Agentic AI's Rise
The AI Festival Asia 2026, held on January 22nd and 23rd at the DBS Foundation Theatre, served as a crucial platform for showcasing the escalating interest
in agentic artificial intelligence and its practical implementation across various industries. Hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners, alongside policymakers and AI innovators, gathered to explore tangible applications of AI in their daily business operations. This event underscored a growing market demand for AI solutions that extend beyond mere experimentation, focusing instead on delivering measurable operational advantages. Scout by PipelineAI's participation highlighted this shift, demonstrating a commitment to providing AI tools that drive concrete business outcomes and support the transition from testing to widespread adoption.
Always-On Outreach Strategies
A standout session at the festival was the highly attended fireside chat, "Always-On Outreach: Using AI Agents to Run SME Sales and Marketing Workflows." Pulse Tan, the Founder of Scout, captivated over 250 registered SME owners by detailing how agentic AI systems are fundamentally altering digital marketing. These systems enable continuous customer engagement by precisely identifying real-time customer intent signals embedded within public user-generated content across social media platforms. Unlike traditional marketing that relies on content creation first, Scout prioritizes engaging potential customers based on their actual consumption habits and explicitly stated needs. A key takeaway from the discussion was the platform's emphasis on simplicity and accessibility, designed to require only about 10 minutes of daily human review. This efficient human-in-the-loop (HITL) process allows business owners and marketing teams to maintain consistent outreach without needing extensive technical expertise or complex infrastructure, making it ideal for both micro-SMEs and larger organizations with multiple brands or outlets.
Revenue-Driven AI Solutions
During the fireside chat, Tan emphasized that the ultimate measure of AI adoption for SMEs is its ability to directly increase revenue. He noted the proliferation of AI tools available today, differentiating Scout by highlighting its core function as an AI agent actively identifying and engaging prospective customers. This automated engagement, he explained, occurs consistently and at a significantly lower cost compared to hiring a dedicated digital marketer. This focus on tangible financial returns resonated strongly with the audience, underscoring the practical value proposition of Scout for businesses seeking efficient and effective growth strategies in the digital landscape.
Broad Industry Appeal
Throughout the AI Festival Asia 2026, Scout's exhibition booth experienced substantial foot traffic. Dozens of SME owners from diverse sectors expressed keen interest in integrating agentic outreach into their operations. The interest spanned across the food and beverage, retail, wellness, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries, demonstrating the wide-ranging applicability of Scout's AI-powered solutions for consumer-facing businesses. This broad appeal highlights the universal need for efficient customer engagement tools that can adapt to various market dynamics and consumer behaviors.
Brand-Safe AI Adoption
Scout operates as a sophisticated AI-assisted outreach system designed for practical and brand-safe application. Its core functionalities include pinpointing relevant public conversations and user-generated content that align precisely with a business's defined target customer profile. Following identification, the platform proposes personalized engagement strategies that are always brand-safe. Crucially, every interaction is subjected to human approval, ensuring strict adherence to compliance standards, maintaining the desired brand tone, and safeguarding brand integrity. This meticulous approach enables businesses to effectively convert existing demand signals into genuine customer conversations and drive sales without necessitating an increase in personnel or an over-reliance on paid advertising or extensive content production.
Government Incentives Available
For businesses operating in Singapore, the deployment of Scout by PipelineAI is eligible for significant government support. Qualifying SMEs can receive financial assistance, potentially offsetting up to 90% of their deployment expenses, subject to the prevailing criteria of the relevant government programs. This financial incentive makes advanced AI marketing solutions even more accessible, encouraging wider adoption among SMEs and fostering a more competitive business environment. Interested parties are encouraged to reach out for partnership inquiries, pilot deployment opportunities, or additional information regarding the platform and available support schemes.
