AI: State of Industry and Investment | Aravind Kandiah, Jun Wakabayashi, John Homer Alvero - E717

AI: State of Industry and Investment | Aravind Kandiah, Jun Wakabayashi, John Homer Alvero - E717

Author: Jeremy Au July 30, 2026 Duration: 29:56

Everyone has the same access to the same frontier models. So what's actually left to compete on?


Jeremy Au moderates a panel at the Crosscurrents Summit in Parañaque on where enterprise AI adoption really stands.


Aravind Kandiah is CTO and Co-founder of Bifrost, a robotics infrastructure company that simulates the world to evaluate robots. Its simulations power some of the largest robotics companies, from Mars exploration with NASA to high-risk industrial work. Bifrost is backed by Sequoia Capital, Lux Capital and Airbus Ventures. On the panel he splits enterprises into those running pilots to hit an R&D spend target and those facing a real forcing function, like Korea's birth rate leaving factories unstaffed. Only the second group ships.


Jun Wakabayashi is a Venture Principal at AppWorks, one of Asia's leading accelerators and VC firms. He rose from Analyst in 2017 to Principal by 2023 and leads its Beacon Funds arm, a fund-of-funds backing emerging venture managers across Southeast Asia and web3. He holds a B.S. in Finance from NYU Stern and previously worked at PwC. He puts engineering at 60 to 80% of enterprise token spend and tracks teams accidentally burning $5 million a month.


John Homer Alvero is Head of AI Engineering at Converge ICT, one of the Philippines' largest fiber broadband and digital infrastructure providers. An AWS architect across fintech, telco and gaming, he was previously Cloud Solutions Architect at SM Investments. His blocker isn't the technology: governance and cybersecurity teams can't write credible guardrails until they're AI-literate themselves.


Where they split: Aravind says the moat is everything except the model. Jun says it's distribution, the one thing the labs lack.


Crosscurrents Summit, presented by Clouted


Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/enterprise-ai 


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#EnterpriseAI #AIStrategy #AIAdoption #BuildVsBuy #AIROI #PhysicalAI #Robotics #SoutheastAsia #TechPodcast


00:00 Introduction

00:40 Meet the panel

03:02 Is enterprise AI adoption actually real?

05:34 Engineers have stopped typing code

08:21 What's really holding enterprises back

10:30 How to measure ROI and cap token spend

15:32 Where the returns show up internally

18:36 Build or buy, and why services came back

23:23 Advice to a three-years-younger self

26:02 Model, brand, or distribution?



There’s a unique energy building across Southeast Asia, a sense of possibility that’s palpable from Singapore’s skyscrapers to the bustling streets of Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech captures that momentum by going beyond the headlines and funding announcements. Host Jeremy Au, a venture capitalist and serial founder with a background from Harvard and Berkeley, steers these conversations with a distinct perspective-one that balances the hard metrics of growth with the very human elements of leadership and personal development. Each episode feels like a candid, in-depth dialogue, whether he’s speaking with a first-time founder navigating early traction or a seasoned investor mapping regional trends. You’ll hear genuine stories about building companies, the tough lessons learned from failures, and the often-overlooked journey of staying grounded while scaling rapidly. This isn’t about presenting a polished facade of success; it’s about the real work of creating something meaningful. With over eighty thousand regular listeners, this podcast has become a key resource for anyone invested in the region’s tech ecosystem. Jeremy brings his own experiences as a sci-fi enthusiast and a father into the mix, often exploring how broader perspectives on the future and empathy shape better leaders. Tune in for practical insights on venture capital, entrepreneurship, and management, all framed within the vibrant and complex tapestry of Southeast Asia. New conversations arrive every Monday, offering a thoughtful pause to reflect on how we build what’s next.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English)
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