Asia

February 13, 2025 @ 10:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) announced that a new entity will be set up to consolidate the administration and governance of the city-state’s national payment schemes in a concerted effort to “position these schemes for the… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 9:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tabby, the MENA’s financial services and shopping app, has reportedly raised $160 million in a Series E round at “a $3.3 billion valuation.” The latest investment round was led by existing investors Blue Pool Capital and Hassana Investment Company, and also drew “additional participation from… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 12:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

Zeta, a banking tech platform, is sharing a new valuation for $50 million in funding. Zeta says pre-money valuation hit $2 billion compared to their prior valuation fo $1.15 billion at their last priced round. The prior round in 2021 was led by Soft Bank, but… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 9:58 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group set out new priorities to bolster sustainable finance in Hong Kong, focusing on sustainability disclosures, transition finance, and green fintech development, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said. The Steering Group, jointly led by the HKMA and… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 9:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

ION, a global enabler of trading, analytics, treasury, and risk management solutions for capital markets, commodities, and treasury management, announces that it is an empaneled vendor with the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE). This milestone registers ION’s Fidessa trading platform for “equities, futures and… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 8:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Mambu has recently announced the “success” of its partnership with Money DD, which is a subsidiary of the Government Savings Bank (GSB) of Thailand. The partnership has supported the launch of the “Good Money” application, offering opportunities for “underserved” Thai citizens. The app has been… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 9:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has completed its migration to cloud-native architecture using ZERO footprint topology, becoming the first Islamic bank globally to do so. Additionally, ADIB is reportedly the first bank in the UAE / GCC region to implement Swift’s Alliance Cloud platform. This… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tabby, a UAE-based buy now, pay later (BNPL) player, has reportedly hired banks to prepare for an eventual initial public offering (IPO). The company is said to be in talks with HSBC, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley for a public offering in Saudi Arabia, potentially in… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 9:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Payd, a Malaysian fintech specializing in Earned Wage Access (EWA) solutions, has reportedly raised a $400,000 seed extension round from A2D Ventures, Orbit Startups, and AngelSpark. This investment will now aim to accelerate Payd’s mission to enhance the financial well-being of employees across Southeast Asia…. Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 5:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PolicyStreet, an insurtech based in Malaysia, is shifting gears with the launch of its customer loyalty program, Drive+ Membership. Designed to put Malaysian drivers in the “fast lane” of savings and convenience, the Drive+ membership features benefits such as “an 80% discount on road tax,… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 8:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A recent report by CBInsights reveals the shifting landscape of corporate venture capital (CVC), with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), early-stage deals, and a decline in investment activity in Asia. CBInsights revealed in the research report that during 2024, global CVC-backed funding rebounded… Read More

February 9, 2025 @ 8:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

TS Imagine, the cross-asset provider of trading, portfolio, and risk management solutions for financial institutions, is announcing that Y-Intercept has chosen RiskSmart +, an integrated solution for risk and portfolio management, to support the firm’s growth. Y-Intercept, a Hong Kong-based quantitative investment firm specializing in… Read More

February 9, 2025 @ 12:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

According to recent research by UnaFinancial, the total volume of Asian Fintech transactions reached $16.8 trillion in 2024, marking an increase of $2.1 trillion from the previous year. The report noted that Asia accounted for 48.2% of the global fintech volume, which totaled $34.8 trillion… Read More

February 7, 2025 @ 9:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Digital asset firm Hex Trust has received “strategic” funding from Morgan Creek Digital in advance of a forthcoming Series C funding round. Other investors were said to also have participated in the funding. Hex did not disclose the details of the investment but shared that… Read More

February 6, 2025 @ 9:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore’s banking industry is facing an “unprecedented” challenge as the number of clients abandoning banks due to “slow and inefficient onboarding practices” has surged to record levels, according to research from Fenergo, a global firm focused on client lifecycle management (CLM), Know your Customer (KYC)… Read More

February 6, 2025 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Thai financial market solutions firm ThaiQuest has agreed a multi-year partnership with SIX, the financial data and market infrastructure provider, to access market data from SIX and enhance its financial information business. As explained in the announcement, ThaiQuest will gain access to the SIX financial… Read More

February 5, 2025 @ 9:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Eastnets, a global firm enabling and supporting compliance, payments, and cloud solutions, has launched a SWIFT Service Bureau in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Designed to empower institutions with compliant solutions, the Eastnets KSA Service Bureau delivers seamless SWIFT connectivity, cloud-enabled operations, and “adherence… Read More

February 4, 2025 @ 10:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

JPX Market Innovation & Research, (JPXI), a provider of Japan’s financial market data, and Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, announced a partnership in order to disseminate data over Snowflake’s platform. Data provision via Snowflake will enable market participants to get access to JPXI’s data… Read More

February 3, 2025 @ 8:56 am By Michael Wong  |  

Crowdfunding is emerging as a viable capital-raising tool for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines, generating over P2 billion (about $34 million) in fresh funds for small businesses, industry sources said. The growth comes as 361 companies have tapped licensed crowdfunding intermediaries… Read More

February 2, 2025 @ 5:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

ADGM, the UAE capital’s international financial centre, has officially launched its all-in-one mobile App, which is set to redefine how businesses, employees, and residents engage within the financial district. Designed to streamline connectivity, the app reportedly provides seamless access to various tools and services, “enhancing… Read More