This interview originally appeared in the DealStreetAsia DATA VANTAGE report Women Founders in SE Asia: 2024 Funding Review
As Generative AI advanced globally, Tina Chopra recognised a chance to transform marketing workflows.
In an interview for a recent DealStreetAsia DATA VANTAGE report, Chopra, the co-founder and CEO of Addlly AI, shared how her startup’s AI assistants streamline repetitive tasks, enabling marketing teams to prioritise strategy, creativity, and customer engagement—if built right.
“Working closely with businesses, I saw firsthand that content creation was fragmented and resource-heavy. Companies were stuck juggling agencies, freelancers, and internal teams. We launched Addlly AI to bridge that gap,” said Chopra, in an interview for the report titled Women Founders in SE Asia: 2024 Funding Review.
Being a female entrepreneur, Chopra is well aware of the challenges women face in the tech industry, where the ‘bro culture’ often limits their access to the team and leadership positions. “We’ve made a conscious effort to ensure Addlly AI doesn’t fall into that pattern,” she said.
Fundraising, however, remains another hurdle. She cited multiple studies, revealing how women entrepreneurs still receive disproportionately low funding, particularly in Asia. The gap reflects persistent challenges in accessing capital, networks, and opportunities.
Startups with at least one female founder accounted for just 14.1% of the overall startup fundraising in Southeast Asia in 2024. Meanwhile, companies with all-women founding teams secured 33 equity funding rounds in 2024, raising a total of $94.5 million. This accounted for 5.2% of total deal volume and just 2.1% of total capital raised for the year, according to the report.
Chopra also underscored the importance of evaluating founders based on the strength of their business. “In my experience, discussions with investors have focused primarily on business fundamentals, market traction, and scalability, rather than the fact that Addlly AI is female-led. The best way to engage investors is to be data-driven, transparent, and clear on execution.”
Edited excerpts from the interview with Chopra:
What inspired you to start your own company?
My journey into entrepreneurship started with a passion for storytelling and technology. I began my career as a business journalist, covering the tech sector. Journalism taught me how to break down complex ideas into compelling narratives, a skill I carried into my next chapter, founding Script Consultants, where I worked with brands to develop marketing content.
Working closely with businesses, I saw firsthand how content creation was fragmented and resource-heavy. Companies were stuck juggling agencies, freelancers, and internal teams. When Generative AI started evolving, I saw a game-changing opportunity. If built right, AI could take over repetitive content tasks, allowing marketing teams to focus on strategy, creativity, and customer engagement. That’s why we launched Addlly AI in 2023 to bridge that gap.
At Addlly AI, we built AI Marketing Content Agents, or AI assistants that understand a brand’s strategy, voice, and market positioning. They continuously learn from market trends and help content creation across multiple formats like blogs, social media, ads, and newsletters, ensuring brands can scale without losing quality or consistency.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome them?
Building an AI company in a fast-evolving industry means you’re constantly operating in an environment where technology shifts overnight. Couple this with evolving customer expectations and the funding winter, it is a fine balancing act. One of the biggest challenges was convincing large enterprises to trust AI for something as sensitive as their brand messaging. We overcame this by building for their needs first, focusing on enterprise-grade security, compliance, and seamless integration into their existing data and past content. Being part of accelerator programmes and securing support from Microsoft, AWS, NVIDIA, BLOCK71 and IMDA also gave us credibility early on, which helped us build trust with clients and investors.
“One of the biggest challenges was convincing large enterprises to trust AI for something as sensitive as their brand messaging.”
To what extent has your experience as a female founder influenced your leadership style and approach to running your company?
The tech ecosystem tends to have a ‘bro culture’ where women don’t always get the same opportunities to be a part of the team, let alone in leadership roles. We’ve made a conscious effort to ensure Addlly AI doesn’t fall into that pattern.
“The tech ecosystem tends to have a ‘bro culture’ where women don’t always get the same opportunities.”
Our team has a strong demographic mix, with diverse backgrounds and perspectives that make us better at solving problems. We operate as a meritocracy where the best ideas win, no matter who they come from. My leadership approach is data-driven and focused on delivering real business value, rather than fitting into expectations of what a female-led company ‘should’ look like. At the end of the day, what matters is whether we’re solving a problem better than anyone else.
From your experience, what policy changes do you think are essential to creating a more balanced landscape for female entrepreneurs in the region?
The best way to level the playing field is to ensure that founders are judged purely on the strength of their business. However, women entrepreneurs still receive disproportionately low funding, a disparity particularly evident in Asia. Multiple studies, including data from the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys, indicate that female-led firms in South Asia account for only 18% of businesses, compared to the global average of 34%. This gap isn’t due to a lack of ambition or capability but reflects persistent barriers in accessing capital, networks, and opportunities.
Women entrepreneurs still receive disproportionately low funding, a disparity particularly evident in Asia
While the US ecosystem has implemented systematic efforts to establish funds for women founders, such as the Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Centers and special funds that support women founders, Asia’s ecosystem is still developing in this regard. To bridge this gap, Asia should focus on creating dedicated funding mechanisms for female entrepreneurs, alongside structured mentorship programmes and policy reforms that promote equitable access to capital. These steps are crucial to ensure that all entrepreneurs, regardless of gender, have an equal opportunity to succeed.
As a founder, how do you manage cash flow and runway in an environment where capital is getting harder to raise?
The key is painful fiscal discipline. We prioritise investments that directly drive revenue and automate wherever possible to reduce operational costs. Our pricing model is structured with upfront customisation fees, ensuring a steady cash flow while delivering long-term value for clients. We are also fortunate to have the support of IMDA and Enterprise Singapore, whose initiatives like the AI Sandbox and PSG grants have played a crucial role in enabling AI startups like ours to gain enterprise adoption and paying subscribers. These programmes help businesses de-risk AI adoption, accelerating our ability to demonstrate ROI and build a sustainable revenue model. Their backing has been instrumental in bridging the gap between innovation and commercialisation, ensuring that AI-driven solutions like Addlly AI can scale effectively in a challenging funding environment.
“We prioritise investments that directly drive revenue and automate wherever possible to reduce operational costs.”
Have investors expressed specific concerns or biases about female-led startups? How do you address them?
In my experience, discussions with investors have focused primarily on business fundamentals, market traction, and scalability, rather than the fact that Addlly AI is female-led. The best way to engage investors is to be data-driven, transparent, and clear on execution. When you demonstrate strong business growth, market fit, and revenue potential, those factors naturally take centre stage in the conversation.
“Discussions with investors have focused primarily on business fundamentals, market traction, and scalability, rather than the fact that Addlly AI is female-led.”
Did you meet female investors during your fundraising efforts, and if so, did it impact your discussions?
Yes, I’ve interacted with female investors, and while they bring diverse perspectives, my discussions with them have largely focused on scalability and market traction — just as they do with other investors. What stood out, however, was their openness in connecting founders with other entrepreneurs or investors, creating a strong network of support. Many have a keen eye for execution and revenue growth, ensuring that businesses they invest in are both scalable and sustainable.
With the rapid evolution of generative AI today in Southeast Asia, what are your key priorities and plans to enhance your products and services, and maintain a competitive edge in the market?
Our focus is on scaling product capabilities, expanding market reach, and solidifying our leadership in AI-driven marketing. We are rapidly enhancing our AI Marketing Content Agents to be more adaptive, and deeply integrated into enterprise workflows, ensuring businesses can scale content production seamlessly. Market expansion is a priority, with a strategic push into high-growth regions across Southeast Asia and MENA, where demand for localised, AI-powered content solutions is rising. As the first enterprise-grade AI content platform built for this region, we are doubling down on partnerships with Microsoft, AWS, and IMDA to maintain our competitive edge. Our traction proves the need for enterprise-ready, hyper-personalised AI solutions, and with the right investment, we are positioned to lead and define this market for years to come. The goal is simple: stay ahead by delivering AI that actually works for businesses so Addlly AI becomes the default partner for enterprise AI in Asia.
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs looking to start a business or startup in Southeast Asia today?
Build your network early. One of the biggest advantages in this region is the power of relationships whether it’s investors, corporate partners, fellow entrepreneurs or customers. Use this power of network to validate your business idea with real customers before seeking investment. Too many founders focus on pitching investors before proving demand. If you can prove traction first, the fundraising will be much easier.
