Tagged: asean

August 16, 2021 @ 6:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC), a British multinational investment bank and financial services holding company, reveals that it has committed to an agreement to acquire 100% of AXA Insurance issued share capital in Singapore for $575 million. The goal or aim of this transaction is… Read More

August 8, 2021 @ 8:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital banking challenger BigPay, which is one of the fastest-growing Fintechs in the ASEAN region, recently revealed that it has acquired $100 million in funding from South Korea’s conglomerate SK Group. As noted by its management: “BigPay [is] on a mission to challenge traditional banking… Read More

August 1, 2021 @ 11:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) recently confirmed the appointment of H.E Serey Chea, Prof. Olayinka David-West as advisors and Latha Ayyar as an independent director to its board. The ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) has been established in order to facilitate innovation and cooperation… Read More

June 17, 2021 @ 12:03 am By JD Alois  |  

The ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) has partnered with R3 to build and test central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). CBDCs have emerged as a hot topic of governmental innovation – fueled in part by the rise of stablecoins utilized as digital references of fiat currency…. Read More

May 6, 2021 @ 11:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

GHL Systems has teamed up with payments giant Visa (NYSE:V) in order to become the first in the ASEAN region to offer Visa Instalments for customers using the eGHL Payment Gateway platform. Visa Instalments works by turning pre-approved issuer credit lines into installment payment options… Read More

April 27, 2021 @ 1:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MyMy revealed on Monday (April 26, 2021) that it has obtained conditional approval for a large scheme E-money license from Bank Negara Malaysia, the nation’s central bank. The Fintech firm is now planning to launch its digital wallet services in the coming year. Until all… Read More

March 29, 2021 @ 11:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

Ripple has agreed to acquire a 40% stake in cross-border payments Fintech Tranglo, according to a public release. Tranglo, based in Malaysia but operates across Asia, reports 1300 partners having completed 20 million transactions at $4 billion in value. Tranglo claims to be one of… Read More

March 3, 2021 @ 6:30 am By Milena Naitoh  |  

The ASEAN economy is expected to become the fourth-largest economy in the world by 2030, growing at a pace of over 5% per year. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the biggest contributors to this regional growth — they account for between 89% and 99%… Read More

February 26, 2021 @ 9:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bursa Malaysia, the nation’s stock exchange, is reportedly planning to work closely with Fintech firms or other strategic business partners in order to enhance its value proposition and improve its operational efficiency. Bursa Malaysia stated that these efforts should help the exchange grow and take… Read More

February 24, 2021 @ 10:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tyme, a multinational digital banking group based in Singapore, has reportedly secured $110 million in capital through a Series B funding round. Tyme is focused on bringing foreign investments into South Africa. TymeBank aims to establish the foundation for its business expansion across ASEAN region,… Read More

December 24, 2020 @ 7:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong based ZA Tech, a technology venture launched by insurance firm ZhongAn Online and supported by the Softbank Vision Fund, has revealed that it teamed up with the holding company of digital wallet OVO. Through the partnership, both organizations will offer insurance providers in… Read More

December 23, 2020 @ 11:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Brunei’s Fintech sector continues to grow steadily due to the rising demand for digital financial services and its government’s push to encourage its residents to use modern payment methods. Brunei has the second-highest (after Singapore) human development index or HDI (which measures the overall quality… Read More

December 14, 2020 @ 9:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Four in five or 80% of Fintech companies in the ASEAN region are focused on expanding their operations following the COVID-19 outbreak. ASEAN member countries include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A report from UOB, PwC… Read More

December 10, 2020 @ 10:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore has managed to attract the highest total funding amount (at 42%) in the ASEAN region – which includes other major Southeast Asian economies such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, among others. Overall investor interest in Singapore’s Fintech companies continues to remain quite… Read More

December 7, 2020 @ 8:30 am By Amit Anand  |  

Emerging from the pandemic while other regions are still in the midst of crisis is giving the region an advantage.  The venture market in Southeast Asia has grown exponentially in the last five years but it’s not too late for LPs to dive in. While… Read More

November 29, 2020 @ 10:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

During the past few years, the Fintech sector in Thailand has grown significantly. The country is now home to at least 96 Fintech startups. Thailand’s Fintech ecosystem includes companies and businesses operating in the digital payments space, blockchain or distributed ledger tech (DLT). There are… Read More

November 29, 2020 @ 9:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Online lender IN Financial through its subsidiary Cash-IN-Asia has secured S$5 million (appr. $3.74 million) in capital via an investment round that was led by Singapore’s VC venture firm DeClout Ventures. IN Financial is a Singapore-headquartered financing platform that’s enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) and… Read More

November 5, 2020 @ 11:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

  Digital challenger banks have adopted several different business models in order to establish operations in the Fintech and banking sector. They’ve experienced a threefold growth (over 300% growth) during the past five years, according to a new report from the Singapore Fintech Association (SFA)…. Read More

September 15, 2020 @ 10:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

AMTD recently revealed that it has invested in several Fintech firms, as a part of its Singapore Solidarity Fund, under the purview of the ASEAN Solidarity Fund Group. AMTD has reportedly invested in the operations of Active.ai, Cardup, Funding Societies, PolicyPal, and Transwap. AMTD maintains… Read More

September 9, 2020 @ 9:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Vietnam reportedly doesn’t have enough skilled professionals needed to support the growth of the nation’s Fintech focused economy. The Southeast Asian country is home to more than 96 million residents, making it the world’s 15th most populous nation. Its GDP stands at around $250 billion…. Read More