As AI commercialisation accelerates, the overseas operating needs of AI companies are evolving — from the initial stages of company incorporation, bank account opening and tax planning toward more complex cross-border business structuring and financial management. This shift was central to Lotusia Group's participation in the Landmark AI Summit.
On 23 October 2026, the Landmark AI Summit (Beijing) was held at Haidian Park, Beijing, as part of the 2026 AI Creators Carnival (ACC 2026). Themed "AI Interactive Entertainment · Globalisation," the summit was initiated by DuoDuoLand and co-organised by Alibaba Cloud and other institutions, bringing together representatives from Alibaba Cloud, Google, Wondershare Technology and other companies to explore AI commercialisation, digital content going global, technological innovation and global market growth.
Lotusia Group co-organised the summit. Levia, Associate Business Director of Lotusia Group, delivered a keynote titled "From Explosive Growth to Sustainable Operations: Building a Global Compliance Foundation for AI Companies Expanding Overseas," drawing on the Group's service data and project experience to share professional insights on overseas structuring, cross-border tax and finance, intellectual property and long-term operations.
AI Commercialisation Accelerates, Fueling Overseas Expansion
From gaming, film and digital content to intelligent hardware, AI business applications are being deployed at an accelerating pace, with corresponding growth in capital investment across related sectors.
According to the 2026 AI Index Report by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Stanford HAI), global corporate AI-related investment reached US$581.69 billion in 2025, up 129.9% year-on-year (Stanford HAI, 2026). This figure encompasses private investment, corporate mergers and acquisitions, minority equity investment and public offerings.
The summit featured keynotes, panel discussions and startup showcases centred on AI entertainment, commercial monetisation and international market expansion, covering cloud technology, film and content going global, digital copyright protection and overseas user growth.
As product commercialisation accelerates, cross-border operations have become an increasingly pressing matter for technology companies. Lotusia Group's service data reflects this trend: over the past two years, the number of AI and related-industry clients it serves has doubled. Among new clients, approximately 60% are AI-related, while around 40% of existing clients have added an AI business unit. These businesses span AI applications, intelligent hardware, chips, semiconductors and data centres.
The priorities of these clients have shifted in parallel. Levia observed that companies' overseas operating needs are now extending from initial company incorporation, bank account opening and tax planning toward cross-border business structuring and financial management. Companies must clarify the contracting entity for overseas agreements, as well as revenue recognition and settlement arrangements for subscription and licensing income, while coordinating domestic R&D costs, transfer pricing for related-party transactions, intellectual property ownership and financing structures.
When R&D, commercial operations and capital settlement are distributed across multiple jurisdictions, companies must also ensure that each entity's business functions, contractual relationships and financial arrangements are mutually aligned — providing the foundation for subsequent tax compliance, financing due diligence and long-term operations.
Building the Compliance Foundation for Sustainable Growth
Addressing these shifts, Levia proposed that companies strengthen their global compliance foundation across four dimensions: regional structuring, operations management, capital arrangements and ongoing operations — beginning with a clear definition of the actual functions performed by each overseas entity.
Consider an AI character product developed in China and distributed through overseas platforms. At launch, revenue may derive primarily from in-app purchases in app stores; as the user base grows, platform revenue sharing, advertising partnerships and intellectual property (IP) licensing are layered on. Each revenue stream carries distinct contracts, settlement methods and tax treatments. Companies must therefore record platform commissions, refunds, licensing fees and actual amounts received separately, rather than consolidating multiple transaction types.
As overseas operations expand, the division of responsibilities between domestic and overseas entities must be recalibrated. Where the overseas company handles contracting and sales while the domestic team undertakes algorithm development, content production and technical support, the parties should define their respective costs, revenue and responsibilities through R&D service agreements, IP licensing and documented pricing rationale — and these arrangements must remain consistent with the business actually conducted.
At the financing stage, investors typically scrutinise a company's shareholding structure, intellectual property ownership, financial records and related-party transactions. For projects involving domestic enterprises investing in overseas entities, applicable Outbound Direct Investment (ODI) and foreign exchange procedures must also be completed in accordance with the specific transaction arrangements.
Clarifying each operating entity's business functions, capital arrangements, intellectual property ownership and boundaries of responsibility is the essential foundation for a stable cross-border operating system.
Once an overseas company is operational, a range of ongoing obligations follows. In Singapore, for example, companies must fulfil corporate secretarial duties, annual filings, tax management and local employment requirements; at the financing or market-expansion stage, banking, financial and corporate governance arrangements must also be adjusted accordingly. While these tasks may appear fragmented, they directly affect day-to-day operations, the use of funds and the smooth progression of future financing.
Singapore as a Strategic Base for Technology Companies
As the global AI industry continues to expand, Singapore is attracting a growing number of international technology companies to establish regional headquarters, R&D teams and commercial operations.
A recent representative case is the investment plan of Databricks, a data and AI platform company. On 16 September 2026, Databricks announced an investment of more than US$350 million in Singapore over the next three years (Databricks, 2026). The company plans to expand its Singapore-based technical team to more than 200 people and support over 100 startups during this period. Singapore already serves as Databricks' headquarters for Asia Pacific and Japan, overseeing regional business development, customer service and technical support.
Databricks' positioning illustrates Singapore's role in regional operations: once a company establishes its headquarters locally, it progressively builds technical talent, customer service and business partnership resources, enabling the regional business to operate sustainably.
For Chinese technology companies expanding overseas, these requirements are becoming increasingly concrete. Around the international operations of AI and related technology companies, Lotusia Group has provided overseas structuring design, financing arrangements, industry compliance and team localisation services for enterprises in digital content, gaming, embodied intelligence, robotics, AI inspection and semiconductors. Selected engagements extend to outsourced CFO services and ongoing financial management — spanning every stage from initial setup to long-term operations.
To date, Lotusia Group has served more than 3,000 corporate clients, supported over 1,000 companies in establishing a presence in Southeast Asia, and built a service network across 10 cities, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok and Dubai. Drawing on this cross-regional team and project experience, Lotusia Group connects overseas company incorporation, bank account opening, cross-border structuring, tax and financial management and post-setup operations — helping companies coordinate their business arrangements across markets.
Participation in the Landmark AI Summit has further expanded the Group's engagement with AI entrepreneurs, technology companies and industry partners. For Chinese companies going global, professional services must advance hand-in-hand with real business operations; Lotusia Group will continue to support companies across different markets and industry scenarios, from initial diagnosis and solution design through company setup, ongoing operations and resource connections.
Closing CTA:
If you are planning to set up overseas operations, establish a regional headquarters or expand cross-border trade — or if you face overseas operational and compliance challenges — speak with our expert team to learn more.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice.
