SEA
Singapore’s superapp Grab posts $1.95B revenue, $355M profit in H1/2026, bets on AI for growth
Grab, the Singapore-based superapp, reported revenue of $1.95 billion for the first half of 2026, up 23 percent year-on-year, with profit for the period of $355 million compared with $30 million a year earlier, Grab said in its quarterly review released on Tuesday.
Japan’s SoftBank telecom unit, Singapore’s SC ZEUS , Malaysia’s Robust HPC sign AI data center pact for Southeast Asia
SB Telecom Singapore, a subsidiary of Japan's SoftBank, Singapore's SC ZEUS Data Centers, and Malaysia's Robust HPC Group will collaborate to develop AI data center infrastructure across Southeast Asia, with initial deployments focused on Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
50% of Southeast Asia CEOs prioritize innovation, but employees doubt execution: Omni HR
Half of CEOs in Southeast Asia say innovation is critical to their business strategy, yet 32.5 percent of employees say they do not feel confident in innovation, influence, and cross-functional collaboration, according to a report of AI-powered payroll platform Omni HR.
Southeast Asia PE investment falls 58% to $935M in Q2/2026 as exits hit 4-year high of $4.2B
Private equity (PE) investment in Southeast Asia fell sharply in the second quarter of 2026, with 10 deals worth $935.5 million, compared with 19 deals worth $9.2 billion in the previous quarter, according to the EY-Parthenon's Southeast Asia Private Equity Pulse for Q2/2026 report.
ASEAN+3 should combine AI, energy and payments to limit new dollar dependence
ASEAN+3 economies need to bring together artificial intelligence (AI), energy infrastructure and digital payment systems to navigate a potential new wave of dollar dependence as AI reshapes the global economy, the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said on Thursday.
Southeast Asia sees $2.7B in combined equity funding across 12 companies – Tracxn
Southeast Asia's 12 leading payment startups have collectively raised over $2.7 billion in equity funding till date, with the top two companies accounting for approximately 83 percent of the total capital raised, Tracxn said Wednesday.
Southeast Asia’s shift to digital payments accelerates as merchant searches jump – PayMongo
As digital commerce matures in Southeast Asia, the region's shift to digital payments is accelerating as merchant searches jump, according to a PayMongo’s analysis of five years of Google Trends data across six markets: Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
US to invest $2.5B in Southeast Asia, including AI initiative, $1.5B in energy
The United States is investing more than $2.5 billion in Southeast Asia, headlined by a new artificial intelligence (AI) initiative to export American AI technology across the region and a $1.5 billion platform to build out energy infrastructure.
Maybank sees Singtel as a long-term beneficiary of Physical AI in ASEAN
Maybank Investment Bank said Monday that it sees Singapore's largest mobile network operator a communications technology group Singtel as a long-term beneficiary of Physical AI in ASEAN, while its data centers, GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) offering and connectivity assets position it well to capture near-term growth from digital artificial intelligence (AI).
ASEAN+3 growth forecast raised on stronger AI demand – AMRO
ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said Monday it is projecting the ASEAN+3 region to grow by 4.1 percent in 2026, up from its June forecast of 4 percent, reflects sustained momentum in the region’s technology sector, particularly robust demand for semiconductors and other artificial intelligence (AI)-related products.
