Tagged: southeast asia

August 24, 2026 @ 8:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based fintech Chocolate Finance is extending its reach past individual savers by introducing a dedicated cash management product aimed at companies. Just two years after introducing its consumer platform, the firm is rolling out Chocolate Business, a solution designed to help organizations generate returns on… Read More

August 24, 2026 @ 2:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore’s DBS Bank (SGX: D05) has expanded the use of specialised agentic artificial intelligence tools to support roughly 1,500 relationship managers and credit risk managers worldwide in handling corporate credit assessments.The initiative, announced in mid-August 2026, follows a successful pilot involving 150 staff members. The… Read More

August 15, 2026 @ 8:24 am By Michael Wong  |  

Funding for Southeast Asia’s native artificial intelligence startups has reached $4.1 billion so far in 2026, already more than double the amount raised for the whole of last year, although the surge was driven largely by a single $2.8-billion round, according to data intelligence platform… Read More

August 2, 2026 @ 2:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based Airwallex has emerged as Southeast Asia’s most heavily funded payments startup, raising a total of $1.9 billion in disclosed equity funding, according to a new report by market intelligence platform Tracxn. The report, titled Southeast Asia’s Payment Startups Powering the Future of Digital Commerce,… Read More

June 29, 2026 @ 8:34 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Philippines is accelerating its shift toward digital financial inclusion by integrating fintech platforms into government assistance programs. A key example is the recent collaboration between the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Maya, which enables the electronic delivery of fuel subsidies to… Read More

June 29, 2026 @ 1:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore have jointly published the Phase 1 report of the PayNow Generation 2 initiative, charting a clear path to evolve the nation’s flagship instant payments platform. Released on 25 June 2026, the document… Read More

June 15, 2026 @ 8:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech Stripe is sharply focused on effectively enabling programmable finance by empowering AI agents to independently handle commercial transactions, particularly in procuring cloud infrastructure and related services. This development marks a significant step toward making autonomous AI systems full economic participants in the digital economy…. Read More

May 28, 2026 @ 12:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has restricted public access to Polymarket, a US-based platform that operates as a prediction market using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. The decision, announced on May 22, 2026, underscores the government’s firm stance against any form of speculative betting… Read More

May 10, 2026 @ 6:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s food delivery market is becoming a structural part of household spending rather than a pandemic-era habit, BMI Country Risk and Industry Research said, pointing to Grab Holdings’ record first-quarter results as evidence of a broader shift in consumer behavior. Singapore-based Grab reported first-quarter… Read More

April 26, 2026 @ 5:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia is emerging as Asia’s most concentrated Fintech market, underscoring both the region’s maturity and the significant growth potential in less-developed ecosystems across the continent, according to a new study. The analysis by Singapore-based UnaFinancial found that Southeast Asia hosts an average of 14… Read More

April 25, 2026 @ 4:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s private equity market remained under pressure in 2025 as deal value declined and exit activity weakened, highlighting ongoing liquidity challenges for private capital investors, according to a new report by Bain & Company. Total deal value in the region fell about 10% year-on-year… Read More

March 12, 2026 @ 12:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Southeast Asia’s economic resilience is gaining ground, yet private capital activity tells a more nuanced story. According to PitchBook’s latest analysis, the Asian Development Bank has lifted regional growth projections to 4.5% for 2025 and 4.4% for 2026, citing robust performances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,… Read More

February 26, 2026 @ 4:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based fintech Thunes announced a significant milestone with Banco Cathay of Costa Rica: the activation of seamless pay-to-wallet functionality powered by SWIFT infrastructure. This integration allows the Central American bank to route international disbursements directly into mobile wallets worldwide using its established SWIFT connections, eliminating… Read More

February 22, 2026 @ 1:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A recent development that has raised fresh concerns about integrity within Malaysia’s law enforcement. Authorities have taken 12 police officers into custody over allegations of orchestrating a brazen extortion scheme targeting Chinese nationals and their cryptocurrency holdings. The case, which unfolded in the affluent state… Read More

February 13, 2026 @ 4:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has revealed plans to enhance its Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP). On February 12, 2026, the authority disclosed an increase in the program’s funding from S$5 billion to S$6.5 billion. This decision aligns with the recent Budget 2026 announcement… Read More

February 1, 2026 @ 3:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a new development expected to enhance how Asian SMEs handle transactions, global fintech Adyen (AMS: ADYEN) has formed a strategic alliance with Raptor, a point-of-sale (POS) system provider. This collaboration focuses on easing operational hurdles for the city’s service industry, particularly in food and… Read More

January 22, 2026 @ 11:26 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PT Valbury Asia Futures, an Indonesian brokerage, has rolled out trading in U.S. stocks through a strategic alliance with Alpaca, a provider of brokerage technology. This development, announced earlier this week, aims to bridge the gap for local investors seeking exposure to one of the… Read More

December 19, 2025 @ 1:13 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto.com announced a strengthening of its fiat payment capabilities with DBS Bank, which is reportedly Southeast Asia’s largest bank by assets.  This highlights Crypto.com’s commitment to working with banks to deliver services under the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) framework. Crypto.com users in Singapore may… Read More

December 18, 2025 @ 8:59 am By Michael Wong  |  

SEAX Global, a privately held Southeast Asian wholesale connectivity provider, has acquired a major stake in Thailand’s Interlink Telecom Pcl (ITEL), expanding its footprint in one of the region’s biggest network markets, the companies said. The deal adds ITEL’s domestic fibre network and telecom licences… Read More

December 16, 2025 @ 8:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Proxymity, the digital investor communication platform, announces the expansion of its partnership with Deutsche Bank, one of the global financial institutions, with the rollout of Proxymity Vote Connect Access in Thailand. Deutsche Bank is said to be one of the first adopters of Proxymity’s digital… Read More