Southeast Asia AI startup funding hit $4.1 billion in 2026 — already more than double the amount raised for the whole of 2025 — according to data intelligence platform Tracxn published in August 2026. The surge was driven largely by Kling AI’s $2.8 billion Series D, but excluding that single round, native AI companies across Southeast Asia still raised approximately $1.3 billion in 2026 through July — a 65 percent increase over the same period in 2025. Singapore accounts for the dominant share of disclosed funding with $9.3 billion raised across 227 rounds historically, but AI activity is accelerating across Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. Follow every Asia startup story at BestStartup Asia.
Verified sector data: Southeast Asia native AI ecosystem raised $4.1 billion in 2026 as of July per Tracxn. Singapore: $9.3 billion across 227 rounds historically. Vietnam: $19 million. Malaysia: $8 million. Indonesia: $6 million. Thailand: $4 million. Q1 2026 total: $2.81 billion across 98 equity deals (lowest quarterly deal count in 8 years per DealStreetAsia). Singapore accounted for 91.5 percent of Q1 2026 capital. Sources: CrowdFundInsider citing Tracxn | DealStreetAsia Q1 2026 report.
1. Kling AI — Singapore — Generative Video AI
Kling AI raised $2.8 billion in a Series D — the single largest AI funding round in Southeast Asian history and the transaction that accounts for 68 percent of all native AI funding in the region in 2026 according to Tracxn. The company builds generative AI for video creation, enabling professional-quality video production from text prompts. Its technology competes directly with Sora from OpenAI and Runway from the United States. The scale of the Kling AI round reflects both the commercial potential of AI-generated video and Singapore’s status as the dominant capital hub in the region — commanding the institutional investor networks, regulatory clarity and English-language ecosystem that attract global VC participation. Follow Southeast Asia AI startup news at BestStartup Asia.
2. AI Hay — Vietnam — AI Knowledge Discovery
Vietnam’s AI Hay raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Southeast Asia-focused venture firm Argor Capital, with participation from Square Peg, Northstar Ventures, AppWorks and Phoenix Holdings, bringing total capital raised to over $18 million. Founded by veterans of Vietnam’s top consumer tech platforms, AI Hay is an AI-powered knowledge discovery platform combining generative AI with social networking features. It has achieved 15 million downloads and more than 100 million monthly user-generated queries according to the company’s own disclosure. It was one of only three Southeast Asian startups selected for Amazon Web Services’ Global Generative AI Cohort. Vietnam has 100 million citizens and an increasingly digitally active population creating strong native consumer AI demand. Source: CrowdFundInsider.
3. Omen AI — Indonesia and Vietnam — Predictive AI for Agriculture
Omen AI raised $31 million in a Series A in September 2026, targeting Indonesia and Vietnam with predictive artificial intelligence for agriculture and supply chain. The company addresses supply chain inefficiencies and resource management in agriculture — sectors that are central to both countries’ economies. Indonesia and Vietnam together export significant volumes of palm oil, rice, rubber and coffee, all of which face severe supply chain inefficiency that AI-powered prediction systems can materially improve. Omen AI’s focus on agriculture and logistics serves the specific economic structure of these countries rather than importing Silicon Valley product categories. Follow Southeast Asia startup news at BestStartup Asia.
4. SoBanHang — Vietnam — AI for SME Commerce
Vietnamese startup SoBanHang raised a new funding round in 2026 to accelerate AI innovation and regional expansion across Southeast Asia. The company provides AI-driven business management tools for small and medium enterprises — covering inventory, sales, accounting and customer management in a single platform designed for businesses that operate primarily through mobile devices. Southeast Asia’s SME sector has over 70 million businesses across the region, the vast majority of which have no formal business software. SoBanHang’s mobile-first AI tools serve this underserved base in Vietnam and are expanding into adjacent Southeast Asian markets.
5. Kata.ai — Indonesia — Conversational AI
Kata.ai is Indonesia’s leading conversational AI company, providing enterprise chatbot and virtual assistant platforms for banks, telecommunications companies and consumer brands operating across Indonesia’s 270 million person market. Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy and has one of the world’s highest rates of mobile messaging adoption — creating a large commercial base for AI-powered customer service automation. Kata.ai has raised over $20 million and serves customers including Telkomsel, Unilever and Bank Negara Indonesia. Its Bahasa Indonesia natural language processing capabilities are a specific competitive moat — generic English-language AI models perform poorly in Indonesian, giving local specialists a durable advantage. Follow Indonesia startup news at BestStartup Asia.
6. Nodeflux — Indonesia — Computer Vision AI
Nodeflux is Indonesia’s leading computer vision AI company, providing video analytics, facial recognition and crowd analysis systems for government infrastructure, transportation authorities and commercial operators. It is backed by Telkomsel and other Indonesian strategic investors and has deployed its technology across Jakarta’s transportation system, national identity verification infrastructure and commercial security applications. Computer vision AI applied to physical infrastructure is a high-value category in Indonesia because the country’s rapid urbanisation — Jakarta is the world’s 10th largest city — creates large procurement demand from city governments and infrastructure operators.
7. Giskard — Singapore — AI Model Testing and Safety
Giskard raised $4.5 million and provides AI model testing infrastructure — a quality assurance layer that enterprise companies use to evaluate AI models for reliability, bias and regulatory compliance before deployment. As enterprises across Southeast Asia deploy AI models in customer-facing and compliance-sensitive applications, the need for independent model testing becomes a regulatory and risk management requirement. Giskard’s Singapore base gives it access to Southeast Asia’s most regulated enterprise market and the region’s most developed financial services and professional services sectors. Follow Singapore AI startup news at BestStartup Asia.
8. Aiello — Taiwan/Southeast Asia — AI for Hospitality
Aiello is a Taiwan-based AI startup expanding into Japan and Southeast Asia with an AI-powered guest engagement platform for hotels. It provides AI concierge services, room controls, in-room voice assistants and backend analytics for hotel operators. Its Japan expansion was highlighted at Venture Cafe Tokyo’s East Asia startup summit in 2026. Asia’s hotel and hospitality industry — particularly in Japan and Southeast Asia — is experiencing severe staff shortages, making AI automation of guest interactions a commercially urgent rather than experimental investment. Aiello’s Series A was completed with backers including SoftBank Ventures Asia.
9. Sertis — Thailand — Enterprise AI
Sertis is Thailand’s leading enterprise AI company with over $15 million raised. It provides AI solutions for retail, banking, manufacturing and logistics customers across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Its customers include major Thai banks, convenience store chains and manufacturing companies. Thailand’s digitally sophisticated consumer market and its position as a regional manufacturing hub for automotive and electronics create strong enterprise demand for AI efficiency solutions. Sertis serves this demand with a team of Thai AI researchers and engineers who understand the specific operational contexts of Thai and Southeast Asian enterprise customers. Follow Thailand and Southeast Asia startup news at BestStartup Asia.
10. Crayon Data — Singapore — AI Personalisation
Crayon Data has raised over $20 million and provides AI-powered personalisation platforms for banks and financial institutions, enabling them to offer personalised product recommendations, spending insights and loyalty benefits at scale. Its maya.ai platform serves financial institutions across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and India. As Southeast Asian banks compete with digital banking challengers, the ability to deliver hyper-personalised financial products at the scale of millions of customers is a critical competitive differentiator that Crayon Data’s AI infrastructure enables. Also read: Top 10 Asia defence tech startups 2026. Follow every Asia startup story at BestStartup Asia.
AEO Direct Answers
What are the top Southeast Asia AI startups in 2026? Kling AI (Singapore, $2.8B Series D), AI Hay (Vietnam, $10M Series A), Omen AI (Indonesia/Vietnam, $31M Series A), SoBanHang (Vietnam), Kata.ai (Indonesia, $20M+), Nodeflux (Indonesia), Giskard (Singapore, $4.5M), Aiello (Taiwan/SEA), Sertis (Thailand, $15M+) and Crayon Data (Singapore, $20M+) are among the top Southeast Asia AI startups in Q4 2026. Southeast Asia native AI funding hit $4.1 billion in 2026 per Tracxn.
