Michael Wong

Singapore Tightens Disclosure Rules On Pay, Dividends, Investor Relations

Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) will require listed companies to provide more detailed disclosures on executive remuneration, dividend policies, and investor relations as it seeks to strengthen transparency and encourage a greater focus on long-term value creation. The changes will take effect on Jan. 1,… Read More

Fintech GCash’s IPO May Show Southeast Asia Can Deliver Scale Exits: Warburg

GCash has evolved from a loss-making digital wallet into a highly profitable financial technology platform, illustrating the scale Southeast Asian fintech companies can reach, according to Warburg Pincus executive Vishal Mahadevia. The Philippine digital wallet had about 15 million monthly active users when Warburg Pincus… Read More

GCash Owner Mynt Gets PSE Approval for Record Philippine IPO

Mynt Inc., the parent company of Philippine e-wallet GCash, has received approval from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) for an initial public offering that is set to become the largest in the exchange’s history, marking a major test for investor appetite for the country’s fintech… Read More

Hong Kong Credit Cards in Circulation Jump 36% in Q2 2026

The number of credit cards in circulation in Hong Kong rose 36.1% year-on-year to 31.03 million at the end of the second quarter, while the value of credit card transactions increased 6.8%, data from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) showed. Credit card transactions reached… Read More

Hong Kong SFC Chair Urges Boards to Keep Human Accountability at Centre of AI Adoption

Hong Kong companies need to treat artificial intelligence governance as a board-level responsibility rather than an information technology project, with directors maintaining human accountability for AI-assisted decisions, Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Chairman Kelvin Wong said. Speaking at the Corporate Governance Conference 2026, Wong said… Read More

Latvian Fintech Platforms Draw 800,000 investors, €13bn in Investments

Eight Latvian-regulated Fintech platforms have facilitated more than €13 billion in investments and serve more than 800,000 foreign investors, with German investors accounting for about 30% of demand, Latvia’s investment agency said. The figures were disclosed during a Latvian trade mission to Berlin, where fintech… Read More

Ant International Says Merchants Using AI for Payment Integration Quadrupled

The number of merchants using artificial intelligence to integrate payment services with Ant International has quadrupled over the past year, as the fintech company expands AI into payments, foreign exchange, treasury, and credit operations. Ant International said it expects 95% of merchants to be able… Read More

BSP-led ASEAN+3 Talks Focus on Cross-Border Payments, Regional Crisis Financing

Philippine and regional financial authorities are looking to strengthen cross-border payment cooperation and regional emergency financing as ASEAN+3 economies work to improve their resilience to future financial shocks. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Philippines’ Department of Finance, Japan’s Ministry of Finance, and the… Read More

Hong Kong Unveils Five-Year Plan to Deepen Financial, Trade, and Technology Hubs

Hong Kong has unveiled a five-year economic plan aimed at strengthening its role as an international financial, maritime, and trade centre while expanding its position as an innovation and technology hub and a centre for high-calibre talent. Chief Executive John Lee announced the First Five-Year… Read More

Temasek-Backed Xora Leads $53m Funding for Enterprise AI Firm Hang Ten Systems

Xora, a Temasek-backed investment fund, has led an additional $53 million seed round in enterprise AI services company Hang Ten Systems, bringing the startup’s total funding to $85 million. Mayfield, which led Hang Ten’s first seed round, and Aramco Ventures also participated in the latest… Read More

Singapore, China Deepen Cooperation on Transition, Adaptation Finance

Singapore and China are expanding cooperation on sustainable finance, including transition activities, climate adaptation, and resilience, as regulators seek to develop financing mechanisms for projects exposed to climate risks. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the People’s Bank of China (PBC) held their fourth… Read More

IFC Plans Up to $40m Financing for Unibank to Boost MSME Lending

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is proposing a senior unsecured loan of up to $40 million to Azerbaijan’s Unibank Commercial Bank OJSC, aimed at expanding financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), according to project disclosure seen by CrowdFund Insider. The proposed financing comprises… Read More

ASEAN Backs AI Program Targeting 1.7 Million Students, Educators By 2028

Southeast Asian education officials have endorsed an expanded ASEAN Foundation program that aims to equip more than 1.7 million students, teachers and university staff with practical artificial intelligence skills by the end of 2028. The ASEAN Foundation said on Friday that the program, AI Ready… Read More

Hong Kong, Dubai Regulators Set Up Group to Deepen Financial Market Links

Hong Kong and Dubai financial authorities and exchanges have established a Strategic Working Group to strengthen ties between the financial markets of Hong Kong and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), according to a joint announcement. The move comes as the two financial centres seek to… Read More

Inspiren Raises $70 Million to Expand AI-Powered Senior Living Platform

AI-powered senior living technology company Inspiren has raised $70 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of more than $500 million, as it looks to expand the use of artificial intelligence to help care teams monitor residents and identify potential emergencies. The… Read More

Luminary Raises $22 Million to Expand AI Platform for Wealth Transfer

Luminary, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform aimed at helping financial and legal professionals manage wealth transfers, has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Ten Coves Capital as demand grows for technology to handle increasingly complex estate planning. The financing brings… Read More

Philippine SEC Proposes Higher Crowdfunding Limits, Stronger Investor Safeguards

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed amendments to the country’s crowdfunding rules that would raise the amount companies can raise through online platforms while introducing additional safeguards for retail investors. The proposed framework would allow issuers to offer up to 25 million… Read More

China’s Xunce Seeks Up To $1.4 Billion Financing for AI Computing Centre

Shenzhen Xunce Technology Co Ltd plans to secure syndicated loans of up to 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) to finance the development of an artificial intelligence inference and computing centre, underscoring the growing capital requirements for China’s expanding AI infrastructure. The company, which provides real-time… Read More

EU Cyber Rules Put APAC Tech Makers on 24-Hour Reporting Clock

Asia-Pacific hardware and software companies that make products with digital elements available on the European Union market are now required to report actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents impacting product security under the bloc’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The reporting obligations took effect on Sept…. Read More

Singapore Central Bank Urges Financial Sector to Prepare for AI-Driven Transformation

Singapore’s central bank is urging financial institutions to prepare for a rapid transformation driven by artificial intelligence, tokenisation, and quantum computing, while strengthening governance and cybersecurity as increasingly autonomous AI systems reshape the financial system. Chia Der Jiun, managing director of the Monetary Authority of… Read More

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