2025 Techsauce Summit, Bangkok Key Takeaways
Karen Lau¹
¹ Chief Operations Officer, Sunway iLabs
The 2025 Techsauce Summit in Thailand signalled a pivotal moment for the regional tech landscape. AI continues to capture attention and inspire bold innovation, but pragmatic questions around scalability, execution, and sustainable value creation now temper the excitement.
Conversations at the summit reflected optimism for AI’s transformative potential and a growing sense of caution. Investors and corporates are increasingly wary of hype, shifting their focus to proven deployment, defensible IP, and founders with deep domain expertise. Coupled wi
th Thailand’s economic headwinds and slowing unicorn momentum, the message is clear: future Southeast Asian opportunities will require sharper due diligence and disciplined capital. For Sunway, the most resilient opportunities lie in fintech, crypto, and cross-border innovation, with AI remaining a powerful but carefully scrutinised frontier.
1. The “AI Company” Branding Fatigue Sets In
The label “AI company” has lost its shine. Overuse for branding, often without substance, has made investors and corporates more sceptical. Real credibility now depends on scalable, real-world deployment. Some conglomerates, frustrated with local AI startups, are turning to in-house development instead.
2. Customer Service AI Becomes a Commodity
AI-driven customer support across email, WhatsApp, LINE, and voice is now mainstream and undifferentiated. Multilingual capability is a baseline, not a differentiator. Corporations are increasingly building solutions, leaving little room for generic startup offerings. Survival will depend on proprietary tech or defensible IP.
3. Thailand’s Weak Macro Outlook
Thailand’s economic and political backdrop remains a drag. A slump in Chinese tourism, political uncertainty, and trade tensions weigh on investor confidence. While funds are available, Thailand is perceived as high risk, with limited appetite for emerging tech or fund-of-funds plays.
4. Unicorns Losing Momentum
Once high-flying Thai unicorns such as Wongnai, Flash, Bitkub, and Ascend Money are slowing down. Regulatory constraints and market saturation are curbing growth, making IPO and exit narratives less compelling.
5. CVCs: Dry Powder Available but Selective
Thailand’s corporate venture capital arms and leading banks are well capitalised but cautious. Fintech and crypto remain favoured bets, while AI investments are scrutinised more. There is a detachment from India and a wait-and-see stance toward China, reflecting a more disciplined approach.
6. AI Startups Face Higher Barriers
The era of simple AI apps is over. Investors now expect founders to bring deep industry knowledge and the ability to tackle enterprise-grade problems. The demand has shifted to complex, high-value solutions, raising the bar significantly for new entrants.