Michael Wong

Italy’s Fabrick Partners with TerraPay to Expand Global Payment Services

Fabrick, an Italian Open Finance operating company, has announced a strategic partnership with TerraPay, a global payments infrastructure firm, to enhance its geographical footprint and payment solutions. Initially focusing on the Italian market, the collaboration aims to offer businesses a unified platform that streamlines payment… Read More

Arta Finance Expands Globally, Partners with Abu Dhabi’s Wio Invest

Digital wealth management platform Arta Finance has announced its global launch alongside a significant partnership with Abu Dhabi-based fintech firm Wio Invest. This collaboration represents a major step in Arta’s business-to-business expansion, as Wio Invest plans to integrate Arta’s wealth-as-a-service platform into its digital offerings… Read More

FTC Warns of Charity Scams Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton

In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, individuals nationwide are contributing to storm relief efforts, with many making monetary donations to charities claiming to assist affected communities. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is urging the public to exercise caution to avoid falling victim to… Read More

Hong Kong Banks Back Integrity Charter to Strengthen Anti-Corruption Efforts

Hong Kong City

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) have expressed full support for the Banking Industry Integrity Charter introduced by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The two organizations jointly hosted the launch ceremony for the Integrity Charter, attended… Read More

FutureMoney Secures $2.5m Funding to Empower Family Wealth Building

FutureMoney, a Boston-based digital platform dedicated to helping families invest for their children and build generational wealth, has successfully closed a $2.5 million pre-seed funding round. The funding round saw participation from notable investors including Serac Ventures, Hustle Fund, Telegraph Hill Capital, Capacity Capital, Harvest… Read More

Indonesian Crowdfunding Platform Kitabisa Enters Insurance Market

Indonesian donation and crowdfunding platform Kitabisa has officially entered the country’s insurance sector by launching Kitabisa Insurance, a sharia-compliant subsidiary, marking a significant step in addressing Indonesia’s notably low insurance penetration rate, according to DealStreetAsia. The announcement follows the subsidiary’s introduction of its first product,… Read More

Fintech Firm Facet Secures $35m to Expand Financial Planning Services

Facet, an American Fintech firm focused on financial planning, has secured an additional $35 million in a funding round anchored by Multiplier Capital. The new funding will support the company’s ongoing tech development and expansion of financial planning services as it continues to grow its… Read More

Survey Shows Finance Teams Strained by Rising Workloads, Tight Budgets

Finance teams are facing increasing strain as economic pressures and evolving business demands challenge their ability to meet both strategic goals and operational responsibilities, according to new research from cloud-based purchase-to-pay (P2P) automation provider Yooz. The 2024 Yooz Survey: Beyond the Balance Sheet, conducted by… Read More

OpenAI Expands into Singapore, Plans Regional APAC Office

American artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI announced its expansion into Singapore, confirming plans to open a regional office later this year. This move underscores Singapore’s prominent role in technology and AI, as well as the increasing demand for advanced AI tools across the Asia Pacific… Read More

Fintech Lendbuzz Completes $262m Asset-Backed Securitization

Lendbuzz, an AI-powered Fintech company that enhances consumer access to credit for vehicle purchases, has completed a $262 million securitization, identified as LBZZ 2024-3. The transaction is collateralized by a pool of auto loans made to consumers, secured by new and used automobiles, light-duty trucks,… Read More

Institutional Investors Anticipate Surge in Digital Asset Funds, Research Finds

Institutional investors and wealth managers are forecasting a significant increase in the launch of new digital asset funds this year, as traditional financial institutions show heightened interest in the sector, according to a report by London-based Nickel Digital Asset Management. The research indicates that approximately… Read More

Singapore’s Inter-Ministerial Committee Releases Enhanced Anti-Money Laundering Framework

Singapore at Night Marina Bay

Singapore’s Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) unveiled a comprehensive report, outlining enhanced strategies and recommendations to strengthen the nation’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) framework. The report emphasizes a whole-of-society approach, urging collaboration between frontline stakeholders and the government to combat increasingly sophisticated money laundering (ML) tactics. The IMC’s… Read More

SBI Holdings Invests in Philippine Digital Transformation Leader UBX

SBI Holdings Inc., a prominent Tokyo-based financial services conglomerate, has acquired a stake in UBX, a key player in digital transformation within the Philippines. This strategic investment aims to foster collaboration between the two firms to develop impactful digital solutions tailored to the specific needs… Read More

HSBC Launches SemFi Joint Venture to Offer Embedded Finance Solutions

HSBC Holdings plc has unveiled SemFi by HSBC, a new joint venture with Tradeshift, a global B2B trade network, aimed at delivering seamless embedded finance solutions to business clients. SemFi will integrate HSBC’s payment, trade, and financing services across various e-commerce and marketplace platforms, including… Read More

ASEAN GenAI Funding Expected to Surge 50% in 2025, GenAI Fund Reports

Funding for the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) sector in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is projected to increase by 50 percent year-over-year in 2025, according to the latest report from GenAI Fund. The “ASEAN GenAI Startup Report 2024” attributes this anticipated growth to… Read More

Brazil’s Barte Raises $8m in Series A to Scale Modular Payment Solutions

Barte, a Brazilian Fintech firm, has announced raising $8 million in its Series A funding round that will help it scale its modular payment solutions. The latest funding round was led by AlleyCorp, a New York-based venture capital firm founded by serial entrepreneur Kevin Ryan,… Read More

Southeast Asia Tech Startups See 59% Funding Drop in Jan-Sept 2024, Report Finds

Southeast Asia’s technology startup sector experienced a significant downturn in funding during the first nine months of 2024, plunging 59% compared to the same period last year, a report released by Tracxn revealed. The report highlighted that Southeast Asian (SEA) tech startups secured a total… Read More

Lendistry Secures $5m Investment from City National Bank to Boost Small Business Lending in California

Lendistry, a minority-led fintech and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), announced today it has received a $5 million investment from City National Bank. The capital injection aims to expand the provision of individual loans under $100,000 to support the rapidly growing small business sector in… Read More

Alipay+ Expands Payment Network in Nepal, Enhancing Cashless Travel Experience

Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment solution operated by Ant International, has significantly expanded its presence in Nepal by partnering with Himalayan Bank, a major local bank. This collaboration introduces over ten new payment partners, enabling Alipay+ to be accepted at more than 25,000 merchants across… Read More

FBI Seizes Over $6m in Cryptocurrency from Overseas Scammers

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have seized more than $6 million in cryptocurrency from international perpetrators involved in fraudulent investment schemes, according to an official announcement. Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, along with U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III… Read More

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