Daily Newsletter

IN FOCUS

• A who's who of Asia's AI investors
• Meet the teenage developer who caught Stripe's eye
• Zhipu AI sees revenue surge by 400%

Hello reader,

Some projections have total global AI investment topping US$1 trillion this year. That's a hell of a lot of tokens.

So who are the Asian investors splashing the cash?

Look no further than today's top story for the answer. This list ranks Asia's investors based on how many deals they've made in the past 24 months.

Unsurprisingly, China-linked investors are some of the biggest backers of AI in the region, with Hong Kong-based HongShan topping the list with 31 deals. There are four other Chinese investment firms in the top 10.

Also today, we put the spotlight on the latest development in Indonesia's Chromebook procurement corruption case and debut our new interview series, The Backstory.

Peter Cowan, engagement editor

TOP STORY

These are Asia's most active investors in AI

The most active Southeast Asian investor in AI is Antler, with 21 deals from the Singapore-based firm over the past 24 months.

Meanwhile, Peak XV leads the way for Indian investors, with 18 deals over the same period. This includes its continued investment in Sarvam, one of India's leading lights in homegrown AI.

SPOTLIGHT

Chromebook corruption case rumbles on

The Chromebook procurement corruption case in Indonesia is still making headlines. Jakarta's High Court has increased Ibrahim Arief's sentence to five years in prison, up from four years.

Arief previously worked under Nadiem Makarim, the Gojek co-founder and former education minister who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in July over his role in the case.

The recent development is another reminder of the chilling effect the case has had on Indonesia's tech and startup scene.

THE BACKSTORY

Meet the 16-year-old builder who caught Stripe's attention

For the first edition of our new article series, The Backstory, we sat down with Rexan Wong, who built an app that hit 500,000 users at the age of 16. The Hong Konger has since parlayed his success into a spot on Stripe's radar, an invitation to the company's San Francisco conference, and a front-row seat among indie builders he once followed from afar.

Check out the full story here.

This series aims to find and profile founders, operators, investors, and community builders doing something unconventional. It aims to uncover how they're thinking about and solving real-world problems, and how they got to where they are. If you know someone we should profile, feel free to reach out to me at peter.cowan@techinasia.com.

TRENDING NEWS

1️⃣ China's Zhipu AI revenue jumps 400% as cloud business grows

Revenue for the first half of 2026 hit US$142 million, though the Hong Kong-listed firm's adjusted net loss increased 12.1% year on year to US$292 million.

2️⃣ Instagram to rename AI label for generated profiles

The platform plans to reduce the reach of accounts that do not disclose their use of an AI-generated person for their profiles.

3️⃣ Huawei H1 profit drops 36% as costs, R&D spending rise

The Shenzhen-based firm recorded US$3.5 billion of net profit in the first half of the year. Huawei partly attributed the decline to higher memory chip prices and changes in its business mix.

4️⃣ Tencent-backed AI chipmaker Enflame targets $908m Shanghai IPO

Enflame follows the likes of CXMT and Unitree as among the Chinese AI players to list locally. This comes as Beijing pushes for more self-sufficiency in technology amid US restrictions on chip and tech exports.

5️⃣ Philippine solar distributor Lumio raises $900k pre-seed

The company is targeting households and MSMEs with its solar-powered appliances, which include fans, lights, freezers, and portable power stations.

PRESS PEEKS

The following press releases were published as they were received, without any editing from the Tech in Asia team. You, too, can publish your own press release on our site by simply filling out this form. Our team will get back to you by the next business day.

• Huawei - Huawei Cloud Code Arts Agent Now Available across Asia Pacific, Bringing Agentic AI to Software Development:
• IPOS - Is it IP as usual? Singapore IP Week tackles the big questions facing IP in the age of AI: Global leaders convene in Singapore to discuss the future of innovation, AI, and the intangible economy, as Singapore unveils new initiatives to help businesses manage and unlock the value of intangible assets.
• IgnitePRO - Telin Launches ignitePRO at BATIC 2026, Turning Enterprise AI Ambition into Action: The inaugural enterprise forum brought business, government, technology, and infrastructure leaders together to discuss how enterprises can move AI from pilots to real-world impact.

EVENTS HAPPENING

	Meet the builders moving Asia's AI out of the sandbox Want to know what the next era of business looks like? You need to see the tech shipping right now. We've finalized our Lightning Pitch lineup of 12 market-ready builders who will showcase how they are bridging today's execution gap. Witness 15-minute technical deep-dives into real-world builds. The best part? It's all for free. Register today.
	Why do AI pilots stall before they scale? Start your day right at Tech in Asia Conference 2026 with a closed-door AI leaders breakfast co-hosted by Wonderful. Senior enterprise leaders will gather to discuss moving beyond stalled AI pilots and addressing execution challenges across strategy, integration, governance, and people through structured peer exchange. Have a conference pass? Register your interest for the AI Leaders Breakfast.
	Keep the conversation going Wrap up Tech in Asia Conference 2026 with an evening of drinks, conversations, and new connections at Avenue Lounge. After Hours Networking brings together fellow attendees, speakers, partners, and leaders from across the tech and business community for a relaxed evening of meaningful interactions, with The Peak and Her World joining as media partners. Have a conference pass? Save your spot for After-hours Networking.

WHO'S HIRING

You can post a job here or search for jobs here.

• Marketing Manager (EduTech) at Cakap | Tangerang, Indonesia
• IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) at PT. ASLI Rancangan Indonesia | Jakarta, Indonesia
• Digital Marketing Specialist at Boleh Dicoba Digital | Bandung, Java, Indonesia