Industry News

Hilton has announced that it has exceeded several of its 2030 sustainability targets ahead of schedule, as detailed in its 2025 Travel with Purpose Report. The report highlights a 50.9% reduction in carbon emissions intensity at managed hotels and a 36% reduction at franchised hotels. Additionally, Hilton achieved a 64.7% reduction in landfill waste intensity, surpassing its 2030 goal.

The report also notes a 37.1% reduction in water intensity and the creation of nearly 700,000 learning and career growth opportunities in 2025. More than 2.5 million community members have been positively impacted globally, with Hilton team members contributing 1.8 million volunteer hours.

Hilton’s sustainability efforts are evident across the Asia Pacific region. Hilton Kuala Lumpur’s food waste reduction initiatives have cut post-consumer plate waste by nearly 50%. Conrad Koh Samui’s farm-to-table programme supplies up to 70% of the resort’s produce seasonally, whilst Hilton Manila Newport World Resorts sources close to 80% of its produce locally through partnerships with over 30 local farmers.

These achievements underscore Hilton’s commitment to embedding sustainability into hotel operations, investing in career development, and strengthening community resilience worldwide. The full report is available for those interested in further details on Hilton’s environmental and social impact efforts.
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Maybank has announced a strategic partnership with Evooq to launch an AI-powered advisory platform, Advisor Assist, aimed at bolstering its wealth management services across Southeast Asia. This collaboration seeks to integrate advanced technology with human expertise to provide personalised and insightful financial advice to clients.

Advisor Assist, developed on Evooq’s technology, will equip Maybank’s relationship managers with intelligent insights, portfolio risk analytics, and next-best-action recommendations. This will enable them to better understand client needs, identify opportunities, and engage in more meaningful conversations. Alice Tan, Head of Group Wealth Management at Maybank, stated, “Through our partnership with Evooq, we are enhancing our ability to serve our clients across the region with more personalised advice and helping them better understand and manage the risks within their portfolios.”

Evooq’s platform will offer a unified view of client portfolios and investment opportunities, supporting Maybank’s wealth management teams across key markets. Gery Dachlan, Managing Director of Evooq, remarked, “This partnership not only reflects the strength of our platform but also reinforces our commitment to support leading financial institutions in the region as they accelerate their digital transformation.”

This initiative underscores Maybank’s ambition to lead in wealth management within Southeast Asia, aligning with its strategy to humanise financial services. Evooq, meanwhile, continues to expand its presence in the Asia Pacific, delivering scalable, AI-driven solutions for modern investors.

Meta has unveiled its Small Business Growth Academy across Asia-Pacific, a programme designed to help small businesses scale using AI-enabled tools. The initiative will initially roll out in 12 markets, including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Singapore, and Australia, offering a blend of in-person workshops, learning modules, and partner-led training.

The programme is a collaborative effort with governments, chambers of commerce, and industry organisations, tailored to meet local market needs. In Thailand, for instance, Meta is partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture to provide free training to over 5,000 farmers, focusing on building an online presence and leveraging AI tools for growth.

Research by Deloitte highlights the potential of AI in the region, with 78% of small and medium businesses already using at least one AI tool. The academy aims to bridge the gap between interest and adoption, providing businesses with the confidence and skills to utilise these tools effectively.

Beth Ann Eliason-Lim, Director Public Policy Strategy APAC at Meta, stated, “Our AI-powered Business Agents allow businesses to respond to customers instantly across Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram, providing always-on support without needing to scale their teams.”

The programme will focus on empowering small businesses to connect with customers, adopt AI tools, and engage in public-private partnerships. Training will cover generating leads, optimising campaigns, and using Meta’s platforms to enhance business strategies.

The Small Business Growth Academy is part of Meta’s ongoing commitment to support small businesses in APAC, aiming to equip entrepreneurs with the digital skills necessary to thrive in the evolving digital economy.

Dataiku has partnered with the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) to revolutionise disaster response and public health preparedness across Southeast Asia using artificial intelligence (AI). This collaboration, part of Dataiku’s AI-for-Good Programme, provides SRC with free access to Dataiku’s AI platform, enabling the automation of previously manual disaster surveillance processes.

The AI platform has transformed SRC’s approach by improving the speed, accuracy, and quality of data collection and analysis. This shift allows for the integration of additional contextual data, such as climate trends, enhancing the organisation’s ability to anticipate and respond to disasters more effectively.

Andrew Boyd, Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan at Dataiku, highlighted the significance of this collaboration: “When AI is placed in the hands of teams on the ground, it becomes a force multiplier—enabling faster decisions, better coordination, and ultimately more resilient communities.”

In addition to disaster monitoring, the partnership has enabled SRC to forecast leptospirosis outbreaks in Thailand more accurately. By applying machine learning models to weather and environmental data, SRC can better predict outbreaks and implement early intervention measures, improving resource planning for vulnerable communities.

Charlotte Lambert, Head of Dataiku’s AI-for-Good Programme, emphasised the broader impact: “AI-for-Good isn’t about applying technology to isolated use cases—it’s about fundamentally changing how impact is delivered at scale.”

This collaboration exemplifies how AI can empower humanitarian organisations to act swiftly and precisely, ultimately protecting more lives. As Dataiku continues to support NGOs globally, this model could pave the way for enhanced humanitarian efforts worldwide.

Private markets are undergoing a significant transformation as asset and wealth managers increasingly target retail investors, according to State Street’s latest Global Private Markets Survey Report. The study, which surveyed 480 senior executives globally, highlights that 84% of managers are either offering or planning to offer private market solutions tailored to individual investors. In the Asia Pacific region, this figure rises to 85%.

The report, titled “Resilience Meets Opportunity,” reveals that nearly six in ten institutions in Asia Pacific anticipate that at least half of their fundraising will come from retail-focused strategies within three years. Eric Chng, Senior Managing Director for Global Alternatives at State Street, noted, “It is a clear signal that the private markets industry is undergoing a structural shift, and retail will become a core component of industry growth.”

Despite a 47% decline in fundraising over the past year, the survey indicates that institutional investors remain committed to private markets. Globally, only 7% of respondents plan to reduce their exposure, whilst 50% intend to increase allocations. In Asia Pacific, 52% of investors are more likely to increase their private market allocations, with a notable interest in private credit strategies.

However, the expansion into retail markets brings challenges. Nearly 80% of respondents identified liquidity management as a key issue, alongside rising demands in compliance and reporting. Chng emphasised the need for improved cash flow forecasting and liquidity management, stating, “Investors are seeking deeper look-through, clearer fee and expense visibility, and stronger valuation governance.”

As private markets continue to evolve, the focus on operational maturity and scale is expected to be crucial in capturing a growing share of capital.

JLL has announced the appointment of Matt Bennion as the new Head of Project and Development Services (PDS) for Asia Pacific, effective immediately. Based in Singapore, Bennion will oversee the strategic direction and operational execution of JLL’s PDS business in the region, aligning with global objectives and regional goals. This appointment follows the retirement of Martin Hinge, announced in October 2025.

Bennion, with more than 30 years of leadership experience in the built environment sector, is expected to enhance JLL’s client-focused solutions in the dynamic commercial real estate market. Susheel Koul, CEO of Real Estate Management Services, Asia Pacific, JLL, stated, “Matt’s deep regional expertise, client-centric approach, and proven track record in business transformation position our team well to stay ahead of that curve.”

Previously, Bennion was the Founding Owner and CEO of Thrive-AI, a service provider focusing on intelligent buildings, and CEO of Reds10, where he repositioned the company as a disruptor in the UK construction market. He also served as COO and later CEO of Arcadis Asia, managing a team of 4,500 across 12 countries.

In his new role, Bennion will chair the APAC PDS Executive Committee and report to Cynthia Kantor, Global CEO for Project & Development Services. Kantor noted, “Matt will be a critical component in driving the execution of JLL’s Accelerate 2030 strategy across the region.”

JLL’s PDS offers integrated solutions across the project lifecycle, serving diverse sectors such as corporate offices, data centres, and retail. The appointment underscores JLL’s commitment to leadership talent and market-leading services in Asia Pacific.

Asia-Pacific’s mobile operators are rapidly decommissioning 2G and 3G networks to pave the way for advanced 4G and 5G services, according to GlobalData. This transition is not merely a technological upgrade but a strategic move to enhance competitive dynamics and support AI-driven networks and digital infrastructure, crucial for the region’s economic growth.

GlobalData’s Asia-Pacific Total Mobile Broadband Forecast reveals that 2G and 3G service penetration was already low in 2025, at 6% and 2% respectively, and is expected to decline further by 2030. In contrast, 4G and 5G services have seen significant uptake, with penetration rates of 56% and 63% respectively in 2025.

Several countries are leading this shift. In India, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have already shut down their 3G networks, whilst in Australia, Telstra, Optus, and TPG completed their 3G shutdowns in 2024. Singapore’s Singtel, M1, and StarHub followed suit, and New Zealand finalised its 3G shutdowns in early 2026.

Kantipudi Pradeepthi, a Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, stated, “The decommissioning of 2G and 3G networks will allow the mobile service markets in the region to fully benefit from improved connectivity, capacity, and innovation potential of 4G and 5G services.”

This strategic shift is expected to unlock new revenue streams across sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare, ultimately strengthening Asia-Pacific’s digital competitiveness and fuelling sustainable economic growth.

Singapore-headquartered Chasen Holdings is reinforcing its strategic footprint in India through its subsidiary, Chasen Hi-Tech India, as the nation advances its semiconductor, solar, and electric vehicle (EV) battery sectors. The company is leveraging its expertise in precision relocation and technical engineering to support India’s burgeoning tech infrastructure.

India’s semiconductor ambitions are gaining momentum with the approval of several manufacturing facilities under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). Notably, Tata Electronics is establishing an approximately $11b semiconductor fabrication plant in Dholera, Gujarat, set to become the country’s first commercial chip fabrication facility.

In the renewable energy sector, Reliance Industries is developing a comprehensive ecosystem at its Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This facility will integrate solar module, battery storage, and other clean energy manufacturing capabilities.

The growing demand for EVs in India is also driving the need for large-scale battery manufacturing. Chasen has secured an $18m expansion project for a Japanese EV battery manufacturer in the US, showcasing its global expertise in this field.

Chasen’s Managing Director and CEO, Low Weng Fatt, stated, “India is no longer a frontier market for Chasen, it is a core growth pillar. The projects secured in FY2027 are just the beginning. We are investing in our India capabilities with a long-term view, and we are confident that the country will deliver sustained, meaningful contributions to Chasen’s earnings and shareholder value in the years ahead.”

Chasen’s expansion in India is set to enhance its regional network, which spans Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, India, and the United States, positioning the company as a key player in the region’s tech transformation.

DBS and the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) have released a report detailing a framework for banks and businesses to finance climate resilience investments in the Asia-Pacific region. As climate change increasingly impacts the financial landscape, the report, titled “Adaptation and Resilience: Exploring Investable Opportunities in Asia-Pacific,” aims to bridge the gap between the need for and the availability of adaptation and resilience (A&R) financing.

The report highlights that annual costs associated with physical climate risks for companies in Asia are expected to reach US$336b by the 2030s. Despite this, less than 10% of global climate finance supports A&R, with a mere 11% of that coming from the private sector. Asia accounts for 69% of global adaptation financing needs and 75% of the financing gap by 2030.

The report introduces a structured approach to assessing climate resilience investments, focusing on four key sectors: commercial real estate in India, data centres in Singapore and Malaysia, power infrastructure in coastal China, and transport corridors in Taiwan. It emphasises the need for localised resilience measures whilst promoting standardisation to support investment decisions.

Kelvin Wong, Chief Sustainability Officer at DBS, stated, “We believe the transition to a low-carbon economy must go hand-in-hand with adaptation.” Sean Kidney, CEO of CBI, added, “Adaptation and resilience is moving from the margins into the core of banking strategy and risk management.”

The publication marks a significant step in the partnership between DBS and CBI, with future plans to embed adaptation and resilience considerations across DBS’s business operations.

Women-founded startups across Southeast Asia have collectively raised $16.5b in equity funding, according to a new report by Tracxn. The list, released in June 2026, highlights 25 companies from Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, showcasing the significant role women entrepreneurs play in the region’s tech economy.

Leading the list is Grab, co-founded by Hooi Ling Tan, which has raised $10.4b and achieved a public listing. Airwallex follows closely with $1.6b raised and a valuation of $12b. These companies, among others, span a wide range of sectors including logistics, fintech, aquaculture, drone services, and fashion tech, reflecting the diverse areas where women are making substantial impacts.

The report underscores the growing influence of women in shaping Southeast Asia’s technology landscape. With 15 companies based in Singapore, nine in Indonesia, and one in Malaysia, the list includes businesses at various stages of development, from Series A funding rounds to public listings.

Tracxn, a global market intelligence platform, compiled the list using its extensive private market data. The platform tracks over 8 million entities worldwide, providing insights into industry trends and company performances. This latest report not only highlights the financial achievements of these startups but also emphasises the breadth of innovation driven by women in the region.

As these companies continue to grow and innovate, they are expected to further influence the tech economy in Southeast Asia, paving the way for future women entrepreneurs.