US-based AI prediction ‘unicorn’ opens Singapore office to target regional customers

[SINGAPORE] American startup Aaru, which uses simulations to generate “synthetic data” for market research, is among a slew of artificial intelligence firms that recently set up shop in Singapore.

On top of the “phenomenal” access to infrastructure, talent and partnerships in Singapore, “we’re seeing really an incredible interest and willingness to collaborate… in the context of the region”, Ned Koh, who co-founded Aaru in 2024 at 19, told The Business Times.

From Singapore, Aaru’s first base outside New York City, he expects to serve the Asia-Pacific, from South-east Asia to Japan and South Korea – although he and regional general manager Arnaud Frade have ruled out a presence in Hong Kong or mainland China.

The company declined to disclose specific headcount targets when asked, but Frade said that Aaru’s Singapore outfit would be “on a continuous hiring phase” until end-2026. The focus, however, would be on recruiting for commercial rather than engineering roles.

Sating regional demand

The company’s Singapore subsidiary, Aaru Apac, was registered in the city-state in mid-September, with a paid-up capital of US$500,000, corporate records show.

Its registered premises are in International Plaza, which typically houses virtual offices for companies, but Frade said it is putting the finishing touches on a shophouse space “in the heart of Tanjong Pagar” in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD).

The Singapore location will enable Aaru to expand its partnerships with global firms such as EY and investor Accenture, said Koh, who is now the startup’s president.

At the same time, Aaru aims to nab regional customers. Koh cited unspecified consumer packaged goods conglomerates in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia as examples.

Sometimes called “silicon sampling”, Aaru’s business model taps swathes of data to create large numbers of AI personas that can imitate human behaviour in internal polls.

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It is not the only firm offering such services, but “our entire commercial framework… relies on the fact that we are the most accurate” in predictions, Koh said, when asked about competition.

Aaru was dubbed a unicorn after a Series A funding round at the end of 2025 that saw some equity being raised on the basis of a US$1 billion valuation, media reports have said.

Asked how that eye-watering figure could be justified, Koh replied: “We’ve been able to grow incredibly, incredibly quickly. That’s obviously a contributing factor.”

Its foray into Singapore aside, Aaru is also opening new offices in San Francisco and London.

Even as he was in town in early October to attend tentpole events such as the Forbes Global CEO Conference, the Milken Institute Asia Summit and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, Koh said in response to BT’s questions that Aaru is not actively pursuing fundraising at this point.

The possibility of being acquired is “nothing that we’re even remotely interested in”, and going public in a listing is “way too far out” for him to have any idea about it, he said.

Launchpad for tech

Of late, there has been strong momentum among AI firms that have picked Singapore as a regional hub:

• Cognition, which automates software coding, came in April;
• Rogo, which automates junior roles in financial institutions, landed in August;
• Plaud, which markets an AI-enabled note-taking device for calls and meetings, debuted in September; and
• Temasek-backed PhysicsX, which simulates industrial designs for manufacturers, made its entry in October.

Anthropic, the developer of large-language model Claude, opened its Singapore office on Oct 14. The AI giant also inked a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information to address areas such as AI safety.

Real estate consultancy CBRE noted in an end-September report that technology and AI firms are an increasingly significant source of demand for office space; firms that did not have a presence in Singapore, or were operating out of flexible workspaces have been moving into dedicated offices in prime CBD properties.

Calling the growth of international AI companies a “particularly compelling” phenomenon with staying power, David McKellar, CBRE head of leasing for Singapore, told BT: “This is a move that typically signals a longer-term commitment to a market. That cohort is growing, and Singapore appears to be their clear choice for a regional base in South-east Asia.”