Temasek-backed digital transformation company Temus has invested in Filipina-founded Thinking Machines Data Science as the two firms seek to expand enterprise AI deployment across Southeast Asia.
Financial details and the size of the stake were not disclosed.
Thinking Machines will retain its brand and leadership and operate as “Thinking Machines Data Science, a Temus entity.” Founder Stephanie Sy will remain chief executive officer and join the Temus leadership team as managing director for applied AI and data.
Founded in Manila in 2015, Thinking Machines develops data platforms and deploys AI systems for companies and organizations in financial services, retail, conglomerates, and the civic sector. It has offices in Manila, Singapore, and Bangkok.
The company said it has trained more than 10,000 professionals and deployed hundreds of AI systems over the past decade. Thinking Machines was also named OpenAI’s first official services partner in Asia-Pacific and has since received advanced partner status.
“We built Thinking Machines on the belief that the Philippines can build up 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 deal combines Thinking Machines’ expertise in data engineering and AI implementation with Temus’ cloud, application engineering, consulting, and enterprise transformation capabilities.
The companies said the partnership would focus on helping organizations move AI projects beyond the pilot stage and integrate the technology into production workflows. Businesses across the region continue to encounter obstacles including fragmented data, outdated systems, regulatory requirements, complex processes, and shortages of AI talent.
Temus, which has about 500 employees, was established by Singapore state investment company Temasek. The Singapore-based firm works with public- and private-sector organizations in healthcare, financial services, education, and government.
“Many enterprises are navigating the challenge of running AI systems that hold up under real operating conditions — constrained data, regulatory requirements, complex workflows. That requires a different level of engineering, governance, and integration,” Temus chief executive officer Sng Ren Yeong said.
“Thinking Machines brings deep capability in that layer of the problem. This investment connects two parts of the system that need to work as one: how AI is built, and how it is made to operate at scale,” he added.
Sng said Thinking Machines would gain access to the Temus group’s regional reach and resources, while Temus would add a team with more than a decade of experience deploying AI systems.
“This investment is a recognition of shared mission — two teams that were each built by people who came home to build. Thinking Machines gains the reach and resources of the Temus group. Temus gains a team that has been doing serious AI delivery work for over a decade,” he said.
“Together, we are better placed than ever to help organizations move from AI pilots into production, for Singapore and beyond.”
