Singapore – AI start-up Plaud opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore on Sept 16 as it continues to expand amid a global AI boom.
The start-up, which runs an AI note-taking platform, also committed to investing at least $20 million here to expand engineering, product development and regional operations.
This commitment is double the company’s original $10 million investment announced in June.
The company said the move reinforces Singapore’s role as Plaud‘s long-term hub for innovation and growth across the region.
The new regional headquarters spans 15,000 square feet at the Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC). The space houses teams across engineering, product, customer success, operations, marketing and business functions.
Singapore serves as Plaud’s base of operations across 12 markets outside Japan and mainland China.
Besides the Republic, the other markets are Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The company was founded in 2021, when chief executive officer Nathan Xu teamed up with then Shenzhen-based factory owner Charles Liu, who had experience developing smart wearables, to explore opportunities in the sector.
Two years later, they launched the Plaud Note, a voice recorder that records calls and meetings, before transcribing and summarising the content using artificial intelligence.
“From day one, Plaud has had one mission, and it’s to amplify human intelligence. We want people to stay present in their conversations, with the people in front of them, and let the AI take care of the rest,” said Nathan Xu.
Plaud has expanded its Singapore team from 10 to approximately 100 employees in nine months, with plans to expand to 150.
Plaud chose Singapore for its regional headquarters for the country’s talent pool, said Xu.
“Some of the best engineering and product people in Asia are in this city. Singapore also has great digital security and privacy, which is very important for AI products,” he added.
“If we do our job well, maybe one day people can work two days a week instead of five and spend the time they save with their loved ones or loved things. That is the future worth building.”
