AInvest 2026 – APAC

Turning Vertical AI Into a Core Infrastructure Advantage

Recap: AInvest APAC 2026 – The Future of AI for Wealth

At the recent AInvest APAC 2026, hosted by BridgeWise on March 24, 2026, we had the privilege of hosting a landmark thought leadership event. The highlight of the day was an in-depth panel discussion featuring key speakers from the global giants of the fintech and financial data sectors.

Together, we explored a fundamental shift in the industry: the move away from generalized tools toward verticalized AI. The discussion centered on why deep industry expertise – and the specialized infrastructure that supports it – is no longer just an advantage, but a necessity for the modern capital markets.

Event Highlights: From Innovation Forecast to Decision Intelligence

1. Innovation Forecast: Unveiling the Next Generation of AI for Wealth

The event opened with an exclusive first look at the future of the industry. Dor Eligula, Co-Founder and CBO of BridgeWise, unveiled the complete BridgeWise AI for Wealth suite. This 360-degree platform is designed to transform unstructured data into structured, predictive intelligence, featuring the debut of pAI (Portfolio AI) – a specialized agent for real-time portfolio construction and recalibration.

2. Keynote Speech: Wealth AI & the Fast Follower Advantage

We were honored to host Sangik Chon, Senior Executive Officer, GM Solution Planning Division, Rakuten Securities, who delivered a powerful keynote on the Japanese market’s evolution. He elaborated on how the strategic adoption of AI for investments has moved beyond experimentation to drive significant growth and measurable ROI, providing a roadmap for other APAC markets to follow.

Watch the full presentation:

3. The Panel: The Institutionalization of AI for Wealth

The centerpiece of the afternoon was a high-level discussion on turning vertical AI into a core infrastructure advantage. Moderated by Yasu Miyakawa (CS Japan at BridgeWise), the panel brought together:

• Rohit Mulani: President, Alpaca Southeast Asia

• Michael Araneta: Banking GTM, ASEAN market at AWS

• David Metcalfe: Head of ASEAN for Visible Alpha at S&P

  

The speakers moved beyond the hype to discuss real-world case studies, the “Build vs. Buy” dilemma, and how to solve the compliance bottleneck by keeping sensitive data inside controlled infrastructure.

4. Fireside Chat: A Look to the Future of Wealth

The formal sessions wrapped up with an insightful, female-led fireside chat featuring Annie Qiu (BridgeWise) and Jirapat Khamyat, Senior Manager of Marketing and Planning,SBI THAI ONLINE Securities. This discussion focused specifically on the Thai market, exploring how to transform “data overload” into “decision intelligence” for local investors. They highlighted the four essentials for Thai AI: real-time SET data, nuanced language understanding, local company coverage, and strict adherence to SEC standards.

A Vision for the Future

The consensus of AInvest 2026 APAC was clear: the future of AI in the finance space is verticalized. By moving toward specialized architecture that ensures data truth and regulatory compliance, financial institutions are no longer just providing information, they are providing a proactive, personalized, and secure investment experience.

As Dor Eligula noted during the event: “Expert AI is no longer just a supporting tool, but the future backbone of investment infrastructure.”

We would like to thank our speakers, our partners from AWS, TSFC, Alpaca, and SBITO, and all our guests for making this a truly transformative event.

AInvest After-Party:

Read more about the event: Link