What we see from these rising numbers is that development and profitability can very a lot go hand-in-hand. Companies are adapting to the evolving calls for of the digital panorama and the altering behaviors of Southeast Asian shoppers. As the main target is shifting from speedy development to sustainable profitability, innovation continues to thrive.

Strides in e-commerce and gaming

That innovation is especially evident in two areas: video commerce and cellular gaming. Creators in Southeast Asia have helped drive e-commerce development considerably via their use of reside buying. In actual fact, video commerce within the area accounts for 20% of the entire e-commerce GMV — which has itself grown 15% since final yr. And in relation to gaming, Southeast Asia’s builders are driving an outsized share of the worldwide gaming market with 12% of all international cellular recreation downloads in 2024. Gaming content material has surged in consequence, with extra creators and uploads than some other shopper class. Because the report reveals, the area’s builders are constructing for a world viewers.

A world hub for AI

The 2024 report reveals compelling proof of Southeast Asia’s inherent strengths in AI. Its younger, digitally plugged-in inhabitants has a robust urge for food for AI-powered services and products. In actual fact, AI-related searches in Southeast Asia grew 11 occasions from 2020 to 2024 and three of its nations — Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia — rank within the prime 10 nations globally that searched most for AI.