Databricks invests US$350M in Singapore, doubles down on APAC AI growth

The Data and AI company plans to invest more than US$350 million in Singapore over the next three years as demand for Lakebase, Genie, and Unity Gateway accelerates.

Databricks will be investing more than US$350 million in Singapore over the next three years as the data and AI vendor looks to strengthen its position in the region. The vendor will also be opening a new larger office in Singapore with plans to double its workforce to more than 500 people.

With Singapore as the regional hub for APAC, the announcement also supports the ambitions of the country’s National AI Strategy, enabling Databricks to work more closely with customers, partners and government agencies as organizations transition from AI experimentation to deploying governed AI systems at scale.

The new headquarters will include dedicated training and collaboration facilities where customers, partners and learners can develop data and AI skills, explore new use cases, and accelerate the deployment of enterprise AI.

The announcement comes at an interesting time as the vendor continues to strengthen its APAC leadership, as well as several new leaders appointed this year in the region. They include Simon Davies as Head of APJC and Corrie Briscoe as Vice President of Partnerships and Alliances for Asia Pacific and Japan.

"Singapore has the ambition, talent, and trusted business environment to become a leading global hub for enterprise AI,” Simon Davies, SVP and GM, Databricks APJ said.

Davies added that organizations across the region are moving quickly from AI pilots to production, but doing so successfully requires trusted data and context, strong governance, and control over models and costs.

“This investment will help our customers build AI systems and agents that are ready to operate at scale,” he added.

Databricks continues to expand its customer base across key industries, including financial services, telecommunications, and the public sector. New regional customers include iFAST Corporation, Singapore Customs, and Singtel. They join leading organizations already using Databricks across the region, including Airwallex, CPF Board, GovTech Singapore, LG Electronics, Standard Chartered and Toyota.