FinVolution Group will take part in the Singapore Fintech Festival 2025 from 12 to 14 November, where it will showcase its latest developments in credit technology and financial innovation and unveil new partnerships with key regional players. The company aims to engage with partners and industry peers to explore new opportunities for collaboration in credit finance. Vice President Lei Chen is scheduled to speak on 12 November at 11 a.m. at the Impact Stage in a session titled “AI-Driven Credit Evolution: Beyond Forecasting.” The presentation will examine how artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs) are moving beyond traditional forecasting to enable smarter, faster decision-making in credit finance. It will also explore how these technologies enhance user growth, fraud detection, risk assessment, and strategic operations to improve accuracy and efficiency. During the festival, FinVolution will announce new partnership and hold a signing ceremony at its booth on November 13, marking a key milestone in the company’s regional collaboration strategy. Following the ceremony, FinVolution will host a “Happy Hour” networking session at 2:30 p.m., featuring wine, light refreshments, and open discussions with industry professionals. Founded in 2007 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017, FinVolution Group operates fintech platforms across China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Pakistan. With 18 years of technology experience, the company leverages advanced credit technology and risk management capabilities to serve over 36.6 million users and works with more than 130 financial institutions worldwide. FinVolution will be exhibiting at Hall 3, Booth 3E45 at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2025.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by EyeEm via Freepik   The post FinVolution to Unveil Credit Tech Innovations and New Partnership at Singapore Fintech Festival appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mumbai-based fintech startup Snapmint has raised US$125 million in a new funding round led by US-based private equity firm General Atlantic, with participation from Elev8 Venture Partners and existing investors Prudent Investment Managers and Kae Capital. Founded in 2017 by IIT-Bombay batchmates Nalin Agrawal, Abhineet Sawa, and Anil Gelra, Snapmint has raised US$140 million to date, according to The Economic Times. Co-founder Nalin Agrawal said that around 50% of the newly raised funds will be used to capitalise the company’s in-house NBFC, with the remainder allocated to scaling up business operations. Of the total, US$115 million is primary capital, while the rest is a secondary infusion from angel investors and employees who sold shares. Nalin Agrawal “We will invest in integrating with more brands and large merchants, expand our customer base, and also scale up credit-on-UPI in a profitable manner,” Agrawal said. Snapmint allows consumers to convert their online purchases into EMIs, focusing on longer-tenure loans that include both zero-cost and interest-bearing options, while steering clear of traditional buy-now-pay-later models. “We work with around 1,500 brands including Titan, Ixigo, Wakefit and others. We offer a pure-play EMI option like a consumer durable loan which gets reported to the credit bureaus,” Agrawal added. The loans are processed via Snapmint’s own captive NBFC, which handles approximately 1.5 million EMI transactions each month. Unlike many consumer financing startups that partner with large e-commerce platforms, Snapmint collaborates directly with brands. Its EMI payment option appears at checkout on brand websites. Roughly 25% of its customers are new-to-credit, requiring underwriting through non-traditional methods. Snapmint reported ₹150 crore in revenue for FY25 and is targeting to double this figure in the current financial year. Its profit after taxes but before ESOP costs stood at ₹10 crore, according to Agrawal.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by jcomp via Freepik The post Snapmint Raises US$125M to Expand EMI Financing appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Since launch in July, Agnes AI, a Singapore-born AI platform, has garnered over 2 million registered users worldwide, with daily active users reaching 150,000 — roughly half of them from Southeast Asia. The platform is demonstrating a remarkable growth trajectory and is reshaping the competitive global AI landscape. Led by a team anchored in Singapore’s research ecosystem and founded by a Raffles Institution alumnus and National University of Singapore (NUS) AI PhD, Agnes has developed a fully proprietary 7B state-of-the-art (SOTA) model, positioning itself as a shining example of Singapore’s ambition in the global “sovereign AI” movement. The team is now preparing to train its next-generation, larger-scale model locally, alongside completing a tens of millions of dollars funding round, a key step in strengthening Singapore’s AI capabilities. From Raffles Scholar to AI Entrepreneur: The Singaporean Dream Global AI development is shifting from purely computing power competition to sovereign capability competition. From ASML’s investment in Europe’s AI company Mistral to national AI initiatives in the Middle East and Japan, countries are now prioritising local AI autonomy. Agnes’s success is grounded in Singapore’s strong talent pipeline, research culture, and engineering expertise. Founder Bruce exemplifies this pathway. After attending Raffles Institution, he pursued dual degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science at UC Berkeley, studying under a Turing Award-winning professor and graduating with high honours ahead of schedule. He later worked at Microsoft and LinkedIn, and co-founded a Silicon Valley startup that achieved over millions downloads. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bruce returned to Singapore to pursue a PhD in AI at NUS, a move that laid the foundation for Agnes. There, he rapidly built a local AI team, drawing talent from NUS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and international institutions such as MIT, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. With a local base but global perspective, the team’s mission is clear: “To build AI that originates in Singapore, serves Southeast Asia, and competes on the global stage, while strengthening Singapore’s autonomy in next-generation AI.” Explosive Growth: 2 Million Users Since Its Launch in July Since its Product Hunt launch on 4 July 2025, Agnes has achieved 2 million registered users and 150,000 DAU. Approximately 50% of users are from Southeast Asia, and the app has consistently ranked in the Top 10 productivity tools across Google Play stores in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other markets. Agnes is an all-in-one AI assistant, integrating Search, Research (Deep Research & Wide Research), AI Slides, AI Design, and Collaboration features. Its success is not due to stacking multiple tools, but to embedding AI seamlessly into productivity and creative workflows, making AI accessible for everyone. Users can move from AI research to content and slide creation in one interface, avoiding the friction of switching between apps. After generating slides, Agnes automatically creates a shared workspace, allowing team members to edit, annotate, and refine content collaboratively with AI support. “This seamless workflow addresses key productivity challenges,” a user commented. “Agnes’s speed and quality in complex tasks like slide generation outperform competitors, and team collaboration has improved several-fold.” Agnes’s functionality now spans personal, academic, and enterprise use cases. Proprietary Agnes-R1 Model Delivers SOTA Performance Powering Agnes’s seamless product experience is its fully proprietary and locally controllable AI technology stack. With Singapore’s unique advantages in geography, policy support, and talent development, Agnes stands out not only as a product company but as a research-driven innovation powerhouse. Supported by top-tier academic talent from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Agnes team demonstrates full-stack innovation capabilities from theoretical frameworks to end-to-end system implementation. Unlike many AI tools that rely heavily on overseas open-source models, Agnes chose to build its own model architecture entirely from the ground up. Its proprietary 7-billion-parameter model, Agnes-R1, has achieved State-of-the-Art (SOTA)performance among its peers. The model’s strong token efficiency, reasoning speed, and output quality have been rigorously validated across real-world commercial use cases. Designed for orchestration, research, and presentation generation, Agnes-R1 delivers SOTA-level performance on a smaller model scale while maintaining training stability and consistent reward optimization enabling scalable, cost-efficient performance gains. On multiple QA (Question Answering) benchmarks, the Agnes-R1 7B model outperformed comparable systems by 34.1%, and surpassed previous 14B models by nearly 9% on complex multi-hop reasoning tasks such as HotpotQA, all while maintaining outstanding training stability. These findings are detailed in the team’s paper “Stable and Efficient Policy Optimization for Agentic Search and Reasoning (DSPO)”, which has been submitted to ICLR 2025 and published on arXiv. Paper link Continuous Breakthroughs in Multi-Agent Research Beyond model innovation, the Agnes team has also made notable progress in multi-agent systems — a key area shaping the future of AI collaboration. Its paper, “CodeAgents: A Token-Efficient Framework for Codified Multi-Agent Reasoning in LLMs”, introduces a code-first prompting framework that enables structured and token-efficient planning in multi-agent environments. This approach provides a scalable pathway for commercialising AI collaboration systems. Paper link Another study, “ADR-Driven Development of a Multi-Agent Workspace for Productivity and Coordination,”presents an Agentic Office System (AOS) — a large-language-model-based multi-agent workspace designed to address fragmentation and coordination challenges in modern knowledge work. Paper link Meanwhile, “Toward Effective AIGC for Marketing: A Theory-Driven System Design and Empirical Evaluation”proposes a theory-based AIGC framework for marketing image generation, integrating visual marketing principles with diffusion models. Built on a multi-agent architecture — comprising prompting, generation, and evaluation agents — the system ensures diversity, authenticity, and theoretical alignment of generated marketing content. Together, these research milestones reflect Agnes’s unique position as a company bridging academic research and industrial innovation, showcasing Singapore’s growing strength in building homegrown, sovereign AI capabilities. Building Singapore’s Sovereign AI Capability Following the success of Agnes-R1, the team is now preparing to train a larger-scale next-generation model locally with NUS and NTU. Strong market growth and a high-caliber team have attracted investor interest. Agnes is completing tens of millions of dollar funding round to support model scaling and international expansion. Just as Europe invests in Mistral via ASML to develop regional AI independence, Singapore’s NAIS 2.0 strategy aims to establish the country as a global hub for AI innovation and governance. Agnes exemplifies how locally built, self-reliant AI systems can combine research, policy, and industry, contributing to Singapore’s sovereign AI ecosystem. With next-generation models underway, this Singapore-born AI rising star could redefine the global AI landscape. The post Agnes AI Surpasses 2 Million Users: Singapore’s Homegrown AI Rising Star appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Bengaluru-based fintech platform Jupiter Money has raised ₹115 crore (approx. US$13 million) in a fresh funding round from existing investors Mirae Asset Venture Investments, BeeNext, and 3one4 Capital. Founder and CEO Jitendra Gupta also contributed to the round personally. Jupiter operates a non-banking financial company (NBFC) platform, supported by direct investments from Peak XV, Z47, Tiger Global, BeeNext, and QED, to facilitate its lending operations. The company plans to expand this vertical into a broader lending suite, including personal loans, SME loans, and secured lending products. Through a single app, Jupiter offers credit cards, savings accounts, investments, loans, insurance, prepaid instruments, and other financial products. The platform is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). Jupiter has acquired over three million customers, with around 60% actively engaging with multiple products on the platform. More than a quarter of active users use two or more products. Its Account Aggregator (AA) service has over one million active users. Jitendra Gupta “We are building the go-to money app for India’s millennials, transparent, inclusive, and truly helpful in everyday life. This round gives us the boost to scale responsibly while keeping our promise of making money simpler for millions of Indians,” said Jitendra Gupta, Founder & CEO, Jupiter Money. On its co-branded card with CSB Bank, customers make an average of 24 transactions per month, with over 150,000 cards issued to date. Financially, Jupiter reported revenue growth of more than 2.2 times in the last fiscal year. The company aims to reach operational breakeven within the next 24 months while continuing to expand its user base and double it over the next two to two-and-a-half years.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by patcharananworrapatchareeroj via Freepik The post Jupiter Money Secures US$13M in Funding Round appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Microsoft, Enterprise Singapore and NUS Enterprise have launched a joint initiative to support 150 AI startups with funding and go-to-market support over the next three years. The partnership will give eligible startups faster access to the Startup SG Tech grant through the Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) office, along with mentorship and commercialisation guidance from Microsoft and NUS Enterprise. The collaboration builds on the AI Accelerate programme by NUS Enterprise’s BLOCK71 network and Microsoft. The 10-week incubator helps startups refine AI products, develop on Microsoft Azure, and connect with mentors, investors, and industry experts. BLOCK71 spans 11 cities worldwide, providing a global platform for startup growth. The 2025 cohort included 26 startups across multiple sectors. Mayank Wadhwa Mayank Wadhwa, Microsoft’s ASEAN President, said, “This collaboration will make a real difference to startups, actively shaping the future of AI and innovation in Asia. With support from NUS Enterprise and Enterprise Singapore, combined with Microsoft’s platforms, expertise, and unmatched sales and distribution ecosystem, entrepreneurs will have the tools and resources they need to build their ideas, reach customers, and scale beyond borders.” The expanded programme now features a Go-To-Market component to help startups achieve product-market fit and scale internationally. Microsoft experts will provide commercialisation guidance, while Enterprise Singapore and Microsoft will identify high-potential startups for grant support through a panel of industry and venture capital experts. Grants may be used for intellectual property filings, AI and cloud development, and talent acquisition. Cindy Khoo Cindy Khoo, Managing Director at Enterprise Singapore, said, “There’s no question that AI is a game-changer for industries and businesses. But we need to be proactive to unlock its transformative potential, and establish the right platforms and partnerships to drive AI innovation. We are excited to be working with Microsoft and NUS Enterprise to accelerate funding and commercialisation opportunities for cutting-edge AI startups, and grow not just the next generation of companies but also deepen Singapore’s AI ecosystem.” Applications for the next cohort close on 14 November 2025. Startups must be Singapore-based, post-MVP, and show traction through users, pilots, or revenue. They must also operate in B2B or scalable B2C markets, have AI at the core of their product, be privately held, and be rooted in Asia with global ambitions. The programme begins in January 2026 and concludes with an Investor Day in May.     Feature image: (From left) Enterprise Singapore Managing Director, Cindy Khoo; Microsoft ASEAN President, Mayank Wadhwa; and NUS Vice President (Ecosystem Building), Associate Prof Benjamin Tee officially launched the AI Accelerate collaboration at SWITCH 2025.   The post Microsoft, EnterpriseSG and NUS Enterprise Launch Accelerator for 150 AI Startups appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Weixin Pay has connected its system with Thailand’s PromptPay, allowing Chinese travellers to scan and pay in renminbi at participating merchants nationwide. The collaboration with National ITMX (NITMX), the operator of PromptPay, enables direct RMB payments through the Weixin or WeChat app without the need for currency exchange or local bank accounts. It supports transactions across dining, retail, attractions, and transport services throughout Thailand. PromptPay, launched by the Bank of Thailand and NITMX, links major banks and merchants across the country and has become one of Thailand’s most widely used real-time payment systems. Weixin Pay is already accepted at a wide range of Thai establishments, including CentralWorld, 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain, and numerous local restaurants and durian markets. Weixin Pay is also accepted at most merchants in Thailand’s main airports, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and Phuket International, offering greater convenience for Chinese visitors. Weixin Pay said the partnership reflects its ongoing effort to strengthen regional digital payment connectivity and expand its cross-border network to more markets, contributing to a more connected global payment ecosystem. The post Chinese Tourists Can Now Pay Thai Merchants in Renminbi via Weixin Pay appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is seeking feedback on a proposal to consolidate listing review functions under the Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) to streamline the listing process. The proposal follows recommendations from the Equities Market Review Group to adopt a more pro-enterprise regulatory approach while strengthening investor confidence. If implemented, the consolidation will give prospective issuers greater certainty over timelines as they would only need to engage SGX RegCo throughout the process. At present, issuers interact with both MAS, which reviews prospectuses for compliance with the Securities and Futures Act, and SGX RegCo, which assesses their suitability to list. SGX RegCo will continue to focus on admitting quality issuers and ensuring accurate and material disclosures for investors. MAS will work with SGX RegCo to maintain timely market surveillance and enforcement, and to address breaches of prospectus disclosure requirements under the Securities and Futures Act. The proposal complements earlier efforts to streamline the listing process and comes alongside measures to strengthen investor confidence, including enhancing investor recourse avenues and helping companies unlock shareholder value. SGX RegCo is concurrently consulting on changes to its listing rules to operationalise the consolidation. MAS is inviting public feedback on the proposals until 29 November 2025 through its consultation paper available on its website.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by rumputdesign via Freepik The post MAS Consults on Plan to Streamline IPO Listings Under SGX RegCo appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Maybank Asset Management Singapore is moving into tokenised finance, launching its first on-chain Money Market Fund with Marketnode and BNP Paribas. The collaboration marks a significant step in enhancing the accessibility, utility, and transferability of money market funds as the financial industry explores the potential of tokenisation. BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business will act as the transfer agent, supporting the integration of tokenised funds into existing capital markets infrastructure. The initiative leverages Marketnode’s modular gateway platform, which provides the tokenisation architecture to improve efficiency, transparency, and connectivity across the investment value chain. Gateway supports both EVM and non-EVM networks, with recent integrations including Solana, Stellar, and XRP Ledger, offering flexibility across different blockchain environments. The partnership aims to expand tokenisation across additional fund portfolios and explore new collateral use cases to meet the efficiency and flexibility requirements for a capital future that is on-chain. Andrew Scott “This partnership underscores the power of collaboration across the financial ecosystem. As tokenisation accelerates from concept to reality, the industry’s infrastructure must evolve just as boldly. By bridging infrastructural gaps and uniting expertise across our partners, we are defining what the next generation of trusted, interoperable markets can look like in Asia.” said Andrew Scott, Head of Digital Assets at Marketnode. Ivan Won “We are excited to collaborate with Marketnode and BNP Paribas to bring our Maybank Money Market Fund on-chain. This enhances modern day investors’ access to our products. This partnership reflects our commitment to innovation and our desire to leverage on technology as we venture into a tokenised future – one that the Singapore financial industry is rapidly embracing.” said Ivan Won, Head of Product & Marketing at Maybank Asset Management Singapore.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by nastiklis1992 via Freepik The post Maybank AM Launches First Tokenised Money Market Fund Powered by Marketnode appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Qapita has acquired Punch Financial, a US-based fund administration provider, in a strategic move to expand its private market platform and strengthen its fund management services. The deal follows Qapita’s recent US$26.5 million Series B funding round led by Charles Schwab. The acquisition supports Qapita’s plan to build a full-stack platform for private market participants, covering startup incorporation, equity management, fund accounting, and liquidity solutions. By combining AI-enabled technology with expert service delivery, the two companies aim to simplify fund operations for managers and investors through a unified digital platform. The integration will enhance Qapita’s fund management offering by incorporating Punch Financial’s accounting and administration services into its technology suite. The unified system will streamline processes across fund setup, capital calls, distribution calculations, reporting, compliance, and LP engagement, all within a single digital stack. Punch Financial will continue to independently offer its Virtual CFO services for early and growth-stage startups. Ravi Ravulaparthi Ravi Ravulaparthi, Co-founder and CEO of Qapita, said, “We are excited to welcome the Punch team to the Qapita family. Their deep fund admin expertise perfectly complements our technology-led approach. Together, we will empower fund managers and startups with a unified platform that simplifies ownership, fund operations, and financial management across the private markets ecosystem.” Frank Mastronuzzi Frank Mastronuzzi, Managing Partner & CFO of Punch Financial, said, “Our vision at Punch has always been to simplify fund operations and offer a seamless investor experience for fund managers and LPs. Qapita’s technology platform and global reach will enable us to scale our services while continuing to deliver the personalised, strategic guidance our clients depend on. Together, we’re creating something truly unique in the market.” Qapita’s platform helps startups, investors, and listed firms manage ownership, fund operations, valuations, and equity compensation in one place.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Freepik   The post Qapita Acquires Punch Financial to Expand Fund Administration Services appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

XTransfer will take part in the Singapore Fintech Festival 2025, marking its second consecutive appearance at the event. Founder and CEO Bill Deng, along with the company’s management team, will participate in showcases and closed-door discussions, focusing on topics such as AI-driven risk control, inclusive finance, the international expansion of Chinese fintech firms, and local currency settlement in emerging markets. During the festival, XTransfer plans to sign several strategic cooperation agreements with international financial institutions to broaden its global clearing network and enhance multi-currency settlement capabilities. The company will also release the X-NET White Paper, outlining its B2B trade settlement network and risk control framework for SMEs. Earlier this year, XTransfer obtained a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and launched local services. The company’s offerings include cross-border collections, payments, and foreign exchange solutions aimed at improving efficiency and reducing transaction costs for SMEs.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by EyeEm via Freepik The post XTransfer to Discuss AI Risk Control and SME Payments at Singapore Fintech Festival appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Ant International is deepening its push into Latin America with a strategic investment in R2 to expand credit access for SMEs in a region facing a gap of more than US$1 trillion. Financial details were not disclosed. The partnership builds on Ant International’s experience in digital finance and R2’s embedded lending technology. R2’s API-based, white-labeled system enables merchants to access financing directly within the platforms they already use, including point-of-sale systems, payment processors, marketplaces and e-commerce platforms. Ant International said the move follows the SME working capital solutions it launched earlier this year in Brazil through its Global Credit Services unit. R2 will continue deploying its tested lending infrastructure and market-tailored credit offerings, while Ant’s AI-powered risk and credit tools are expected to enhance underwriting and lower borrowing costs for SMEs. Founded in 2020, R2 operates in Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Its revenue-based financing model, used by major digital platform partners such as inDrive, Uber Eats, Rappi, Haulmer and PayU, has supported more than 100,000 SMEs in LATAM, where only about 13% of small business credit demand is met by banks and fintech firms. Roger Larach “Partnering with Ant International is a defining step in R2’s journey. Together, we will combine world-class risk management, AI-driven underwriting, and capital to bring inclusive credit at scale – empowering millions of small and micro businesses while keeping true to our mission of making access to finance frictionless at the point of need.” said Roger Larach, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of R2. Quan Yu “R2 has been clear in its mission and drive to support SMEs – the backbone of LATAM’s economy – from day one, underpinned by its founders’ deep understanding of the difficulties faced by small businesses, and a strong belief in overcoming these challenges with a digital-first approach. With this shared commitment to inclusive growth, we are confident that we will be able to accelerate access to opportunities for businesses in the region by turning cutting-edge technologies into real, practical financing solutions.” said Quan Yu, General Manager of Global Credit Services, Ant International.     Featured image: (From left) Roger Larach, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, R2; Quan Yu, General Manager of Global Credit Services, Ant International; Roger Teran, Co-Founder and Chief Data Officer, R2   The post Ant International Invests in R2 to Boost LATAM SME Credit Access appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

HSBC has launched its Innovation Banking arm in Singapore, setting aside US$1.5 billion to support high-growth companies and strengthen the region’s venture ecosystem. Unveiled at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), the unit will serve venture-backed businesses and investors with specialised products, sector expertise, and access to HSBC’s global network. David Sabow David Sabow, Global Head of Innovation Banking said, “Today marks another milestone as we aim to create the largest dedicated global innovation banking business in the world. Since HSBC Innovation Banking was established in 2023, we have grown our client base by nearly 60% and now have more than 900 globally-connected innovation finance experts.” The Singapore launch is HSBC’s third Innovation Banking expansion in Asia-Pacific this year, adding to its presence in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Continental Europe, India, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Gilbert Ng Gilbert Ng, Head of Banking – Singapore, Corporate and Institutional Banking, HSBC said, “Home to more than 4,000 start-ups and supported by a vibrant network of investors, accelerators, and incubators, Singapore is a top destination for the start-up ecosystem in Asia-Pacific. We have a market leading proposition in Singapore that offers the full suite of banking and funding solutions for new economy businesses. The launch of HSBC Innovation Banking and the allocation of US$1.5bn in capital demonstrates our continued commitment to supporting the growth of Singapore’s innovation economy.” HSBC has supported new-economy businesses in Singapore since 2021, recording double-digit revenue growth and backing companies such as Atome Financial, Glife Technologies, and Tickled Media. Neil Falconer has been appointed Head of Innovation Banking in Singapore and will lead a dedicated team to support existing clients and expand coverage. He will also continue to oversee the Consumer, Healthcare, and TMT sectors within HSBC’s International Mid-Market segment. To complement this, HSBC has established a Credit Solutions team led by Shaun Sakharnis, Head of Credit Solutions for Singapore and Asia Head of Platform Lending, offering financing structures from venture debt to platform finance for Innovation Banking clients.     Featured image: (From left) Neil Falconer, Head of HSBC Innovation Banking – Singapore; Gilbert Ng, Head of Banking – Singapore; British High Commissioner to Singapore Nik Meta; David Sabow, Global Head of HSBC Innovation Banking; and Jonathan Yip, Asia Head of HSBC Innovation Banking. The post HSBC Innovation Banking Debuts in Singapore with US$1.5 Billion Fund appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

DBS and Goldman Sachs have successfully completed the first over-the-counter (OTC) cryptocurrency options trade between two banks. The trade involved cash-settled Bitcoin and Ether options, enabling firms that offer cryptocurrency-linked products to better manage their exposure. The milestone comes amid rising demand from institutional and accredited investors for digital asset products. In the first half of 2025, DBS clients executed over US$1 billion in cryptocurrency options and structured note trades, with volumes growing nearly 60% from the first to the second quarter. Jacky Tai Jacky Tai, Group Head of Trading and Structuring, Global Financial Markets, DBS, said, “Professional investors are seeking safe, trusted and well-managed platforms to build their digital asset portfolios. In response, platforms are stepping up to enhance their risk management capabilities. Our trade with Goldman Sachs highlights how platforms can now tap the strong credit ratings and structuring capabilities of banks to bring the best practices of traditional finance into the digital asset ecosystem.” Max Minton Max Minton, Head of Digital Assets in Asia Pacific at Goldman Sachs, said, “The trade signifies the development of an interbank market for cash-settled OTC cryptocurrency options, an area where we expect to see continued growth as institutional investors become increasingly active in this space.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by user23413193 via Freepik     The post DBS and Goldman Sachs Execute First Interbank OTC Crypto Options Trade appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

2C2P, the Southeast Asia arm of Antom, has announced a new business strategy and refreshed branding to mark its next phase of regional growth. The company will invest US$60 million over the next three years in technology, infrastructure, and innovation, aligning with parent company Antom’s goal of supporting businesses of all sizes with secure and efficient financial solutions. 2C2P said the rebrand introduces a new logo, colour palette, and updated vision and mission statements reflecting its aim to be a trusted fintech partner for inclusive and sustainable growth. The new direction will be led by CEO-elect Worachat Luxkanalode, whose appointment is pending regulatory approval. His focus will be on strengthening enterprise solutions, accelerating regional expansion, and developing products for small and medium enterprises. Worachat Luxkanalode Worachat Luxkanalode, Chief Executive Officer-elect of 2C2P, said, “With this unveiling, we are committed to becoming the trusted and innovative fintech partner of choice in Southeast Asia. We have evolved from serving primarily large enterprises to empowering businesses of all sizes, and from focusing on digital and online payments to delivering true omnichannel capabilities that connect online, mobile, and offline transactions.” Gary Liu Gary Liu, General Manager of Antom, Ant International, said, “2C2P’s evolution marks a new step in Antom’s commitment to supporting businesses of all sizes worldwide. As Antom’s major brand in Southeast Asia, the 2C2P team is well positioned to offer merchants tailored products that best meet their needs. We are also enhancing 2C2P’s platform to better leverage Antom and Ant International’s technology and innovation capabilities, creating greater value for businesses in the region. At the same time, we will continue to strengthen and nurture local brands and invest in local talent.” Recently licensed as a Major Payment Institution in Singapore, 2C2P provides payments coverage for merchants across the region.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by vart_dant via Freepik The post 2C2P Unveils Rebrand and Commits US$60 Million to Southeast Asia Expansion appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Online investment platform Webull is stepping up its AML compliance capabilities with Flagright’s real-time monitoring platform. Webull will adopt Flagright’s AI-native system, which integrates watchlist screening, customer risk scoring, case management, and AI forensics within a single no-code environment. The partnership aims to strengthen Webull’s ability to detect and manage financial risks across its payments and trading operations, with unified case management and analytics designed to support faster response and audit readiness. Flagright’s platform enables institutions to monitor activity across wallets, cards, cash management, and trading flows in real time. It also allows teams to configure rules within minutes, automatically screen counterparties, score risks, and manage investigations end to end, helping Webull identify threats before they escalate. “As we expand into payments and treasury solutions, we need compliance infrastructure that scales with us. Flagright’s AI-native platform provides the monitoring, screening, and risk scoring capabilities we need without requiring a heavy engineering lift.” said Stephen Yip, CEO of Webull Pay. Madhu G Nadig “Webull is building a comprehensive money platform, and we are excited to provide the compliance backbone for that growth. By unifying detection, screening, risk scoring, and investigations, Webull can scale with confidence.” said Madhu G Nadig, Co-founder and CTO of Flagright.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by MH Stock via Freepik The post Webull Taps Flagright for Real-Time Compliance and Risk Detection appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Bitstamp by Robinhood has launched native support for the Singapore Dollar (SGD), allowing customers in Singapore to fund and withdraw instantly via PayNow. The update also introduces a USD/SGD pair, giving users a local bridge into global crypto markets. The new feature lets customers convert between SGD and USD at competitive rates, providing transparent access to highly liquid USD-denominated assets. Bitstamp by Robinhood is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore under the major payment institution framework, which allows it to offer regulated digital payment token services locally. The SGD rollout marks a step in the company’s broader Asia-Pacific strategy, positioning Singapore as a regional hub for market development, compliance, and partnerships. The platform runs on a Nasdaq-powered matching engine and holds ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications, underscoring its focus on institutional-grade security and reliability. Johann Kerbrat “Adding native SGD reflects our commitment to pairing global liquidity with local access, strengthening our market presence in Singapore and supporting the ongoing growth of our operations across Asia-Pacific” said Johann Kerbrat, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Robinhood Crypto. Robinhood completed its US$200 million acquisition of Luxembourg-based Bitstamp in June 2025, combining its consumer-focused platform with Bitstamp’s global infrastructure and institutional expertise.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Borin via Freepik The post Bitstamp by Robinhood Adds SGD and PayNow Support in Singapore appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Airwallex has relaunched its startup program with new features supporting financial management, mentorship, and AI-driven innovation. The refreshed ‘Airwallex for Startups’ program launches in Singapore and will expand to other markets in the coming months. The relaunch comes as many founders struggle to build financial resilience. Globally, 90% of startups fail, and 38% stall because they run out of cash. Airwallex aims to help founders turn financial operations into a driver of growth rather than a back-office function. The program combines Airwallex’s financial infrastructure with guidance from experienced CFOs and an AI sandbox for innovation. It is designed to help startups strengthen their financial foundations and scale sustainably. Participants gain access to Airwallex’s suite of financial tools and perks that grow with each funding stage, from pre-seed to Series A and beyond. Founders will also receive mentorship from members of the Startup CFO Expert Panel, who have guided technology companies through rapid expansion and downturns. The program officially launched with the Startup CFO Summit in Singapore, which brought together over 100 founders, 20 CFOs, and investors for workshops on financial management and fundraising. The AI Sandbox gives selected startups a chance to test real-world solutions with Airwallex teams. The most promising may progress to design-partner collaborations and early customer validation. The first cohort will focus on growth and productivity use cases. Airwallex has also partnered with OpenAI, Google Cloud, and HubSpot to equip startups with tools for AI development, cloud infrastructure, and growth. Lucy Liu “The best ideas don’t just need funding; they need the right financial foundations to scale. Feedback from our community has sharpened our focus. We’re now aligning our expertise and experience to deliver what founders value most from Airwallex: access to the tools, knowledge, and networks that turn financial operations into a growth advantage.” said Lucy Liu, Co-founder and President, Airwallex.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by muravev via Freepik The post Refreshed ‘Airwallex for Startups’ Program Adds CFO Mentorship, AI Sandbox appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Western Union plans to launch its own stablecoin on Solana as part of a broader effort to modernise cross-border transfers and expand access to digital assets. The U.S. Dollar Payment Token (USDPT), issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, will be supported by a new Digital Asset Network bridging digital and fiat systems. The initiative aims to give customers, agents, and partners new ways to send, receive, spend, and hold funds while strengthening Western Union’s treasury operations. Built on Solana, USDPT will leverage Anchorage Digital’s regulated issuance and custody services. Western Union said the effort combines its global reach with compliant, low-cost cross-border movement. USDPT is expected to be available in the first half of 2026 through partner exchanges. Western Union said the project reflects a shared vision with Solana and Anchorage Digital to modernise financial infrastructure with institutional-grade security and compliance. Reliability and trust, it added, remain central to the customer experience. While digital commerce has expanded globally, access to cash remains localised. Western Union said USDPT and the Digital Asset Network could bridge that gap by linking global currencies to local spending needs and enabling compliant, cost-efficient payments with greater certainty and trust. Devin McGranahan “As we evolve into the digital assets space, Western Union’s USDPT will allow us to own the economics linked to stablecoins. Separately, we are excited to announce our Digital Asset Network, a solution for the last mile of the crypto journey by partnering with wallets and wallet providers to provide customers with seamless access to cash off-ramps for digital assets by leveraging our global network. Our Digital Asset Network and USDPT will be an enabler in achieving our mission to make financial services accessible to people everywhere.” said Devin McGranahan, President and CEO of Western Union.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by wirestock via Freepik The post Western Union to Launch Stablecoin and Digital Asset Network on Solana in 2026 appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

ChatGPT users will soon be able to check out with PayPal without leaving the chat. The payments firm is integrating its services into OpenAI’s platform to enable instant payments and merchant discovery. PayPal will adopt the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) to power OpenAI’s Instant Checkout, processing PayPal wallet and card payments through its delegated payments API. Users will have access to multiple funding options, purchase protections, and post-purchase support such as tracking and dispute resolution. The move will connect ChatGPT users to PayPal’s global merchant network, bringing product catalogs from small businesses and major brands into the chat starting in 2026. PayPal’s ACP server will handle merchant routing, validation, and payment orchestration without the need for separate integrations. PayPal is also expanding its use of OpenAI’s technology internally by deploying ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex for its 24,000 employees, broadening API use, and applying AI to speed product development and enhance customer experiences. Existing and prospective PayPal merchants can join the waitlist here. Alex Chriss “Hundreds of millions of people turn to ChatGPT each week for help with everyday tasks, including finding products they love, and over 400 million use PayPal to shop. By partnering with OpenAI and adopting the Agentic Commerce Protocol, PayPal will power payments and commerce experiences that help people go from chat to checkout in just a few taps for our joint customer bases.” said Alex Chriss, President and CEO of PayPal.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by 21vectors via Freepik The post PayPal to Power Instant Checkout on ChatGPT appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

AI is changing banking faster than ever, from how banks detect fraud to how customers interact with apps. In this roundtable moderated by Fintech News Network’s Vincent Fong, top leaders from Malaysia’s digital and incumbent banks discuss how they’re applying AI across every layer of operations and what’s next as agentic AI enters finance. Featuring: William Streitberg, Chief Information and Technology Officer, Hong Leong Bank Kaushik Chowdhury, CEO, GXBank Nic Ngoo, CTO, Ryt Bank Chee Mun Foong, Chief Product Officer, Ryt Bank Glen Cha, CTO, AEON Bank Diana Boo, CMO, Boost Bank Gerard Ang, Country Head, Financing & Securities Services, Standard Chartered Bank Monica Chee, Managing Director & Head of Transforming Customer Journey, CIMB Calvin Wong, Head of Digita Businessl, RHB Kevin Shum, SVP, Head Digital SME, Alliance Bank Nur Lynn Lau Abdullah, COO, al rajhi Bank Malaysia Matthew Chen, CEO, OneConnect Financial Technology Cynthia Fang, Head, Wealth & Retail Management, OneConnect Financial Technology Moderated by: Vincent Fong, Chief Editor Fintech News Network The post How to Build an AI First Bank | Malaysia Banking CxO Roundtable appeared first on Fintech Singapore.