Zycus Horizon SEA 2025 Champions Agentic AI as the Future of Procurement
Zycus’ flagship conference in Southeast Asia concluded with strong momentum, bringing together senior procurement leaders from across the region. The two-day event, held on April 23-24, 2025, at the Lexis Hibiscus in Port Dickson, Malaysia, spotlighted real-world applications of Agentic AI and strategic transformation across Source-to-Pay (S2P) processes.
In his keynote address, Zycus Founder & CEO Aatish Dedhia emphasized that “Agentic AI isn’t aspirational – it’s operational. Procurement is now poised to lead enterprise transformation through intelligent orchestration and deep data integration.” This perspective was backed by analyst insights from IDC’s Patrick Reymann, who highlighted why intake is emerging as procurement’s next value frontier.
Leaders from prominent organizations such as JG Summit, DRB-HICOM, Aboitiz Power, BDO Bank, and Telekom Malaysia shared their experiences on how Agentic AI is reshaping intake, risk management, and stakeholder collaboration. The discussions were enriched by fireside chats with thought leaders from PASIA, CIPS, Microsoft, IBM, and other industry experts.
The conference featured live demos of Merlin Agentic Platform and Merlin Intake Agent, along with working forums like the AI Council and Key User Advisory Forum. The event extended beyond the conference rooms to include curated experiences such as beachside receptions and a drone-lit Gala Awards Night.
The event also saw the launch of CPONext: SEA Edition, highlighting Southeast Asia’s rising procurement stars, and the debut of The Merlin Times, a Hackett-led publication on Agentic AI. The “AI Agent Quest” challenged attendees to shape the next wave of intelligent procurement, with the best ideas being rewarded on stage.
Thank you to our sponsors, partners, and attendees for making Horizon 2025 an unparalleled success. For those who missed the event, session replays are available at www.zycus.com. The next Horizon event will be held in the US from September 22-24 at the Ritz Carlton, Dana Point.
