Asia

August 29, 2023 @ 9:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

China is set to retain its dominant position in the global e-Commerce landscape, according to an update shared by GlobalData. Bolstered by a solid 9.9% growth, the Chinese e-Commerce market is “anticipated to surge to CNY 15.2 trillion ($2.2 trillion) in 2023, driven by the… Read More

August 29, 2023 @ 1:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ecosystems in the East and West are to promote startups and investments in AI, Web3, and crypto currencies have taken measures to add new life in a sector that has been facing headwinds from risk aversion and rising inflation rates, a review compiled by The… Read More

August 29, 2023 @ 7:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank Indonesia, Bank Negara Malaysia, and the Bank of Thailand have reportedly concluded three bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) on 25 August 2023. These MoUs are the Framework for Cooperation to Promote Bilateral Transactions in Local Currencies between the countries. The scope of the framework… Read More

August 29, 2023 @ 1:17 am By Michael Wong  |  

In a major strategic move to extend its footprint in Southeast Asia, CTOS Digital Bhd, a Malaysia’s based credit reporting agency, has announced the acquisition of two credit scoring companies in the Philippines and Indonesia. The deal, valued at $6.37 million, was disclosed in stock… Read More

August 28, 2023 @ 10:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam’s central bank, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), has officially joined the Regional Payment Connectivity (RPC) initiative, a scheme initiated by central banks in Southeast Asia to strengthen and enhance collaboration on payment connectivity. SBV officially signed the supplemental Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation… Read More

August 28, 2023 @ 9:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has announced today an investment of ₹ 8,278 crore (approx. $1bln) into Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (Reliance Industries). QIA’s investment “will translate into a minority equity stake of 0.99% in RRVL on a fully-diluted… Read More

August 28, 2023 @ 9:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The team is pleased to share that GradRight has raised ₹50 crore ($6.1 million) in Series A funding from IvyCap Ventures Advisors Private Limited. This investment round will allow for “a scale-up of our AI-based platform that makes quality international higher education more accessible and… Read More

August 28, 2023 @ 8:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Nagad, a mobile money carrier based in Bangladesh, has equipped itself “to grow into a digital bank, which will make available all financial services on a single platform.” The company’s current outreach to Bangladesh‘s every nook and corner “for having a large customer base as… Read More

August 28, 2023 @ 10:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), the central bank of Viet Nam, has officially joined the Regional Payment Connectivity (RPC) initiative. This recent development is “an expansion of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Regional Payment Connectivity (MOU RPC) that was initiated by the… Read More

August 27, 2023 @ 4:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Binance, which is being sued by US regulators for a wide range of issues, is pleased have collaborated with Taiwan’s New Taipei District Prosecutors Office on “a workshop focused on combating cybercrime within the virtual assets space.” Conducted on August 24, the workshop is part… Read More

August 27, 2023 @ 1:28 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Publicly traded banking and financial institution Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad has announced its partnership with software house and IT services provider Comarch to launch a digital wealth platform. The Comarch Wealth Management system will allow the bank’s customers to view their financial information, including their… Read More

August 26, 2023 @ 7:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Maybank introduced the myimpact credit card, in efforts “to empower its customers towards making better sustainable life choices which will impact the next generation.” The credit card, which is “made from bio-sourced polylactic acid, features a ground-breaking initiative deemed first-of-its-kind in the country, provides mechanisms… Read More

August 26, 2023 @ 10:50 am By Michael Wong  |  

CGS-CIMB Securities (CGS-CIMB), an integrated financial services provider in Asia, has raised about S$35 million ($25.8 million) for its first Vietnam-focused ETF — CGS Fullgoal Vietnam 30 Sector Cap ETF — launched Friday on Singapore Exchange (SGX). The ETF, which comprises the largest and most… Read More

August 25, 2023 @ 10:13 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mastercard (NYSE:RSKD) has established a Global Centre for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology in Dubai. The UAE’s Artificial intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office and Mastercard signed a Memorandum of Understanding “to increase Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities and readiness in the region.” An… Read More

August 25, 2023 @ 12:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Pi-xcels, an innovative leader in digital receipt solutions, has successfully completed its Seed funding round, raising US$1.7 million. The investment round was “led by Wavemaker Partners, with participation from other prominent venture capital firms such as Hustle Fund, Amand Ventures, and Black Kite Capital, as… Read More

August 25, 2023 @ 11:50 am By Omar Faridi  |  

International card networks, including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and Discover Global Network, are launching a major campaign with Alipay, the digital payment and lifestyle service platform in China, “to further enhance international visitors’ mobile payment and travel experience in the country on the 30-day countdown to… Read More

August 24, 2023 @ 10:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mastercard (NYSE:RSKD), a global technology company, is partnering with UAE-founded spend management fintech company Qashio in order “to launch corporate credit cards, while enabling them with virtual issuance capabilities across the region.” The strategic partnership aims “to make the future of expense management cashless, transparent… Read More

August 24, 2023 @ 10:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is pleased to announce today (Wednesday) the appointment of John Hsu as Managing Director and Group Chief Technology Officer. He succeeds Richard Leung, who will become Group Chief Information Officer. Reporting to Mr Leung, Mr Hsu will reportedly… Read More

August 23, 2023 @ 10:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Komainu, a regulated digital asset custody service provider built by institutions for institutions, announced that it has been granted the operating license by the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai after securing its MVP license last November. Achieving this final step in VARA’s licensing… Read More

August 23, 2023 @ 9:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cashfree Payments, India’s payments and API banking solutions company, has launched ‘Vendor Payments’, a comprehensive platform that empowers businesses to streamline and manage their purchase-to-pay cycle, improving efficiency and reducing processing time. ‘ Vendor Payments’ simplifies not only vendor payments, but “other account payables including… Read More