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- Singapore’s biotech darling prepares for US listing
Hello readers,
For years, Singapore has been the go-to entry point for US tech firms expanding into Asia. But while most treat the city-state as a convenient hub for sales and regional partnerships, few have made it a core part of their product operations.
OpenAI is bucking that trend, by hiring for roles such as technical operations manager and product quality manager in Singapore. The latter role involves overseeing the reliability and manufacturing quality of the company’s hardware products.
It’s a small detail, but it might hint at something bigger: Singapore could be evolving from a regional headquarters to a real operating base for OpenAI.
The company plans to nearly double its Singapore headcount to 50 by the end of 2025 – just a year after setting up shop, as detailed in today’s Big Story. OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap says that serving 800 million weekly active users requires infrastructure investments to match, and the country is central to that strategy.
The timing makes sense. OpenAI recently launched its cheaper ChatGPT Go subscription plan in 16 Asian countries, signaling a push to capture more users in the region.
With the company also exploring data center investments and forging partnerships with local firms like Grab and Sea Limited, Singapore’s expanded role looks less like a routine expansion and more like a strategic bet on Asia’s long-term importance.
Glenn Kaonang, journalist
The Big Story
OpenAI doubles down on Singapore to capture AI spike in APAC
OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap / Photo credit: Tay Chu Yi, The Business Times
The number of ChatGPT weekly users in Asia Pacific has grown 4x compared to last year – the highest among all the regions, Lightcap notes. That probably explains why OpenAI is serious about strengthening its presence here.
OpenAI also isn’t fretting over the challenges of working with legacy tech systems in countries like Japan and South Korea. Lightcap sees these outdated code bases and data systems as opportunities for large language models, which can help structure information and build new applications quickly.
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