Claude is closing in on ChatGPT: explosive growth among Singapore startups
The market for AI assistants for businesses is undergoing a tectonic shift, and Singapore is the perfect laboratory to observe this process. Analytics from the fintech platform Aspire demonstrate impressive dynamics: demand for Anthropic's Claude among local startups has grown by 258% in terms of paying customers over the past year, while spending on this service has increased 17-fold.
Just 12 months ago, OpenAI had more than a fourfold advantage over Anthropic in the number of paying startup clients in Singapore. Today, that gap has narrowed to one and a half times. Claude's share of total spending by Singaporean startups on AI platforms has reached 37% — a serious blow to ChatGPT's position.
The overall trend is also telling: the number of startups in Singapore actively using AI tools has grown by 42%. Meanwhile, the number of companies working with three or more platforms simultaneously has more than doubled. This indicates that businesses are no longer betting on a single provider and are diversifying their AI resources.
My analysis: Claude's growth is not just a temporary spike. Anthropic has managed to offer the market niche but critically important features for startups: enhanced data privacy and more flexible settings tailored to specific business needs. If Anthropic maintains this pace, we could see parity with OpenAI in Singapore's small and medium business segment as early as next quarter, followed by other Asian hubs.