A strategic investment by Singapore’s Temus in Filipina-founded Thinking Machines Data Science is reinforcing investor confidence in Philippine-built artificial intelligence, as demand for enterprise AI solutions accelerates across Southeast Asia.
Backed by Singapore state investment firm Temasek, Temus said the investment will help Manila-founded Thinking Machines expand its regional footprint while preserving its brand, leadership and operations. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Sy will continue to lead the company, which will operate as “Thinking Machines Data Science, a Temus entity,” while also joining Temus’ leadership team as Managing Director for Applied AI.
The deal reflects a broader shift in Southeast Asia’s AI landscape, where enterprises are moving beyond pilot projects toward large-scale deployment, creating opportunities for specialized AI firms with proven implementation experience.
Founded in 2015, Thinking Machines has built AI and cloud data platforms for more than 110 organizations across financial services, retail, conglomerates and the public sector. It has also trained more than 10,000 professionals in AI and became OpenAI’s first official Services Partner in the Asia-Pacific before earning Advanced Partner status.
“We built Thinking Machines on the belief that the Philippines can build and scale world-class AI capability,” Sy said. “Joining the Temus group allows us to pursue that ambition at a much greater scale while staying true to our team, our clients, and our mission.”
The partnership combines Thinking Machines’ expertise in enterprise AI, advanced analytics and cloud data platforms with Temus’ digital transformation capabilities, enabling businesses to deploy production-ready AI solutions while addressing challenges such as fragmented data, legacy systems and workforce readiness.
Beyond fueling one company’s regional expansion, the investment signals that Philippine AI firms are gaining recognition as credible technology partners in the region rather than simply providers of outsourced talent. As enterprise AI spending continues to rise across Southeast Asia, the deal positions Philippine-developed AI solutions to compete for a larger share of the region’s fast-growing digital transformation market while showcasing the country’s ability to build globally competitive technology companies.
