Pertama vs Avensys: AI Consulting in Southeast Asia
Avensys combines AI transformation with their Hire.Train.Deploy staffing model. Pertama focuses on building your team's AI capabilities in-house. Different approaches for different needs.
Quick Comparison
AI Training & Advisory for SMB
Best For:
SMB needing hands-on AI training and implementation
End-to-end transformation with Hire.Train.Deploy
Best For:
Companies wanting AI talent placed alongside transformation
Detailed Feature Comparison
| Feature | Pertama Partners | Avensys |
|---|---|---|
| SMB Focus | Purpose-built for SMB | Enterprise and mid-market |
| Talent Staffing (Hire.Train.Deploy) | Train your existing team | Place and train external talent |
| Government Funding Support | Full support (HRDF, SkillsFuture) | Some funding awareness |
| Internal Capability Building | Upskill your existing team | Place external talent |
| Geographic Coverage | 5 SEA countries + HK | Singapore + SEA |
| Transparent Pricing | Published tier-based pricing | Custom staffing + project quotes |
Who Each Firm Serves Best
- SMB wanting to build internal AI capability
- Companies preferring to upskill existing employees
- Businesses seeking maximum government training subsidies
- Teams wanting hands-on mentoring, not external hires
- Companies needing AI talent fast (can't recruit)
- Organizations wanting external talent placed and trained
- Mid-market firms needing end-to-end staffing + transformation
- Companies wanting to outsource AI team building
Service Comparison
Different philosophies: Pertama builds your team's capabilities; Avensys places trained external talent.
| Service | Pertama | Avensys |
|---|---|---|
| AI Strategy | ||
| Team AI Training | Via placed talent | |
| Government Funding Support | ||
| Talent Staffing (Hire.Train.Deploy) | ||
| Internal Capability Building | ||
| Hands-on Implementation | ||
| Transparent Pricing |
Pricing Approach
Transparent, tier-based pricing
Three tiers for SMB budgets with government subsidy support. Build internal capability.
- Clear pricing upfront
- Government subsidies (up to 90%)
- No staffing commitments
- Capability stays in-house
Staffing + project-based pricing
Combines talent placement fees with transformation project costs.
- Pre-trained AI talent delivered to you
- No recruitment burden
- Bundled staffing + transformation
- Talent can be retained long-term
When to Choose Pertama
- You want to build AI capability within your existing team
- You prefer upskilling employees over hiring external talent
- You want to maximize government training subsidies
- You're an SMB wanting hands-on AI support
- You want transparent pricing without staffing commitments
When to Choose Avensys
- You can't recruit AI talent in your market and need it fast
- You want external AI talent placed and trained for you
- You prefer outsourcing AI team building entirely
- You need end-to-end transformation with staffing bundled
- You're comfortable with external talent embedded in your team
Frequently Asked Questions
Avensys recruits candidates, trains them in AI/tech skills, and deploys them into client organizations. This solves the AI talent shortage but means your AI capability depends on external hires rather than upskilling existing employees.
Pertama's approach (upskilling your existing team) builds deeper, more sustainable AI capability. The knowledge stays with employees who already understand your business. Avensys's approach is faster but creates dependency on external talent.
Absolutely. Some companies use Pertama to upskill their current team on AI fundamentals while using Avensys or similar staffing firms to fill specialized technical gaps. This hybrid approach can deliver both speed and sustainability.