venture capital

Enterprise AI Developer Whale Secures USD 40m Series C Extension, Bringing Round to USD 100m with Strong Japanese Financial Backing

Singapore-headquartered enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) developer Whale has secured a $40 million Series C3 extension, bringing its total Series C funding to $100 million. The injection of capital is earmarked to accelerate the scale-up of its global enterprise AI deployments and deepen platform integrations.

The latest funding round was co-led by CMB International (via its AI and frontier technology-focused investment fund) and SMBC Asia Rising Fund (SARF), the corporate venture capital (CVC) arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

The round also saw significant strategic participation from:

Krungsri Finnovate (the CVC arm of Krungsri / Bank of Ayudhya, a subsidiary of Japan's MUFG)
Singtel Innov8
Hyundai Motor Group
Charisma Partners

They join earlier Series C backers including Bosch Ventures, MTR Lab, MDI Ventures, Gentree Fund, and Linear Capital.

Key Japanese Financial Institutions Drive Strategic Regional Expansion

A central feature of this funding round is the strategic positioning of major Japanese financial giants, who aim to leverage Whale's technology across their expansive networks in Asia and beyond.

1. SMBC Asia Rising Fund (SARF)

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation's participation is positioned as a highly strategic partnership. According to Mayoran Rajendra, Managing Director and Head of the AI Transformation Office at SMBC Group, the bank plans to combine Whale's technology with SMBC’s global client network and industry expertise to deliver value across regional markets. Rajendra highlighted Whale’s specialized ability to structure unstructured data from physical environments as a primary driver for their investment.

2. MUFG (via Krungsri Finnovate)

Krungsri Finnovate, representing the interests of MUFG through Thailand's Bank of Ayudhya, pointed to a deep strategic synergy within the ASEAN region. Palida Artispong, Acting Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Growth and Investor Relations at Krungsri Finnovate, stated that Whale stands out as one of the few players offering native, enterprise-grade AI capable of powering full-suite, omnichannel products. Krungsri plans to utilize its robust regional footprint to actively support Whale's expansion across ASEAN.

Underlying Technology & Commercial Footprint

The Business World Model (BWM): Unlike traditional large language models built for text, Whale’s proprietary BWM is designed to process physical and real-world inputs from cameras, audio, and sensors.
The Full-Stack AI OS: The BWM powers Whale's core "AI Operating System," which includes SpaceSight (physical space intelligence tracking traffic and operational compliance) and Echo (voice intelligence analyzing frontline sales interactions). These systems integrate into wider workflow automation, compliance, and infrastructure management software (Lume, Alivia, Harbor, and Novus).
Market Scale: Whale currently manages over 600,000 edge AI nodes globally and services more than 1,600 enterprise clients across 45+ countries. Its operations span retail, automotive, F&B, manufacturing, and financial services.

With this fresh injection of $40 million, Whale is positioned to expand beyond its core North American and Asia-Pacific footprints, with plans to enter the Middle East and European markets.