HONG KONG – An AI startup that counts some of the world’s largest investment banks among its clients is hiring staff in key Asian hubs, betting that more of the region’s financial firms are ready to embed the technology deeper into their operations.

Rogo Technologies has made Singapore the hub of its Asia-Pacific expansion strategy, according to John Willett, the New York-based firm’s co-founder and chief operating officer.

The platform, which became popular for taking on much of the grunt work done by junior bankers such as automating spreadsheets and slide work, is opening an office in the city-state and hiring staff as it grows to tackle other areas in banking.

It is also recruiting in Tokyo and Sydney and plans to have a total headcount of 150 to 200 in the region by the end of 2027.

The move comes with Asia-Pacific being ahead of the rest of the world in adopting AI in the workplace.

The shift is especially pronounced in Singapore. The financial hub tops the International Monetary Fund’s AI Preparedness Index among 174 countries, while 64 per cent of its financial institutions are actively deploying AI across key business functions, according to a 2026 survey by London-based financial software firm Finastra.

The amount of talent in Singapore is “really compelling”, Willett, 28, said. He also pointed to the city’s connectivity across the region and its long record as a landing point for Western firms expanding into Asia.

Rogo was valued at US$2 billion (S$2.5 billion) in April in a fundraising round led by Kleiner Perkins. It has more than 350 clients globally, with over 50,000 bankers and investors using the platform, according to its website.

Rogo, which has users in more than 100 countries, has its Asia presence concentrated in Ind...