PPRO acquires Alpha Fintech to become “global payments powerhouse”
The Alpha Fintech takeover will extend PPRO’s reach to Asia Pacific.
Asia Pacific
Mastercard, Pine Labs and DBS Bank to roll out BNPL credit card offering
The solution will be available on all DBS Mastercard, Visa and American Express credit cards.
Volopay raises $29m in equity and debt for international expansion
Volopay is “building the control centre for modern companies for all their financial management needs”.
Vietnam’s HD Bank selects Thought Machine for core banking platform upgrade
HD Bank’s multi-year transformation will initially consist of upgrading its core platforms and internal workflows.
Fronted appoints new CTO as co-founder Simon Vans-Colina joins Singapore’s BigPay
Fronted’s lead software engineer Jonathan Kim has been promoted to the role of CTO.
FX platform M-DAQ acquires B2B cross-border paytech Wallex
The deal forms part of M-DAQ’s growth strategy as it looks to expand into new international markets.
Digital asset platform Amber Group valued at $3bn following $200m Series B+ round
The total investment to date in the company now stands at $328 million.
Philippines’ PayMongo raises $31m Series B to support nation’s SMEs
The Manila-based start-up has now raised around $46 million in total capital.
Cross-border payments giant Wise to hire 150 new staff in Singapore
The decision to expand in Singapore follows the opening of a new, larger APAC regional hub in the country.
Thailand’s Siam Commercial Bank invests $100m in digital finance platform Akulaku
Akulaku CEO William Li says the companies share a vision for banking that is “expansive and inclusive”.
Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures launches supply chain finance platform
SC Ventures says TASConnect will unlock “significant value” for organisations.
Tinkoff Bank launches Russia’s first fully digital mortgage; plans Philippines expansion
“The refinancing and lending process will be extremely simple and 100% digital,” Tinkoff states.
SME financing platform Funding Societies raises $294m in equity and debt
The start-up has raised $144m in equity, led by SoftBank, and $150m in debt financing.
Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia hires Ikram Khaliq to lead new digital bank offering
ARBM plans to launch its new digital bank this year.
Digital bank Tonik raises $131m, eyes international expansion
Tonik’s Series B equity funding round was led by Japanese banking heavyweight Mizuho Bank.
Challenger bank Mox makes two senior tech hires
Mox has a new CIO and a new chief data, security, and innovation officer (CDSIO).
Asian Development Bank and R3 team for cross-border securities transaction system
The cross-border multi-currency securities settlement system will be based on distributed ledger tech.
Banking Tech Awards 2021 Highly Commended: au Jibun Bank – Best UX/CX in Finance Initiative
The importance of supporting investors along their journey and how au Jibun Bank does that.
Philippines’ UnionBank picks Metaco’s Harmonize to manage digital asset operations
Metaco provides security-critical software and infrastructure for the digital asset ecosystem.
Aladin Bank turns to Google Cloud for Islamic banking tech innovation
Aladin Bank, an Islamic bank in Indonesia, has announced a “strategic collaboration” with Google Cloud.
Al Rajhi Bank Malaysia taps Thought Machine to power new digital bank
ARBM will deploy the Vault core banking solution to deliver Shariah-compliant banking products.
Indonesian fintech start-up Pluang raises $55m in Series B follow-up round
The company has now raised $110 million in total Series B funding.
AI-focused fintech Qraft Technologies secures $146m SoftBank investment
Qraft’s US CEO says investment management is “ripe for disruption” thanks to AI.
KoinWorks raises $108m in Series C to power Indonesia’s SME sector
KoinWorks aims to hire 400 new employees globally.
Swiss digital asset neobank Sygnum raises $90m in Series B round
“The digital asset economy is rapidly crossing the chasm to mainstream adoption,” says CEO.
Taipei Fubon Bank revamps private banking tech with Avaloq
The roll-out will start in Hong Kong and Singapore, followed by the onshore market of Taiwan.
Oracle FS signs new core banking client in Vietnam, Kien Long Bank
Flexcube will help Kien Long Bank to become a “modern and friendly digital bank”.
Bank Indonesia launches real-time payments infrastructure to broaden financial inclusion
The new payments system will form the “backbone” of a broader retail payment system infrastructure.
Vietnamese fintech MoMo raises $200m in Series E round
MoMo says it will use the cash to expand the suite of financial products available on its ‘super-app’.
Russian digital bank Tinkoff taps Finastra for Asian expansion
Finastra’s Fusion Essence Cloud solution will power the bank’s planned subsidiary in the Philippines.
KAF taps Temenos to launch digital lending business in Malaysia
KAF will use Temenos Banking Services for retail loans and Islamic financing.
South African challenger bank Tyme completes $180m Series B with Tencent investment
The investment from Tencent and UK development finance institution CDC brought in an additional $70 million.
Indonesian fintech Flip plots expansion following $48m Series B
Cash will go towards strengthening its Indonesian operations and expanding its workforce.
Diebold Nixdorf tapped by Cambodian retail bank ACLEDA for self-service solutions
Diebold Nixdorf will deploy its services across ACLEDA’s 262 branches.
UK paytech Rapyd acquires Neat for Asian expansion
Neat provides a cross-border trade enabling platform for small businesses and start-ups.
WeLab to launch new digital bank in Indonesia following BJJ acquisition
WeLab has raised $240m to fund the acquisition – “the largest fintech funding in Indonesia in 2021”.
Finastra offloads Fusion Summit treasury business in China, Macau and Hong Kong
The buyer is CloudWing Network Technologies, a subsidiary of Hundsun Technologies.
Shinhan Bank readies stablecoin remittance PoC on Hedera network
This is the latest in a number of distributed ledger innovations by the South Korean bank.
YouTrip plans B2B expansion following $30m Series A
The Singapore-based fintech offers a multi-currency wallet, with a push into the corporate market now planned.
Digital wealth app Endowus secures $27m in latest funding round
The Singapore start-up gains backing from new and existing investors from across Asia.
