June 22, 2024 @ 5:41 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s tech sector has experienced a pronounced slowdown in funding during the first half of 2024, securing only $1.6 billion—a sharp 65% decline from the $4.5 billion raised in the same period last year, according to Tracxn’s latest “Geo Semi-Annual Report: SEA Tech H1… Read More

June 22, 2024 @ 5:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

San Francisco-based Amplify Life Insurance, a digital platform that is redefining wealth-building through permanent life insurance, announced that it has raised $20 million in its Series B funding round. The round was co-led by Crosslink Capital and Anthemis, with participation from new investors Moneta Ventures… Read More

June 22, 2024 @ 10:26 am By Michael Wong  |  

Turkish Fintech startups have achieved a record investment of $166 million in the first five months of 2024, showcasing significant growth within the sector. This information was detailed in the “Türkiye Fintech Snapshot for May 2024,” published by the Presidency’s Finance Office, which tracks the development… Read More

June 22, 2024 @ 10:13 am By Michael Wong  |  

Fintech Nexus, a prominent name in the Fintech community formerly known as LendIt, has announced it will be closing down and filing for bankruptcy. Last year, Fintech Nexus exited large scale events – a sector of the Fintech industry the organization had largely dominated in… Read More

June 21, 2024 @ 12:25 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Ghana (SEC) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) unveiled comprehensive guidelines for equity and investment-based crowdfunding. This landmark initiative, crafted in partnership with key stakeholders and with substantial technical support from Lelapa African FinTech Advisory, represents a… Read More

June 20, 2024 @ 2:02 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Xcelerate Pte Ltd, a global Environmental, Social, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (ESGRC) platform, has announced the acquisition of a strategic equity stake in Gieom Business Solutions, a financial service compliance provider. The deal, which was carried out through a combination of primary and secondary investments, aims… Read More

June 20, 2024 @ 11:56 am By Michael Wong  |  

Celcoin, a player in the Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) financial technology market in Brazil, has announced raising $125 million in its latest funding round led by global growth equity investor Summit Partners. The funding aims to bolster Celcoin’s expansion plans and reinforce its commitment to providing financial… Read More

June 16, 2024 @ 3:59 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Mbanq has announced a strategic partnership with IG Tech Cambodia, a Fintech developer in Southeast Asia, to create IG Finlink Cambodia, with Mbanq holding a majority ownership stake. The alliance signifies Mbanq’s ambitious expansion into the ASEAN banking technology and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) markets. Initially focusing… Read More

June 16, 2024 @ 3:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Fhenix, an Israel-based company specializing in Layer 2 blockchain technology that leverages fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), has successfully closed a $15 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Hack VC, with additional investments from Dao5, Amber Group, Primitive, GSR, Collider, and Stake… Read More

June 15, 2024 @ 10:19 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has released the first edition of the ‘Practical Guide on Venture Capital and Private Equity in Malaysia’ early this week, aiming to clarify the Malaysian policy landscape for fund managers, service providers, and investors in these sectors. The guide provides… Read More

June 15, 2024 @ 9:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Qiro Finance, a Singapore-headquartered decentralized finance (DeFi) startup founded by Akshay Poshatwar and Nishikant Bahalkar, announced a successful $1.2 million funding round to develop a decentralized credit protocol aimed at bridging the significant credit gap in emerging markets. The startup said it is innovating at… Read More

June 15, 2024 @ 7:15 pm By Michael Wong  |  

BayaniPay, a US and Philippines-based global payments automation process provider announced that it has raised an additional $3 million in funding to expand its international payment capabilities. This capital injection, led by Wavemaker Partners, PTGB, and Talino Venture Studios, will be used to finance the… Read More

June 15, 2024 @ 10:08 am By Michael Wong  |  

Ant Group, the Fintech arm of Chinese tech major Alibaba, ramped up its research and development expenditures to a record 21.2 billion yuan ($3.05 billion) last year, according to its latest sustainability report. This move highlights the company’s increasing focus on technology innovations, including artificial… Read More

June 15, 2024 @ 9:21 am By Michael Wong  |  

AccountsIQ, a cloud-based accounting platform, has raised €60 million (about $64 million) in a Series C funding round anchored by business-to-business (B2B) software-as-a-service (SaaS) growth equity fund Axiom Equity. The investment is set to bolster AccountsIQ’s product development, enabling the firm to integrate advancements in… Read More

June 9, 2024 @ 5:44 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Asialink Finance Corp, a provider of financial solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines, has announced secured P4 billion (about $71 million) from Malaysian private equity firm Creador. This strategic infusion of funds will see Creador acquiring an 18% stake in Asialink,… Read More

June 9, 2024 @ 10:03 am By Michael Wong  |  

Global payments platform Thredd has partnered with Discover Global Network to expand its network access, thereby enhancing service offerings for its clients. Announced at the Money20/20 event this week, the partnership is set to provide Thredd’s clients with broader operational capabilities, enabling them to introduce… Read More

June 8, 2024 @ 6:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Filipinos’ reliance on digital financial services intensified in 2023, with users spending a cumulative 1.3 billion seconds, or 42 years, on digital lending applications, marking a 37-percent surge from the previous year, a report by consumer credit service Digido revealed. According to the study, personal… Read More

June 8, 2024 @ 4:54 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Almanax, a blockchain startup specializin in security solutions for the Web3 sector, has secured a pre-seed investment from defy.vc, a venture capital firm based in San Francisco. Additionally, the company has been selected to participate in NVIDIA’s Inception Program, a prestigious initiative aimed at nurturing… Read More

June 8, 2024 @ 1:32 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Elevate, a Fintech startup supported by Y Combinator, has announced a successful $5 million funding round to bolster its operations in the Philippines, bringing its total raised since 2021 to $10 million. This recent influx from backers such as Y Combinator, Goodwater, Global Founders Capital,… Read More

June 2, 2024 @ 9:45 pm By Michael Wong  |  

QNB Group, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, and Ooredoo Fintech have announced a groundbreaking extension to their partnership aimed at revolutionizing fintech services in Oman. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the region’s digital transformation journey as both entities… Read More