Whale Adds US$40M For Enterprise AI Expansion Across APAC
e27 reported that Whale raised a US$40 million Series C extension, taking the round to US$100 million, while the company still has not named Middle East launch dates or customer-level outcomes.
Whale has raised a US$40 million extension to its Series C, taking the Singapore-headquartered enterprise AI company’s total Series C financing to US$100 million as it expands deployments across Asia Pacific and North America, e27 reported.
The company plans to use the money to expand its team, deepen enterprise partnerships and integrate its platform with local infrastructure.
The capital and expansion plan
CMB International led the extension through an investment fund focused on AI and frontier technology.
SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, co-led the investment.
Krungsri Finnovate, Singtel Innov8, Hyundai Motor Group and Charisma Partners also participated.
Earlier Series C investors included Bosch Ventures, MTR Lab, MDI Ventures, Gentree Fund and Linear Capital.
Whale operates in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other Asia-Pacific markets, alongside a growing North American base.
It also plans to enter the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, although the company has not disclosed launch dates or first customers for those regions.
The new financing is intended to deepen Whale’s existing direction rather than fund a separate business.
Founder and CEO Jerry Ye said enterprises are facing rising operating costs and need to turn unstructured operational data into decision-ready intelligence.
The company is scaling teams globally, expanding enterprise partnerships and adding integrations with local infrastructure.
An AI layer for physical operations
Whale describes its platform as an AI Operating System for business operations.
Its proprietary Business World Model is designed to process signals from cameras, sensors and audio in a way comparable to how large language models process text.
That approach puts physical locations at the centre of the company’s product strategy.
SpaceSight uses cameras and IoT sensors to track foot traffic, dwell time, engagement and compliance in stores and other facilities.
Echo analyses frontline sales conversations to identify performance patterns and training needs.
Other products cover content distribution, workflow automation, knowledge management, compliance, AI infrastructure and governance.
Whale says it serves more than 1,600 enterprises in over 45 countries and manages more than 600,000 edge AI nodes globally.
Its customers operate across retail, automotive, food and beverage, manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, fashion and apparel.
Strategic distribution across Asia
The investors add regional channels alongside capital.
Krungsri Finnovate brings links into Thailand and ASEAN through Bank of Ayudhya and MUFG.
Singtel Innov8 adds telecommunications and enterprise-connectivity channels, while SMBC and CMB International provide access to banking and corporate networks in Japan, China and broader Asia.
Palida Artispong, acting managing director and head of portfolio growth and investor relations at Krungsri Finnovate, said Whale offers “a full-suite, omnichannel product across the entire customer journey.” Krungsri’s footprint in Thailand and ASEAN could help the company expand regionally, she said.
SMBC managing director and head of its AI Transformation Office, Mayoran Rajendra, said Whale’s ability to structure data from physical environments was a key attraction.
Combining the technology with SMBC Group’s client network could help deliver value “across industries and regions,” he said.
The execution challenge
Whale is targeting a region where commercial activity remains heavily physical despite rapid digital adoption.
Google, Temasek and Bain have projected Southeast Asia’s digital economy could reach about US$1 trillion in gross merchandise value by 2030, while stores, bank branches, dealer networks, food outlets and service counters still account for a significant share of activity.
That creates potential demand from retailers, quick-service restaurant chains, automotive distributors and financial institutions seeking better service quality, compliance, customer engagement and sales execution amid labour shortages, staff turnover and wage pressure.
It also places limits on deployment.
Regulators in Southeast Asia are focusing more closely on AI governance, data localisation, privacy and biometric surveillance.
Singapore has taken a relatively pro-innovation approach through frameworks such as AI Verify, while Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have been developing or updating personal-data protection regimes.
Whale is entering a crowded market that includes RetailNext, Trax, Verkada, Samsara, Observe.AI, Gong, CallMiner, SenseTime and Megvii.
Many Southeast Asian enterprises still combine local systems integrators, cloud providers, CCTV vendors and specialised point solutions rather than using one AI operating layer.
The US$100 million Series C gives Whale funding and strategic distribution, but its expansion will depend on integrating with legacy systems and meeting requirements for consent, data retention, explainability and cross-border processing.
The company’s next disclosed step is to expand teams, partnerships and local-infrastructure integrations across the markets it is targeting.
