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Maybank sees 2026 a pivotal year for EV-related FDIs in Malaysia

2026 would be a pivotal year for electric vehicle (EV)-related foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Malaysia following the expiry of completely built-up (CBU) incentives, Maybank Investment Bank said Tuesday.

Exa Labs opens first Asia office in Singapore to advance AI search infrastructure

Exa Labs, the United States-based AI search engine firm, has on Monday announced the opening of its first Asia office in Singapore.

CIMB sees Malaysia to emerge as ASEAN’s largest sustainable data center hub

Given the breakthroughs in clean energy and green infrastructure, CIMB Securities firmly believes that the pipeline of data center jobs remains intact in Malaysia, which is on track to become ASEAN’s largest sustainable data center hub.

Malaysia’s insurtech firm PolicyStreet raises $21M in Series C funding round

Malaysia-founded PolicyStreet has secured RM84 million (US$21 million) in the first close of its Series C funding round, the insurtech firm said in a press release on Wednesday.

a pair of binoculars sitting on top of a metal fence

How agentic search is reshaping commerce

In the next phase of commerce, consumers may not arrive as visitors clicking through pages, but as instructions carried by agents. The businesses that learn to speak the language of those agents—through structured data, seamless experiences, and machine native trust—will be the ones that remain visible when it matters most.

Malaysia’s digital banks collectively served 2.4M customers, with total deposits of $1.04B by end of 2025

All five digital banks have collectively served 2.4 million customers, with total deposits of MYR 4.2 billion ($1.04 billion) in Malaysia by end of 2025, its central bank's annual report showed Tuesday.

Vietnam records foreign investment $14.2B in semiconductor, to further attract big tech

Vietnam's semiconductor sector has so far recorded foreign direct investment (FDI) of $14.2 billion in 241 projects and will strive to further attract global big tech to invest in the country.

Microsoft plans $1B investment in Thailand’s cloud and AI infrastructure

Microsoft announced a plan to invest more than $1 billion in cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Thailand between 2026 and 2028, following a meeting in Bangkok between Vice Chair and President Brad Smith and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Singapore’s Groundup.ai secures $10M maintenance contract

Groundup.ai, Singapore-based agentic AI for cognitive maintenance, announced Monday it has officially closed a contract exceeding $10 million — the largest in the company’s history.

Thailand’s Nightify raises $500,000 to expand nightlife experiences

Nightify, a Thailand-based platform focused on discovering, booking, and managing nightlife experiences, has raised a total of US$500,000 in seed funding, in a round led by A2D Ventures and other angel investors across the hospitality, retail, and consumer sectors.