Former Microsoft Asia Pacific president Ahmed Mazhari has launched kAIgentic, an agentic AI startup, with $10 million in funding from Japan's SMBC Group. Headquartered in Singapore with core engineering in India, the startup aims to build AI deployment infrastructure for large-scale enterprise operations. The funding and launch were announced in early June 2026, marking kAIgentic's entry into the agentic AI market.
The $10 million investment from SMBC Group, a Tokyo-based multinational financial services company with a 400-year history, supports kAIgentic’s development of AI platforms that capture operational workflows within enterprises. The startup’s platform creates domain-specific AI agents that operate under continuous human supervision in live production environments. SMBC Group plans to deploy kAIgentic’s technology as part of its broader three-year IT investment of approximately JPY 1 trillion to modernize its infrastructure and accelerate AI adoption.
kAIgentic’s approach addresses the growing demand for AI systems that understand and automate complex enterprise workflows. By integrating AI agents that reflect real-world operational logic, the startup differentiates itself in the expanding agentic AI sector. SMBC Group’s commitment to AI, including upgrading talent and establishing AI-native business processes, positions kAIgentic to play a key role in transforming enterprise AI deployment, similar to other AI infrastructure ventures gaining traction globally.
kAIgentic’s initial deployment within SMBC Group’s regulated environment will serve as a live testbed for its technology. The startup’s Singapore headquarters and Indian engineering base provide a strategic advantage in servicing global enterprises. SMBC Group’s JPY 1 trillion IT investment, announced in April 2026, underscores the scale of AI integration efforts underway in the financial sector.