Cognition, the US-based AI coding agent company behind Devin — widely described as the first AI software engineer — has established Singapore as its Asia-Pacific regional headquarters, marking its first major expansion into Southeast Asia.

The move follows Cognition’s earlier expansion into Japan and comes as enterprises across the region accelerate adoption of AI-driven software development tools. Singapore will serve as the company’s base for leadership, operations, and growth across Southeast Asia, Australia, India, and South Korea.

Acquisition and local leadership

Cognition’s Singapore entry is anchored by the acquisition of Havana, a local startup that had been building AI agents. Havana’s team will be integrated into Cognition’s regional engineering, go-to-market, and product development functions.

The company’s APAC operations will be led by Richard Spence, Vice President and General Manager, APAC, who is responsible for regional strategy, customer engagement, and market expansion. A Singapore office in the Central Business District is expected to open later this year.

“Singapore stands out as one of the most advanced markets globally for AI adoption, with strong national leadership and a highly engaged developer and user base. By establishing our APAC hub here, we are able to work closely with our customers across the region as they navigate a fundamental shift in how software is built and operated.” — Richard Spence, VP and GM APAC, Cognition

Enterprise traction in Singapore

Cognition said it is already working with OCBC in Singapore, where engineers are using the Devin platform to support software development workflows. OCBC reported initial productivity gains of up to 30%, though the bank framed the figure as an early-stage result rather than a confirmed benchmark.

“While our investment in Cognition’s platform began within engineering, it has quickly delivered meaningful benefits across multiple parts of our organisation, including our business teams. We’ve seen initial productivity gains of up to 30%, but even more importantly, this collaboration empowers us to deliver superior products to our customers.” — Michael Chung, Head of Group Wealth Engineering, OCBC

Cognition and Devin

Cognition has raised over US$400 million at a valuation of US$10.2 billion, backed by investors including Founders Fund, Lux Capital, 8VC, Bain Capital Ventures, and D1 Capital. The company positions Devin as a collaborative AI teammate that works alongside human developers to autonomously complete complex engineering tasks, with controls around compliance, security, and human oversight built into its enterprise offering.

Cognition said it plans to build a team in Singapore over the next two years across engineering, operations, product, sales, and marketing roles.