Imagine it is 2026, a semiconductor plant in Penang, Malaysia, is running at peak efficiency—not because of more workers, but because of agentic AI.
Autonomous digital agents, each with its own goals, context, and decision rights, now orchestrate production lines, dynamically rerouting workflows when a machine malfunctions or a shipment is delayed. These aren’t rule-based bots—they reason, collaborate, and learn.
In Vietnam, agentic AI forecasts monsoon-driven port congestion weeks in advance, renegotiating logistics routes with shipping partners via API, without human intervention(but with human oversight). Across ASEAN, supply chains are no longer merely reactive; they are now anticipatory.
For COOs, this is transformative. Agentic AI slashes unplanned downtime by up to 50%, optimises inventory in real time, and ensures compliance across fragmented regional regulations. Imagine AI agents acting as autonomous supply chain managers—balancing cost, carbon, and speed across Thailand, Indonesia, and India.
The future isn’t just automation—it’s intelligent agency. Leading manufacturers are already piloting multi-agent systems that simulate, make decisions, and take action. The question is no longer if you adopt agentic AI, but how fast you can scale it. The next competitive edge is self-driving operations.
Beyond the hype of agentic AI
Gartner’s recent forecasts serve as a sobering reality check amidst the growing enthusiasm surrounding agentic AI. Over 40% of agentic AI projects are projected to be cancelled by the end of 2027, driven by accelerating project costs, unclear business value, and insufficient risk controls.
Anushree Verma
“Most agentic AI projects right now are early-stage experiments or proof of concepts that are mostly driven by hype and are often misapplied. This can blind organisations to the real cost and complexity of deploying AI agents at scale, stalling projects from moving into production,” says Anushree Verma, senior director analyst at Gartner.
A January 2025 Gartner poll revealed only 19% of surveyed organisations had made significant investments in agentic AI, with a further 42% limiting their exposure to conservative pilot projects.
Alarmingly, “agent washing”—where vendors rebrand conventional bots or digital assistants as ‘agentic AI’—is rife, with Gartner estimating only about 130 genuine agentic AI vendors among thousands. As COOs, cutting through this noise is paramount.
Embrace no-code agent platforms
“You can get started with agentic AI today, and you don’t need to code everything manually. There are no-code platforms that allow product teams and operating teams to create, manage and deploy agents simply by setting parameters and objectives.” Tony Tay
Tony Tay, founder and CEO ofAgileAlgo, emphasises that no-code agent platformsare lowering the barrier for adoption. For COOs under pressure to digitalise without ballooning IT headcount, this represents a seismic shift.
By democratising access, business and ops teams can prototype, refine and launch AI agents targeted at operational pain points—without waiting for scarce data scientists.
Prioritise business value delivery
Gartner cautions against falling for vendor hyperbole or applying agentic AI indiscriminately. Significant returns are reserved for projects that clearly “enhance resource efficiency, automate complex tasks and introduce new business innovations, beyond the capabilities of scripted automation bots and virtual assistants.”
Tony Tay
“Chief operating officers care about business outcomes. They want to see ROI quickly: faster order fulfilment, fewer manual errors, lower costs, 24×7 customer support, those kinds of measurable results.” Tony Tay
Aligning agent use cases with real business challenges—such as supply chain disruptions, regulatory compliance, or scaling customer service—will determine project success.
Gartner recommends deploying agentic AI only where a clear ROI or competitive advantage is evident, especially given the risks of scope creep and costly system integrations.
Evolution, not replacement, of workflow
“Agentic AI doesn’t just automate tasks—it reasons, plans, and adapts to goals. If you drop agents into a legacy process, you end up with more headaches. You need to reimagine how things are done from the ground up.” Tony Tay
Integrating AI agents with legacy environments can disrupt existing workflows and necessitate substantial system modifications. The most successful implementations involve rethinking processes to capitalise on agentic autonomy, from dynamic routing in logistics to real-time inventory optimisation.
Build Developer and Domain-Specialised Agents
While no-code platforms are essential for rapid operational deployment, COOs also need flexibility for complex, enterprise-specific scenarios.
Tay comments that for more complex problems—like fraud detection or dynamic pricing—”you need developer agent platforms. They let you build deep, custom agents that integrate with your systems and data sources.”
He cites the example of within the sectors like banking or healthcare, domain-specialised agents are critical. “They understand the regulations, the data formats, the nuances unique to that industry,” he observes.
This dual approach of balancing ease of use for most business needs with deep customisability for mission-critical processes empowers COOs to deliver consistent performance improvements across all layers of their operations.
Agentic AI drives autonomy and efficiency
By 2028, Gartner predicts that at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024. A third of enterprise software applications will include agentic AI capabilities, radically shifting how companies operate and innovate.
Tay believes that the difference is autonomy. “Traditional automation follows rules. Agentic AI pursues outcomes. It makes choices along the way, even in situations it hasn’t seen before,” he concludes.
This transition from rigid automation to autonomous, outcome-driven agents gives COOs unparalleled levers to simultaneously reduce costs, enhance service quality, accelerate cycle speed, and maximise operational scalability.
Prepare for enterprise-scale risks and rewards
Despite the immense potential, Gartner warns that delivering enterprise value from agentic AI requires a strategic approach.
“To get real value from agentic AI, organisations must focus on enterprise productivity, rather than just individual task augmentation,” says Verma.
For COOs, this means:
Start with high-ROI domains, such as logistics, compliance, or customer engagement.
Invest in skills and governance to manage AI risk, costs and outcomes.
Demand transparency from vendors about what ‘agentic’ means, avoiding solution rebranding and hype.
Build agile pilot teams to iterate, assess and scale successful agentic use cases rapidly.
Agentic AI survival blueprint for COOs
In summary, agentic AI is fast becoming not just a competitive advantage but a necessity for business survival in Asia’s digital race.
COOs who champion a transparent, disciplined approach—balancing innovation with ROI discipline, starting small yet aiming for scale, and building both business-user and developer agent capabilities—will win.
“In this AI race, the only path to survival is to embrace agentic capabilities. You cannot afford to wait. The window to get ahead is now.” Tony Tay
Click on the PodChats player to discover Tay’s approach to harnessing the power of agentic AI to drive your next-generation automation strategies.
Please give us a brief about AgileAlgo.
To what extent is agentic AI a good fit for process operations?
Which functions or workflows are the biggest candidates for autonomous agent-driven transformation?
What new skills or roles should we develop among our workforce to maximise human-AI collaboration?
What measurable ROI have early adopters in Asia achieved after implementing agentic automation?
What human oversight is necessary to maintain trust and accountability in automated decisions?
Gartner predicts that by 2027, 40% of organisations will have failed Agentic AI projects. Other analysts estimate that up to 70% of current systems are hybrid and may be tied to a legacy system. How do we ensure agentic AI solutions integrate smoothly with existing IT and business systems?
With technology refreshes occurring faster than in the past, how do you envision agentic AI reshaping core operational processes over the next 12–24 months?
What is your advice for COOs and other functional leaders, who may work closely with the CIO and IT teams, on optimising and improving their use of agentic AI technologies?
As for CFOs, how should they approach the adoption of agentic AI?
What you signed up for five years ago is not what the business expects of you today,” Jonathan Rickard told the NZ CIO Summit in Auckland.
Rickard, chief technology officer Microsoft CX at Fusion5, says AI has pushed CIOs from back-office tech management into front-line strategic leadership. Their job is no longer about implementation alone but about steering digital transformation across the business.
Today’s CIOs are now more involved in business areas such as innovation and revenue-generating initiatives. He says: “It’s no longer a matter of just keeping the lights on.”
CIO is an evolving role
More change is on the way with the CIO role becoming a people-focused, innovation-driven position. There is a strong emphasis on culture and measurable business outcomes.
Rickard quoted research to support this view. Following this year’s Sydney CIO Summit, attendees were asked about their roles. Nearly half, 47 percent, say they focus on innovation and strategy. That’s double the number (23 percent) who said the same five years ago.
The survey shows a majority of CIOs (85 percent) are involved in new revenue opportunities and a similar number (84 percent) say they have greater influence on business decisions.
For Rickard, AI is a general-purpose technology that changes everything. He says some skepticism is understandable; only recently CIOs were told they would be leading their businesses into the metaverse by now.
Instead, he compares AI with the steam engine, the internet, and smartphones. Each of these began with hype, which led to a negative reaction before the technologies were accepted and broadly adopted.
Real gains from intensity of use
What made the difference in each case was the intensity of use. Companies that merely swapped out old tools for new ones saw modest gains. Those that embedded the technology deeply into their processes and business models reaped outsized rewards. Rickard says the same will apply to AI: the real benefits will go to organisations that use it imaginatively and pervasively, not just at the margins.
Troy Gerber, CTO conversational AI and Copilot at Fusion5, says: “In the next two years, 30 percent of our workforce will be digital agents. They’re not going to be replacing people. They’ll be working alongside people.”
Gerber says CIOs will be responsible for integrating these digital agents into the workforce and ensuring they work alongside human employees.
Pressure as expectations increase
This will bring pressure as businesses will expect their AI investments to increase productivity. “The target is to gain two hours per employee every week. It will fall on CIOs to ensure the AI tools are not just implemented, but that they realise the expected gains”.
In addition to dealing with digital employees, he says CIOs will also be asked to help build the talented culture within organisations that is ready and able to leverage the AI technologies as they are rolled out. The responsibility that once resided in an HR department will shift to the CIO.
CIOs are widely expected to take ownership of innovation within a business. Gerber says the way this works will change.
In the past, CIOs rolled out tools and applied guardrails in an orderly process. Now, innovation bubbles up from staff. In many cases, they might adopt consumer-style AI tools (such as ChatGPT) first before looking for support.
Responsive to employee demands
Gerber says the CIO role here will be to respond to demand from employees and shape secure, scalable platforms around it.
This happened in the past with mobile phones. At first, they were telco or phone manufacturer-controlled. Then the smartphone arrived, and we shifted to the app-store-driven model. AI is going through the same change.
These changes are not abstract. Gerber says Fusion5 is going through the process in its own business. “We think of ourselves as a frontier firm: We live that every day, and we take it to our customers.
“Everyone in our organisation has to be AI literate. It’s mandatory. Staff have to go to our monthly AI training. We had a staff meeting last week where we showed a slide featuring our new joiners, and then we had a slide showing the new AI agents that had joined our organisation.”
He says there were eight of them, and they were featured because they are integral to the business. “We don’t bolt AI onto our solutions; it is part of our strategy.”
By showing staff the newcomers, they are able to see where they can be used in the company’s workflow.
Leading teams that mix humans and AI agents requires new leadership styles. That means listening, asking questions, and encouraging participation, not traditional command-and-control.
Gerber likes to quote Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who says success comes from strategic vision with executional discipline. “Success in the AI era belongs to those who can match strategic vision with executional discipline.”
Transatlantic Partnership Accelerates Wound Care Innovation
PHOENIX, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — BioLab Holdings, Inc., a Phoenix-based medical manufacturer specializing in wound care products, is proud to announce its strategic investment and commercialization partnership with cureVision, a breakthrough digital wound care company using optical sensors, 3D imaging and artificial intelligence, to revolutionize wound analysis and diagnosis.
Scott Swonger (BioLab CFO), Johannes Ruopp, (cureVision Founder and Managing Director), Jaime Leija (BioLab President and Co-Founder)
cureVision, a Germany-based health tech startup, empowers clinicians to conduct fast, contact-free wound assessments, delivering comprehensive insights in less than two minutes. Certified under the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR), the intuitive system streamlines measurement, analysis, and documentation—helping healthcare professionals to track healing progress while reducing manual workload. With its expertise in advanced optical imaging solutions, the company follows its vision to provide a single source of truth for wound assessment while ensuring data integrity to support seamless collaboration and integration across care teams.
“This partnership with cureVision reflects our commitment to advancing clinically differentiated technologies that fit into our larger goal for a more comprehensive and effective continuum of care,” said BioLab President Jaime Leija. “We’re excited to support cureVision’s entry into the U.S. market and help bring this transformative solution to providers and patients nationwide.”
Both partners anticipate that introducing cureVision to American healthcare will have a meaningful impact on patients and providers alike: “cureVision is putting advanced technologies to work so providers can focus on what matters most: the patient. We are excited to showcase our technology via BioLab’s outstanding network and presence in the U.S.” said Richard Fobo, CEO of cureVision.
“We see immense potential in cureVision’s AI-driven technologies to transform wound care workflows,” said BioLab Chief Science Officer Dr. Carlos Encinas. “By combining their advanced imaging capabilities with our clinical expertise and distribution network, we’re accelerating a smarter, more efficient future for wound management.”
BioLab’s investment will support cureVision’s regulatory pathway and reimbursement strategy in the U.S., while also providing commercialization support through BioLab’s national distribution network.
“cureVision’s technology represents a leap forward in wound care diagnostics,” said BioLab Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marshall Medley. “By enabling a fast point-of-care-assessment, it empowers clinicians to provide more accurate wound documentation and improve treatment decision-making. We’re proud to support a solution that aligns so closely with our mission to improve patient outcomes.”
As part of the partnership, cureVision will gain access to the U.S.’s voice of the customer insights from distributors, providers, and patients, as well as guidance from BioLab’s medical advisory group led by Dr. Marshall Medley. Under the tagline “Two Missions, One Vision,” the companies aim to deliver comprehensive wound care that benefits patients, providers, and payers alike.
About BioLab Holdings, Inc. BioLab Holdings, Inc. is a Phoenix-based medical manufacturer specializing in wound healing. Its products—including Membrane Wrap – Lite™, Tri-Membrane Wrap™, Membrane Wrap™, and Membrane Wrap – Hydro™—use human tissue allograft derived from amniotic membrane to provide structural tissue for wound protection. BioLab’s mission is to manufacture reliable and safe products with the highest quality to help optimize body performance through continuous innovation, education, superior customer service, and teamwork.
About cureVision cureVision GmbH is a Germany-based health tech startup dedicated to improving wound care through artificial intelligence and advanced sensor technology. The company is supported by the Luminate program in Rochester, NY—an accelerator for world-class optics and photonics startups—and is an alumnus of the German Accelerator US Market Access program. cureVision’s solutions are certified medical devices in Europe and are available in several European countries.
In the race to power the AI revolution, Credo Technology (CRDO) has emerged as a standout contender, leveraging its leadership in active electrical cables (AECs) and optical interconnects to capitalize on the explosive demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity. With FY2026 shaping up as a pivotal year, investors are scrutinizing whether CRDO can sustain its hypergrowth trajectory amid intensifying competition and macroeconomic headwinds.
Financials: A Story of Explosive Growth
Credo’s Q1 2026 results, reported on August 2, 2025, underscore its meteoric rise. Revenue surged to $223.1 million, a 274% year-over-year increase and 31% sequential growth, far outpacing the $190.63 million Wall Street consensus [1]. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.52 crushed estimates of $0.35, while non-GAAP net income ballooned to $98.3 million from $7 million in the prior-year period [1]. The company’s gross margin of 67.6% reflects operational discipline, and its cash reserves of $479.6 million provide a buffer for R&D and strategic expansion [2].
Looking ahead, CRDO’s Q2 2026 guidance of $230–240 million revenue—well above the $199 million analyst consensus—signals confidence in maintaining momentum [1]. This performance positions Credo as one of the fastest-growing semiconductor plays in the AI infrastructure space.
Strategic Positioning: AEC and Optical Markets as Growth Engines
Credo’s dominance in AECs is a cornerstone of its strategy. These cables, which offer 100x greater reliability than laser-based optical solutions and superior signal integrity over direct-attach copper (DACs), are becoming indispensable in AI data centers [3]. The company’s system-level approach—owning SerDes IP, retimer ICs, and production—enables rapid innovation cycles and cost efficiency. For instance, its PCIe Gen6 AECs for scale-up AI networks have driven triple-digit sequential growth in Q4 2025 [3].
The optical market is another growth catalyst. Credo’s recent 800G transceiver design win and development of ultra-low-power 100G-per-lane DSPs position it to double optical revenue in FY2026 [4]. Management’s focus on 3-nanometer 200G-per-lane DSPs further underscores its commitment to setting industry standards for power efficiency [4].
Customer Diversification and IP Strength
While Credo’s Q3 2025 revenue was heavily skewed toward Microsoft (86% of total), the company is actively diversifying its customer base. Three hyperscalers now contribute >10% of quarterly revenue, and two additional clients are in qualification [5]. This shift mitigates concentration risk while aligning with the broader trend of hyperscalers investing in AI infrastructure.
Credo’s intellectual property (IP) moat is equally formidable. Its proprietary SerDes technology and end-to-end control of the connectivity stack create barriers to entry. As CEO Bill Brennan noted in the Q1 2026 earnings call, “Our IP leadership allows us to define the next generation of interconnect standards” [6]. This advantage is critical in markets where differentiation hinges on power efficiency and reliability.
Market Tailwinds: AI Infrastructure as a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Opportunity
The AI data center market is projected to grow at a 31.6% CAGR, expanding from $236.44 billion in 2025 to $933.76 billion by 2030 [7]. Credo’s AEC and optical solutions are directly aligned with this demand, particularly in scale-up AI clusters requiring high-capacity, low-latency interconnects. Meanwhile, the optical interconnect market is forecasted to grow at 12.6–13.5% CAGR, reaching $35.3–49 billion by 2030 [8].
Risks and Competitive Dynamics
Despite its strengths, Credo faces challenges. Its 0.63% market share in semiconductors pales against giants like Broadcom (82.71%) and Marvell (9.05%), though its niche focus on AI infrastructure offers a path to outperformance [9]. Macro risks include potential softening in AI spending and supply chain bottlenecks. However, Credo’s diversified customer pipeline and R&D investments in PCIe retimers and 400G ports provide growth levers [5].
Conclusion: A High-Conviction Bet on Next-Gen Infrastructure
Credo Technology’s combination of record-breaking financials, proprietary IP, and strategic alignment with AI-driven connectivity trends makes it a compelling high-growth play. While risks such as customer concentration and competitive pressures persist, the company’s innovation pipeline and market positioning suggest it is well-equipped to sustain hypergrowth in FY2026 and beyond. For investors seeking exposure to the AI infrastructure boom, CRDO represents a rare blend of scalability and technical differentiation.
Source: [1] Credo Technology shares soar as Q1 earnings crush expectations [https://finance.yahoo.com/news/credo-technology-shares-soar-q1-211527224.html] [2] Credo Technology Group (CRDO) AI Growth and Revenue Projections [https://www.monexa.ai/blog/credo-technology-group-crdo-surges-with-ai-data-ce-CRDO-2025-07-28] [3] Credo Bets Big on AEC Business: Will It Deliver Sustainable Growth? [https://finance.yahoo.com/news/credo-bets-big-aec-business-141500129.html] [4] Contradictions Emerge on Optical DSP Market, AECs, and Customer Concentration [https://www.ainvest.com/news/credo-q1-2026-earnings-call-contradictions-emerge-optical-dsp-market-aecs-customer-concentration-supply-chain-constraints-2509/] [5] Credo Technology (CRDO): AI Growth, Risks, and Market Opportunities [https://www.monexa.ai/blog/credo-technology-crdo-ai-growth-risks-and-market-o-CRDO-2025-03-06] [6] Credo Technology Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript [https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2025/09/03/credo-crdo-q1-2026-earnings-call-transcript/] [7] AI Data Center Global Research Report 2025–2030 [https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-data-center-global-research-091100406.html] [8] Optical Interconnect Market Size, Outlook 2025–2030 [https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/optical-interconnect-market] [9] CRDO’s Market Share Relative to Competitors [https://csimarket.com/stocks/competitionSEG2.php?code=CRDO]
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