TROOPS, Inc. (Nasdaq: TROO) is committing US$12 million to establish a new business unit dedicated to artificial intelligence infrastructure in Southeast Asia, a region that has attracted over US$55 billion in investment in the past year. The Hong Kong-based financial services and property group announced the move as part of a strategic expansion that will see it offer services including GPU-as-a-Service, AI inference, edge computing, decentralized compute, cloud orchestration, and other AI developer services. The new unit is currently evaluating sites, partnerships, and assets across Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia, with an initial allocation of US$6 million expected by the end of 2026.
The decision comes amid unprecedented growth in Southeast Asia as an AI hub for Asia Pacific and beyond. Data center capacity in Malaysia's Johor state doubled over the past twelve months, according to figures presented at the China-ASEAN Business Leaders Summit in September. Telecom operators are also moving aggressively into the space: Singtel is expanding its Nxera platform across Southeast Asia, SK Telecom raised US$2.2 billion from KKR and an IMM-Stonebridge consortium for its new AI data center vehicle in August, and Reliance Jio is developing its own campuses. "Southeast Asia has become the place where Asia's compute is actually being built, and the capital going in is no longer only American," said Damian Thurnheer, President and CEO of TROOPS, Inc. "Moving into this layer is a natural extension of our business, which has pioneered disruptive technologies including fintech."
TROOPS has sought a future partnership with Bfarms365 LLC, a Texas-based company, to support the new venture. The group's existing portfolio is anchored in property and small business cash flows in Hong Kong through two licensed money lenders, commercial property rental income, and an insurance consultancy and online financial technology marketplace that delivers credit and insurance products via APIs. Group revenue rose 70% to US$17.1 million in the year to December 31, 2025. TROOPS also holds a 19.9% stake in HK Golden, Inc., operator of one of Hong Kong's largest online forums.
"This new venture provides strong unity with our existing business interests," said Tommy Wing Ling Lui, CTO of TROOPS, Inc. "We already run machine learning inside underwriting and servicing, on infrastructure we rent. Owning capacity in the region changes what we can build, and it puts us on the right side of a market where operators, banks, and sovereign funds are all moving at once."
The move underscores the growing importance of AI infrastructure as a foundational layer for the digital economy in Southeast Asia. By entering this space, TROOPS aims to leverage its fintech expertise and capture opportunities in a market where demand for compute power is surging. The company will report progress as definitive terms are reached and will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission where required. For more information about TROOPS, visit www.troops.co or http://www.troops.co.
