AI Race in Singapore: Claude is closing in on ChatGPT among startups
The artificial intelligence market in Southeast Asia is undergoing a tectonic shift. Data analysis from the fintech platform Aspire shows a rapid surge in the popularity of Anthropic's Claude among Singaporean startups. Over the past 12 months, the number of paying customers for this service has skyrocketed by 258%, and spending on it has increased 17-fold.
Competitive Dynamics
Just a year ago, OpenAI's dominance in the region was indisputable: the number of paying startup clients for ChatGPT exceeded Anthropic's by more than four times. Today, however, the gap has narrowed to 1.5 times. Moreover, Claude's share of total spending by Singaporean startups on AI platforms has reached an impressive 37%. This is direct evidence that the market no longer views Anthropic as an underdog.
Ecosystem Growth
The overall trend toward AI tool adoption in Singapore is also impressive: the number of startups actively using at least one AI platform has increased by 42%. Particularly notable is the growth in the number of companies working with three or more services simultaneously—their count has doubled. This indicates market maturity: startups are no longer choosing a single provider but are forming multi-platform strategies.
My expert assessment: Claude's growth in Singapore is no coincidence but a reflection of a fundamental shift in developer preferences. Anthropic has bet on model safety and controllability, which is critically important for fintech startups that form the backbone of Singapore's ecosystem. If OpenAI does not respond with adequate improvements to the security of its solutions, the gap could disappear entirely within the next quarter. The market is entering a phase where quality and trust matter more than brand recognition.