Delivering on commitments made at its April 2026 launch, the Singapore-hosted transcription API marks the first production release of Toku's open-source conversational AI initiative, with additional capabilities planned through 2026.
SINGAPORE, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Toku, Asia Pacific's leading AI-powered 360° customer experience platform, today made Makimoto Kawa ("Kawa") available to developers, the first open-source conversational AI infrastructure built and hosted in Singapore, designed for teams operating under APAC's regulatory and data residency requirements. Kawa's post-conversation transcription API, together with an interactive playground, is live now at makimoto.ai.
The release is Toku's first publicly available sovereign conversational AI infrastructure, and a milestone in the Group's wider push to deepen these capabilities. By pairing open-source development with enterprise-grade deployment, Makimoto complements Toku's existing customer experience platform and supports long-term innovation opportunities across the Group's AI roadmap.
At launch, Kawa is available as a post-conversation transcription API, built for recorded calls, voicemail, and large-scale analysis of archived customer interactions. Developers submit an audio recording to the API and then retrieve the completed transcript, with speaker separation and segment-level timestamps. Each account includes a free monthly allowance of 1,000 minutes and an open-source interactive playground for testing before integration. A real-time transcription API, designed for live voice agents, captioning, and in-conversation analytics, will follow as a subsequent release.
The Kawa API runs on a composable orchestration layer, allowing developers to swap individual components in the pipeline, such as audio pre-processing or the speech-to-text model, without redesigning the surrounding system.
Hosted in Singapore, Kawa keeps customer audio and transcripts in-country, supporting organisations operating under Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and sector-specific frameworks, including guidelines issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). It is designed to meet growing demand among enterprises and regulated industries for AI infrastructure that gives them greater control over how data is processed, where workloads run, and how regulatory obligations are met. The architecture established for Singapore provides a foundation for future deployments in markets with similar data-residency and compliance requirements.
"We committed in April to putting Kawa in developers' hands by 1 July, and today we have. Models are becoming a commodity, and the cycles are getting shorter, so today's best choice is next year's legacy. The advantage that endures is a composable orchestration layer that lets you replace and upgrade components without rebuilding the system each time, and that work, in the open, is what Makimoto is for," said Thomas Laboulle, Founder and CEO at Toku.
Developer interest has continued to build since Makimoto was first announced in April. The managed API available from launch provides developers and enterprises with immediate access to a production-ready transcription pipeline, while Kawa's open orchestration layer enables inspection, configuration, and future extensibility. Through subsequent releases in 2026, Toku intends to progressively open additional layers of the pipeline, moving towards greater community participation and modifiability.
The launch also marks early progress on Makimoto's Singapore-based AI ecosystem Toku announced in April. The ten graduate roles, spanning engineering, developer relations and community, drew more than 400 applicants from universities and polytechnics across the region, with the inaugural cohort now being finalised for hire. The response reflects strong regional appetite to build production-grade open-source infrastructure rooted in Asia-Pacific.
Makimoto is operated through Makimoto Technology Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Toku Group, maintaining a clear distinction between community and enterprise editions of its software. Through the remainder of 2026, Toku plans to add the real-time transcription API and open-source more of its technology stack. Developers can start building with Kawa today at makimoto.ai.
About Toku
Headquartered in Singapore, Toku Ltd. (SGX Catalist: TKU) is a cloud-native, AI-powered customer experience platform purpose-built for enterprises operating in complex, multi-market environments. With deep roots in the APAC region and an expanding global footprint, Toku's modular 360° CX Platform orchestrates customer interactions across voice, chat, email and digital channels while managing regulatory, linguistic and infrastructure complexity at scale.
Built on end-to-end ownership of its technology stack, from carrier-grade connectivity to AI applications, Toku delivers enterprise-grade security, reliability and deployment flexibility in commercial cloud, private data centres and hybrid environments. Its AI capabilities include transcription, summarisation, sentiment analysis, conversation analytics and governed virtual agents, designed to integrate seamlessly with enterprise systems and customer data.
Trusted by leading enterprises and public-sector organisations, Toku helps organisations streamline operations, scale customer engagement and deliver consistent experiences in fragmented markets worldwide.
For more information about Toku, visit toku.co
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Toku's expansion plans and business strategy. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Toku undertakes no obligation to update these statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Sponsor's Statement
Toku Ltd. (the "Company") was listed on Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the "Exchange") on 22 January 2026. The initial public offering of the Company was sponsored by PrimePartners Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. (the "Sponsor").
This press release has been reviewed by the Sponsor. It has not been examined or approved by the Exchange and the Exchange assumes no responsibility for the contents of this press release, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this press release.
The contact person for the Sponsor is Ms. Ng Shi Qing, 16 Collyer Quay, #10-00 Collyer Quay Centre, Singapore 049318, sponsorship@ppcf.com.sg.
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Toku delivers on its Makimoto roadmap as Kawa goes live, marking its first public release of sovereign conversational AI infrastructure
Leading Companies Present Science-Backed Solutions Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance, Digestive Health, and Wellness Through Advanced Probiotics and Clinical Botanicals
BANGKOK, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As global healthcare confronts the urgent challenge of antimicrobial resistance, Vitafoods Asia 2026, the region's premier nutraceutical trade show organised by Informa Markets, will showcase pioneering solutions that blend scientific rigour with natural innovation. Leading this charge are LiveSpo and Natural Remedies, two industry innovators presenting breakthrough technologies that address critical health burdens through advanced probiotics and clinical botanicals.
From the world's first probiotic nasal spray to next-generation botanical ingredients delivering unprecedented efficacy at minimal doses, these companies demonstrate how evidence-based natural solutions can reduce antibiotic dependence while supporting digestive health, respiratory wellness, and immunity. Their innovations represent the convergence of traditional wisdom and modern science, offering effective, sustainable alternatives to conventional treatments for global populations facing pressing health challenges.
LiveSpo: Pioneering a Future Without Antibiotics
LiveSpo, a biotechnology leader specialising in spore-based probiotics, is introducing world-first innovations that could transform how healthcare approaches antibiotic usage. The company is the first and only manufacturer globally to successfully produce high-quality, multi-species spore probiotics in liquid form, enabling clinically validated products across multiple applications.
At the forefront of LiveSpo's innovations is LiveSpo NAVAX, the world's first probiotic nasal spray designed to support respiratory health. Clinical trials demonstrate that NAVAX shortens RSV infection symptoms by one day and influenza symptoms by one to two days while increasing treatment effectiveness by 10–60% compared with physiological saline. The formulation reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines up to 3.6-fold more effectively in RSV cases and shortens pneumonia symptom duration by one day with 20–90% improved treatment efficacy.
LiveSpo's digestive health portfolio addresses the global burden of digestive disorders, which cause approximately 1.8 million deaths annually, with over 80% occurring in children under five years. LiveSpo Clausy, LiveSpo Colon, and LiveSpo Dia30 have been clinically shown to reduce antibiotic treatment duration by up to 25% when used alongside standard therapy and shorten persistent diarrhoea treatment by approximately three days. These formulations provide two-fold greater improvement in IBD-related symptom severity compared with control groups.
LiveSpo Kids specifically targets paediatric digestive wellness, demonstrating five-fold improvement in constipation management and eleven-fold enhancement in appetite compared to standard treatments. Clinical studies show the formulation increases weight by 0.3 kg per month in growing children while reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-23 concentration nine-fold and increasing IgA ten-fold by day 28.
LiveSpo's unique spore probiotic technology provides 24-month stability in zone 4B with no cold storage required, ensuring product quality regardless of shipping route—a critical advantage for global distribution.
"I always believe that the most important thing for a scientist is how their research is applied in real life, how it can benefit and serve the community," said Dr. Nguyen Hoa Anh, Chairman and Founder of LiveSpo. "Every year, there are about 5 million deaths worldwide caused by antibiotic resistance, mostly among children under 5 years old. The World Health Organisation has repeatedly warned about the global issue of drug resistance, but until now, WHO has not provided an effective tool to replace antibiotics. In 2013, LiveSpo Pharma successfully researched and developed the technology for producing Liquid Form, Multi-strains, High Concentration Spore Probiotics, which have the potential to gradually replace antibiotics."
He further added, "Vitafoods Asia provides the ideal platform for us to showcase our advanced spore probiotic technology to reputable partners across the region. As we pursue strategic regional expansion, this event allows us to connect with key industry players who share our vision of delivering innovative, science-backed probiotic solutions. We're eager to demonstrate how our pioneering liquid spore probiotic technology can help partners address critical health challenges while supporting our mission toward a future without antibiotics"
Natural Remedies: Transforming Nature into Clinical Excellence
Natural Remedies – Human Health Care brings decades of botanical expertise combined with cutting-edge science to Vitafoods Asia 2026. The company is showcasing its portfolio of clinically researched, standardised herbal ingredients designed for the global nutraceutical market.
The spotlight innovation is Ashwa.30™, a next-generation Ashwagandha ingredient powered by proprietary B.O.T™ (Bioactive Optimisation Technology). This breakthrough delivers benefits for energy, endurance, longevity, and stress management at just 30 mg per day, redefining efficacy in low-dose botanical supplementation.
Natural Remedies' comprehensive portfolio of clinically validated ingredients addresses multiple health categories. Holixer® is an award-winning ingredient clinically shown to provide better sleep experience, while BacoMind® enhances memory, focus, and recall. Gutgard® offers daily support for optimal digestive health, and Turmacin® provides water-soluble turmeric for superior joint health. The company's AP-Bio® / Kalmcold® offers trusted immune support solutions.
All ingredients combine traditional wisdom with rigorous scientific validation, featuring clinically proven efficacy, standardised bioactive profiles, low effective dosages, and global regulatory readiness. Products are registered with TGA, ANVISA, and KFDA, and comply with USA and EU standards, ensuring premium quality and trust worldwide. The company maintains ISO-certified R&D facilities and conducts rigorous clinical trials while practising responsible sourcing, biodiversity conservation, and greener energy solutions.
"The future of wellness lies in botanicals that combine traditional wisdom with modern scientific validation," said Dr. Suresh, Chief Business Officer, Natural Remedies. "Through innovations like B.O.T Technology, we are enabling the next generation of high-performance, science-backed botanical solutions."
He further added, "As a global leader in science-backed botanical ingredients, we see Vitafoods Asia as an essential trade event for connecting with partners and industry leaders who are shaping the future of health and wellness. This year, we're excited to showcase our latest innovations and demonstrate how clinically validated botanicals can empower brands to create truly differentiated, evidence-based products that meet evolving consumer demands for natural, effective health solutions."
Both companies serve nutraceutical, dietary supplement, functional food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors, with particular strength in active longevity and healthy ageing, stress and sleep management, cognitive performance, digestive and metabolic health, sports nutrition, immune support, and respiratory wellness.
For more information about Vitafoods Asia 2026, visit www.vitafoodsasia.com
About Vitafoods Asia
Vitafoods Asia is the leading nutraceutical event in Asia, bringing together industry professionals from across the globe to explore the latest trends, innovations, and opportunities in the nutraceutical and functional food sectors.
About Informa Markets
Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organiser, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Gautam Jatwani
Senior Marketing Manager
Gautam.jatwani@informa.com
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Vitafoods Asia 2026: Science-Backed Botanicals and Next-Generation Probiotics Take Centre Stage
Vitafoods Asia 2026: Science-Backed Botanicals and Next-Generation Probiotics Take Centre Stage
Vitafoods Asia 2026: Science-Backed Botanicals and Next-Generation Probiotics Take Centre Stage
Vitafoods Asia 2026: Science-Backed Botanicals and Next-Generation Probiotics Take Centre Stage
