Agentic commerce arrived in Southeast Asia this week, and the more interesting story is what the region’s payment platforms reveal about whether they’re ready to be where the agents shop.
DBS-Visa AI agent payments, the Philippines’ dual IPO race, and Indonesia’s new digital innovation hub all point to the same quiet shift: Southeast Asia is building financial infrastructure, not just fintech apps.
Zepto just raised $450M at a $7B valuation while expanding ESOPs by $170M—the real story isn’t speed, it’s how they cracked the retention economics that legacy businesses still don’t understand.
