Across Southeast Asia, video has become the language of the internet. Audiences scroll, swipe and consume visual content at a pace that challenges even the most resourceful publishers and marketers. For startups in Taipei looking to enter these fast-moving markets, breaking in requires more than a good idea. It requires cultural fluency, trusted local partners and a front-row view of how regional audiences behave online.
Taipei City’s Global Pass initiative was designed with this reality in mind. The programme gives founders a way to step directly into new markets, test their products with real users and build the relationships that shape sustainable international growth. GliaCloud is one of the companies taking full advantage of this opportunity. How did this Taiwan-based AI video startup use Global Pass to immerse itself in Thailand’s vibrant digital ecosystem?
GliaCloud as an AI video creation partner
GliaCloud helps publishers, marketers and e-commerce brands turn text and data into high quality, impactful video content at scale. According to co-founder and COO Agnes Peng, the company solves a growing challenge in Asia where “the demand for video content is exploding, but professional video production is still expensive, time consuming and requires specialised skills.”
Their suite of tools streamlines the entire process. First, GliaNetwork automatically converts daily articles into video summaries for news publishers. Next, GliaDirector supports enterprises that need hundreds of branded videos. Another tool is GliaCommerce, which specialises in product videos and A/B tested creatives that drive measurable business performance.
Peng emphasises that GliaCloud’s differentiation lies in its focus on outcomes. “We are an outcome based platform. Video creation has to be tied to engagement, conversions and business impact,” she said. In many ways, GliaCloud grows alongside the industries it serves.
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Using Global Pass to build presence and gather market insights
Recently, GliaCloud leveraged the Global Pass programme in Thailand. Their team gained access to physical meeting spaces, partner introductions and networking events that would otherwise be difficult without a local office.
“The programme gave us a physical environment to meet partners, get spontaneous feedback and have real conversations,” Peng explained. “It’s very different from just searching online or doing remote calls. For video solutions, cultural understanding is everything.”
Because video performance varies dramatically across Southeast Asia, in-person exposure was crucial. Peng noted that “every market in Southeast Asia is different. People think of the region as one block, but it is actually many cultures with different habits, tastes and content preferences, especially in video.”
This included discovering insights such as local colour preferences, content pacing, and audience behaviour unique to Thai platforms.
Strengthening traction in Thailand’s media and e-commerce ecosystem
GliaCloud already works with over a hundred publishers in Thailand. Peng shared that many of Thailand’s well known digital outlets use GliaNetwork, noting that “they produce thousands of articles every day, and we help curate the top stories into video summaries with monetisation built in.”
GliaCloud is now moving deeper into Thailand’s e-commerce market with Global Pass support. “E-commerce is huge in Southeast Asia, and video has become essential for online buying behaviour,” Peng said. “But many brands don’t know how to measure whether a video is actually good. They struggle with digital literacy, data analysis and A/B testing.”
Their team is returning to Thailand to conduct more field research and explore proof of concept projects. “We want to understand what types of videos really work for Thai consumers. We need real market feedback to help brands improve their results,” she added.
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Expansion across Southeast Asia
Beyond Thailand, GliaCloud already has customers in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Across Asia, it serves over 2,000 publishers. Japan remains its largest market, but Peng said the company sees strong long term potential in Southeast Asia, especially for its e-commerce solutions.
A key part of GliaCloud’s strategy is cultural localisation. “AI models today don’t fully understand local culture,” Peng said. “If you ask a model to generate something in a Taiwanese or Filipino style, it often creates a Western version of it by default. We collect cultural data so our videos reflect real local tastes and user scenarios.”
Her long term vision is to empower organisations across the region to create effective video content at scale. “We want to help publishers and marketers use AI in a way that leads to measurable business results,” Peng concluded. “That has always been our focus.”
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The e27 team produced this article sponsored by the Taipei City Government
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Featured Image Credit: GliaCloud
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