Whale Raises $40M Series C3 Extension, Bringing Total Series C to $100M, to Scale Global Enterprise AI Operations

SAN FRANCISCO, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With its Series C now reaching $100 million, Whale, a global enterprise AI company, today announced a $40 million extension as it scales its global enterprise AI deployments. The round was led by CMB International (via an investment fund under CMBI that focus on AI and frontier technology) and SMBC Asia Rising Fund (SARF, the corporate venture capital fund of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation), with participation from Krungsri Finnovate (CVC arm of Krungsri / Bank of Ayudhya, part of MUFG), Singtel Innov8, Hyundai Motor Group, and Charisma Partners. Earlier Series C participants include Bosch Ventures, MTR Lab, MDI Ventures, Gentree Fund, and Linear Capital.

Whale builds the AI Operating System (AIOS) for enterprise operations, connecting digital and real-world workflows through its proprietary Business World Model (BWM) — an AI model designed to interpret signals from cameras, sensors, and audio the way large language models process text. Headquartered in Singapore, with a growing base in North America, Whale leads enterprise AI adoption across Asia-Pacific — including Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and beyond. The company serves more than 1,600 enterprises in 45+ countries across retail, automotive, F&B, manufacturing, financial services, and more. Managing 600,000+ edge AI nodes globally, its solutions help businesses tackle challenges from compliance auditing and service quality to operational efficiency.

Whale Scales Global AI Deployments

This Series C3 extends Whale's reach across North America and APAC, with MENA and Europe on the horizon. "This new funding isn't about starting from scratch. It's about advancing what we've built here," said Jerry Ye, Founder and CEO of Whale. "We're scaling our teams globally, deepening enterprise partnerships, and expanding our platform integrations with local infrastructure. Enterprises across regions are grappling with rising operational costs, and the urgent need to turn unstructured operational data into decision-ready intelligence, and we're already delivering that today."

Strategic investors see the same inflection point. "We have witnessed retail digitization undergo a fundamental shift, from tool integration to AI-native operations, and see the AI-driven efficiency trend as irreversible," said Zheng Xiang, VP of Charisma Partners. "Whale's perception-cognition-execution loop reshapes the operational foundation for enterprises, and we believe Whale is poised to lead the next generation of enterprise AI infrastructure."

The AI Operating System: Unifying Enterprise Operations at Scale

Enterprises don't need more software; they need an operating system that connects online data with physical environments — turning every store, showroom, and facility into an intelligent, responsive operation. Whale's flagship vision and voice products are the primary entry points for operational transformation. SpaceSight converts cameras and IoT sensors across stores, showrooms, and commercial facilities into real-time intelligence, measuring foot traffic, dwell time, engagement, and operational compliance, so businesses can optimize performance without adding headcount. Echo analyzes frontline sales conversations to identify what top performers do differently, turning those insights into scalable coaching programs that address the high-turnover challenge facing businesses today.

Both are powered by the BWM, giving enterprises a continuously updated model of how their operations run and generating direct, executable actions at scale. SpaceSight and Echo feed into the rest of Whale's platform — Lume for AI-powered content distribution, Alivia for workflow automation and intelligent agents, Harbor for knowledge management and compliance, and Novus for AI infrastructure and governance — together forming a full-stack AI OS for enterprise operations.

"Whale's ability to unlock and structure data from physical environments — enabling enterprises to turn real-world activities into actionable intelligence — is particularly compelling. By combining Whale's technology with SMBC Group's global client network and industry expertise, we look forward to delivering value across industries and regions," said Mayoran Rajendra, Managing Director and Head of AI Transformation Office, SMBC Group.

Strategic Investors Back Whale's Global Scale-Up

Across financial services, telecommunications, automotive, and multinational commerce, investors are drawn by the same thesis: a proprietary AI foundation seven years in the making.

For CMBI, Whale's AI deployments across Asia-Pacific and its growing global commercial traction made the decision clear. "Whale has built a strong technology foundation with a clear direction in enterprise AI, and Jerry and his team have demonstrated the ability to execute across complex, real-world deployments, which is rare at this scale," said Dr. Zhang Guoyong, General Manager of the Private Equity Investment Management Department, CMBI. "We see long-term potential in their approach and are pleased to support their next phase of growth."

That execution resonates regionally. Krungsri Finnovate identified a strategic match between Whale's end-to-end AI and its own ASEAN networks. "Whale is one of the few players with native, enterprise-grade AI capable of powering a full-suite, omnichannel product across the entire customer journey — and that capability is exactly why we chose to invest through Finnoventure Private Equity Trust I. With Krungsri's strong footprint in Thailand and ASEAN, and MUFG's global network behind us, we're well placed to support Whale's expansion across the region." said Palida Artispong, Acting Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Growth and Investor Relations, Krungsri Finnovate.

Hyundai Motor Group zeroed in on a different dimension: the ability to move AI beyond software and into actual business results. "We are excited to support Whale as it scales an enterprise AI platform that goes beyond software enablement to address real-world business operations — translating innovation into tangible business impact for customers across sales, marketing, service, and customer engagement," said Keith Noh, VP and Head of ZER01NE, Hyundai Motor Group. "As Whale deepens its presence across key global markets, we look forward to partnering with the team on its next phase of growth."

The confidence extends to Whale's earliest backers. Linear Capital has followed Jerry and the team from the beginning, and sees the momentum compounding. "We've watched Jerry and the Whale team continuously embed AI capabilities deeply into enterprise products, and their ability to evolve alongside AI has produced rapid growth in both product strength and global reach. As one of Whale's earliest investors, Linear Capital looks forward to seeing Whale emerge as a global leader in enterprise AI," said Zheng Can, Managing Director, Linear Capital.

About Whale

Whale is an enterprise AI company building the AI Operating System for enterprise operations. Its platform — SpaceSight (physical space intelligence), Echo (voice and audio intelligence), Lume (content distribution), Alivia (intelligent agent and workflow execution), Harbor (knowledge management and compliance), and Novus (AI infrastructure and governance) — is built on Whale's proprietary Business World Model (BWM), an AI model designed for physical environments the way large language models were designed for text. Together, these products deliver a complete intelligence loop from physical sensing to autonomous execution across retail, automotive, F&B, manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and fashion and apparel.

AI to Power Enterprise Operations | meetwhale.ai

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Whale Raises $40M Series C3 Extension, Bringing Total Series C to $100M, to Scale Global Enterprise AI Operations

AUSTIN, Texas, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Saronic today announced it has selected Brownsville, Texas as the future home of Port Alpha, its next-generation shipyard designed to help restore American maritime strength and significantly expand the nation's shipbuilding capacity.

The announcement marks a major milestone in Saronic's mission to restore U.S. shipbuilding capacity at scale. First introduced as a vision for the future of maritime manufacturing, Port Alpha now moves from concept to reality through a planned investment of more than $3 billion that aims to establish one of the most advanced shipyards in the world, built for software-defined shipbuilding and autonomous maritime systems.

The project is expected to generate more than $160 billion in regional economic impact for Cameron County and $264.5 billion for the State of Texas, while creating up to 10,000 direct jobs. This makes Port Alpha one of the largest economic development projects in modern Texas history. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026, with Port Alpha expected to open for operations in 2028.

The timing is pivotal. In one of his first actions in office, President Trump issued an Executive Order on Restoring America's Maritime Dominance, followed by federal initiatives such as the SHIPS for America Act and the Maritime Action Plan that call for a generational rebuild of the American shipbuilding industry. These efforts recognize that economic security and national security are inseparable, and that restoring U.S. shipbuilding capacity is essential to both. Port Alpha will expand domestic production capacity and strengthen the nation's ability to meet commercial and defense requirements while closing the widening shipbuilding gap with foreign adversaries.

"America's maritime future depends on our ability to build again," said Dino Mavrookas, Co-Founder and CEO of Saronic. "Port Alpha is our commitment to that mission. Built from the ground up to deliver ships at a speed and scale not seen since World War II, this investment is about more than constructing a shipyard. It is about rebuilding the industrial capacity, workforce, and manufacturing advantage required to ensure American maritime leadership for decades to come. The state of Texas and city of Brownsville give us the foundation to turn that vision into reality."

Following a year-long nationwide search evaluating sites across the East, West, and Gulf Coasts, Brownsville was selected after a rigorous review of workforce availability, infrastructure readiness, land scale, logistics, and expansion potential. Initially situated on 835 acres at the Port of Brownsville, with the opportunity to expand to nearly 4,400 acres, Port Alpha will encompass a shipyard and manufacturing facility capable of producing vessels up to 850-ft. Future site expansion could support the production of vessels over 1,200 ft. The site provides hundreds of acres of waterfront access, deepwater channel connectivity, multimodal logistics infrastructure, and room for long-term expansion—everything required to anchor a next-generation shipbuilding hub.

"Today marks history with the announcement of the most advanced shipyard in the entire world," said Governor Abbott. "When this shipyard gets fully built out, there will be about 10,000 employees. Saronic is going to be providing about $750 million in annual paychecks to Texans. That's game-changing for the population of Texas. As Governor, I'm proud that Saronic calls Texas home."

Over the next decade, Port Alpha is expected to create up to 10,000 high-quality direct jobs spanning skilled trades such as welding and machining to advanced roles in robotics, software engineering, and naval architecture. The project aligns with national calls to rebuild the maritime workforce pipeline, creating new opportunities for skilled workers at the intersection of shipbuilding and advanced technology. Saronic will collaborate with the State of Texas, Cameron County, and local educational institutions – from regional technical colleges to leading State universities and institutions – to develop workforce training and apprenticeship programs designed to sustain long-term industrial growth and position South Texas as a center of excellence for advanced maritime manufacturing.

Port Alpha builds on Saronic's expanding shipbuilding footprint. In early 2025, the company acquired a shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, where it is investing $300 million to add 300,000 square feet of production capacity. That facility will continue producing Saronic's 180-foot Marauder autonomous vessel, which was designed and launched in less than one year. Together, these facilities represent a multi-billion-dollar private capital commitment to restoring American shipbuilding capacity, advancing autonomous maritime systems, and strengthening the nation's industrial resilience.

More than a shipyard, Port Alpha represents a new model for American shipbuilding—combining advanced manufacturing, software-defined production, and autonomy at unprecedented scale. To sustain that edge, Saronic is forging strategic partnerships with leading manufacturers, emerging shipbuilding technology providers, and premier suppliers, ensuring that the latest capabilities continuously strengthen and inform Port Alpha's production architecture alongside Saronics' in-house expertise. In doing so, Port Alpha embodies the transformation envisioned in national maritime strategy, one that leverages technology to strengthen deterrence, resilience, and operational flexibility. As construction advances, Saronic will continue working with federal, state, and local partners to establish the industrial foundation required for the next generation of maritime power in America.

Contact: press@saronic.com

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Saronic to Build Port Alpha, America's Next Generation Shipyard, in Brownsville, Texas