Deloitte: ARB is top Southeast Asia company
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s ARB Bhd (ARB), an IT and IoT solutions and services company, is the top company in the Southeast Asian region, ranking at 72nd place in the 2020 Asia Pacific Technology Fast 500 index released by Deloitte.
To note, Southeast Asia was represented by eight companies on the index.
This index is an annual ranking of the fastest growing Asia Pacific companies in the hardware, software, communications, media, life sciences and clean technology industries.
Awardees are selected for the Technology Fast 500 ranking based on their percentage of fiscal year revenue growth over three years.
“Congratulations to all our APAC Technology Fast 500 2020 winners, with a special shout out to the eight companies headquartered in Southeast Asia who made the list,” Deloitte Southeast Asia Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry leader Yang Chi Chih said.
“Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented disruptions to businesses in the last year, it has also catalysed digital transformation across Southeast Asia as companies pivoted to respond, recover and thrive.
“Looking ahead, we expect technology companies in the region to continue this growth trajectory, focusing and leveraging on 5G technology, cloud and data analytics.”
Terminus Technologies, a Chinese software company that provides smart solutions on public security, public administration and public services to government agencies and corporations, claimed the top spot, with a stunning 17,915 per cent growth rate.
By securing first place in the ranking, Terminus became the sixth Chinese company to land the top spot. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Beijing.
Using its AIoT (Artificial Intelligence & Internet of Things) engine to drive the growth of traditional industries, the company takes pride in effectively understanding customers’ needs, and is dedicated to creating cutting-edge solutions surrounding community service, public utilities, electric power, cultural products and museum retail scenarios.
“This year’s winners have all weathered multiple challenges to make it on the list,” Deloitte Private Asia Pacific leader Mike Horne said.
“Amidst the pandemic, these organisations have managed to maintain strong growth momentum, keep injecting vitality into the communities, industries, and markets they serve, and demonstrate extraordinary resilience, creativity, and dedication.
“While celebrating their admittance, I hope that, through this program, more and more businesses in the Asia Pacific region which are struggling at the moment can draw inspiration from others’ experiences, find a way forward, make steady headway, and are able to get ahead of the competition in this diverse and inclusive region.”
Having 175 companies represented in the index, Chinese Mainland maintained its lead position by taking five of the top 10 spots.
Australia broke its own record of 98 companies listed last year with 102 recognized this year. Seventy-three companies from Taiwan and 40 from Japan were also listed, and notably Deloitte saw the first Indonesian company to make the list.
Among the top 10 companies, software firm Stamen Co, Ltd., the first Japanese company that made the top 10 during the recent years, took the sixth place with 5,914 per cent growth.
India and Korea each managed to land a top 10 spot, with strong performers in software and life sciences coming in at fifth (7,295 per cent) and eighth (5,485 per cent) respectively.
Companies from Chinese Mainland and Taiwan dominated the sectors represented. Specifically, Chinese Mainland companies were the fastest growing in four categories (media, hardware, communications, and software) and their Taiwan counterparts took out the final two sectors (clean technology and life sciences).
Having a strong showing in the top ten with five companies represented, the software sector took up the largest share of 38 per cent, followed by media (21 per cent), hardware (19 per cent), life sciences (15 per cent), communications (five per cent), and clean technology (two per cent).