• Daphne Tay, Founder, Bluente
• Hiep Nguyen, COO & Founding Team Member, AI Hay
• Abhishek Chatterjee, Founder & CEO, Tookitaki
• Gian dela Rama, Chief Product & AI Officer, Sprout Solutions
• Vibhuti Sharma, Correspondent, DealStreetAsia [Moderator]

Southeast Asia is riding an AI wave – hyperscalers are investing billions in compute, local models are emerging for regional languages, and governments are pushing national AI roadmaps. But can startups here really compete with global giants and carve out defensible markets? In this no-slides, founder-first discussion, five of SEA’s leading AI builders—and one seasoned investor—will talk hard truths about capital, compute, regulation, talent, and GTM. From building with sovereign AI infrastructure to monetising local models and finding distribution beyond super-apps, we’ll explore what it actually takes to build a global-grade AI company from this region.