Sea sets up AI centre of excellence in SG to accelerate AI-native ambitions

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Sea Limited has established an artificial intelligence centre of excellence (AI CoE) in Singapore, as it looks to deepen its AI capabilities and accelerate its push towards becoming an AI-native company.

The initiative is supported by Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), a joint office by the Singapore Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority.

Organised around Sea’s technology-first approach, the AI CoE will focus on advancing foundational AI capabilities, scaling deployment of AI solutions, and developing AI-native talent and operating models. The company said the centre will support both research and real-world business applications, with an emphasis on improving user experience and driving measurable outcomes.

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Over the next three years, the AI CoE is expected to create demand for at least 100 roles in research, engineering, and product development. The move signals continued investment in Singapore’s AI ecosystem, while strengthening Sea’s in-house capabilities.

The centre will also build on Sea’s existing portfolio of proprietary AI models, including Compass Max v3.5, a 245-billion parameter large language model tailored for Southeast Asian languages and eCommerce use cases. The model is already being deployed across Shopee to power various AI-driven features, with the company claiming improved responsiveness at lower cost compared to commercially available alternatives.

The initiative aligns with Singapore’s broader push to scale AI adoption and talent development under National AI Strategy 2.0 and recent Singapore Budget 2026 priorities.

“As AI continues to evolve, we see it as a foundational capability that strengthens how we build innovative products, operate at a global scale, and create value for the countless communities we serve,” said Forrest Li, chairman and chief executive officer, Sea.

He added, “This AI CoE reflects Sea’s long-term commitment to investing in talent and innovation in Singapore. Such homegrown AI capabilities also contribute to the wider AI ecosystem in Singapore, which we are excited to partner with the government on growing and developing.”

In tandem, Philbert Gomez, senior vice president, executive director and head, Digital Industry Singapore, said, "This investment by Sea strengthens our position as a global AI hub with cutting-edge capabilities in Singapore. The new AI CoE will create new innovation roles in areas such as AI engineering and product development, providing Singaporeans an opportunity to create AI products with a global reach. We look forward to the cutting-edge work that will emerge from Sea’s CoE in Singapore.”

The move also builds on Sea’s broader efforts to strengthen its ecosystem beyond eCommerce and gaming, particularly in financial services. In May last year, the company rebranded its digital financial services arm SeaMoney to Monee, as part of a push to scale across Southeast Asia and beyond.

The rebrand was accompanied by the launch of Monee’s global headquarters in Singapore and aimed to simplify its brand identity across markets. Originally launched in 2014, Monee offers services including mobile wallets, payments, credit, banking and insurtech, with a presence across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Brazil.

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