus, a global organization that supports clean energy entrepreneurs and startups; Navagis, a company specializing in location intelligence and spatial data analytics; and Third Derivative, a platform that accelerates the growth of climate tech startups. Participants also joined workshops organized by Beacon VC to help them plan fundraising strategies and prepare for expansion into Southeast Asian markets. In addition, they had the opportunity to explore Google Cloud’s latest technologies, including Vertex AI, BigQuery, and Google Earth Engine, which holds more than 50 years of geospatial data.
This year, more than 40 teams applied to join the Earth KATALYST project, with 12 teams selected for the course. From these, five standout teams were chosen to present their work at the EARTH JUMP event. Each of these teams received a 20,000 Baht grant along with Cloud Credits from Google. The selected teams included:
- RIFFAI: A Thai satellite and AI startup developing artificial intelligence to monitor environmental changes via Earth observation satellites.
- Aquawise: A Thai AI-satellite tech startup helping farmers prevent disease outbreaks and boost yields by 40–50 percent through continuous water quality monitoring, without hardware.
- Muvmi: An AI-powered micro-transit platform offering shared routes to address urban mobility challenges.
- Pasar Mikro: A digital platform from Indonesia enabling small-scale producers in the agricultural and fisheries supply chain to access markets and financing.
- Arkadiah: A nature-tech startup from Singapore that integrates AI, LiDAR, and satellite technologies to digitize natural resource data and accelerate the restoration of degraded natural areas for economic and environmental value.
Mr. Annop Siritikul, Country Director, Thailand, Google Cloud, revealed that Programs like Earth KATALYST align with Google Cloud’s goal of empowering startups with scalable, interoperable, and energy-efficient cloud, data, and AI capabilities, so they can build and commercialize new and novel products that address real-world problems. Beyond this program, we will continue to support these startups’ efforts to set new standards in sustainable technology innovation and help expand the reach of their products into new markets.
Mr. Thanapong added that the success of the Earth KATALYST project demonstrates the power of collaborative partnerships in elevating startups’ technological and business capabilities. These efforts have led to tangible solutions and represent a critical step in preparing startups for the global stage in the future. KBank is committed to strengthening and continuously growing the startup ecosystem in Thailand and Southeast Asia, as the Bank firmly believes these startups are at the forefront of innovation, driving meaningful, sustainable, and global impacts.
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