Databricks Raises Singapore Headcount, Sees Strong Demand for Generative AI in ASEAN

By Team AsiaBizToday –

SINGAPORE, September 25, 2023 – Data and AI company Databricks announced Friday that it has more than doubled its Singapore headcount over the last two years with more than 100 new employees, and plans to continue expanding over the next 12 months, onboarding crucial new staff such as tech specialists, sales and engineers and to-to-market strategists. This expansion is followed closely by its Series 1 fundraise of over USD 500 million. With a revenue run rate of over USD 1.5 billion, the company claims to be among the fastest-growing software companies in the world; and the continuous growth of the company highlights the increasing demand for generative AI in Singapore.

Databricks pioneered the Lakehouse platform, which unifies data, analytics and AI on a single platform so that customers can govern, manage and derive insights from enterprise data and build their own generative AI and large language models (LLMs) faster.

Data and AI experts gathered at this year’s Singapore Data + AI World Tour, under the theme of “Generation AI”, where they discussed industry best practices, previewed Databricks’ latest innovations and delved into emerging trends, including LLMs and the Lakehouse platform. This event is part of a worldwide series that spans more than 30 cities across five continents, including Singapore which is their ASEAN hub, serving as a forum for professionals to connect and share insights on data and AI.

“We are thrilled to bring the Data + AI World Tour to over 30 cities across five continents including Singapore, our ASEAN hub. As pioneers of the data lakehouse, we are passionate about making data and AI accessible to everyone, and this event provides a unique opportunity for data and AI leaders to connect, share best practices, and gain insights into our latest product innovations including generative AI tools,” said Cecily Ng, Vice President and General Manager for Databricks in ASEAN.

The sold-out event attracted close to 1,000 attendees, including industry experts, customers and partners, where they focused on trends, challenges and case studies. The speakers in the line-up included companies such as GovTech, SATS, Grab, GetGo, PETRONAS and bolttech.

Speaking at the event, GovTech’s Deputy Chief Data Officer Sachin Tonk said: “At GovTech, we strive to engineer digital government and make lives better through technology. By working with partners such as Databricks, we have been able to provide better access to data, enhance collaboration with business units, and realise significant time savings through comprehensive data management. This helps us achieve our goal to be an organisation that harnesses data for decision-making, making data accessible to everyone and delivering timely and relevant insights where and when they are needed.”

“As a global leader in gateway services and food solutions, we integrate technology and data analytics to build an insight-driven culture across our businesses including ground handling operation and cargo management. Utilising Databricks’ Lakehouse, we aim to obtain operational data and business intelligence in a more efficient and cost-effective way,” said Eileen Tan, Vice President, Digital Customer Experience & Analytics, SATS.

“We are one of the largest car-sharing services in Singapore, and Databricks empowered us to harness the power of our massive data streams. With Databricks’ Lakehouse Platform, GetGo is able to unify our data, apply geospatial analysis, and leverage natural language processing (NLP) for quicker insights. Now, we can enhance customer satisfaction, optimise vehicle placement, and improve our security, all while propelling our business forward,” said Maximilian Jackson, Head of Data Science and Engineering at GetGo Carsharing.

“Databricks’ Lakehouse Platform enables us to process large amounts of customer data efficiently in order to calculate members’ risk scores and the Delta Sharing capability enables strong data governance,” said David Frankenfield, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Amplify Health.