Riyadh — A new report by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, in collaboration with Accenture, reveals that 87% of global investors intend to boost AI investments in the Global South within the next two years — with India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East identified as the primary beneficiaries.
Unveiled at FII9 in Riyadh, the report titled “Rebalancing Intelligence: How the Next Wave of AI Investment is Set to Flow South” highlights a global shift in technology capital flows. Despite representing nearly half of the world’s population and a quarter of global economic growth, the Global South currently attracts only 28% of AI-related foreign direct investment (FDI) — a small fraction of the $548 billion invested globally over the past two years.
The research surveyed 250 C-suite executives from private equity firms (40%), venture capital firms (40%), and corporate venture units (20%) across 13 countries in the Global North. It also included interviews with senior figures from leading PE, VC, and sovereign wealth funds.
Currently, there are just nine AI unicorns in the Global South, compared to 305 in the Global North, underlining the stark investment gap that the report seeks to address.
AI at the Core of Global Investment Dialogue
AI dominated this year’s FII9 agenda, with over one-third of sessions focused on its economic potential. The forum brought together tech leaders, chip manufacturers, investors, and policymakers to discuss how AI capital can drive equitable global growth.
Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute, emphasized:
“OpenAI’s recent $1 trillion chip investment commitment shows the scale of transformation ahead. We must ensure this wave lifts all boats. Bridging the AI investment divide is not just an economic opportunity — it’s a moral imperative.”
Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, added:
“AI is more than a technology—it’s a catalyst for reinvention. By investing in talent, infrastructure, and local ecosystems across the Global South, we can make innovation a driver of shared prosperity.”
Driving Inclusive AI Growth
The report marks the first milestone of the FII Institute’s ‘AI Inclusive’ initiative, aimed at accelerating AI adoption in emerging markets through targeted investments, startup support, and adaptable governance frameworks.
With capital, talent, and innovation increasingly flowing toward the Global South, the FII Institute’s findings underscore a paradigm shift in global AI dynamics, redefining how emerging economies will shape the next era of technological advancement.
