FinTech

Indonesia wealth tech firm Pluang raises $55M round led by Square Peg

With the fresh capital, the company will continue to democratize access for Indonesian retail investors to grow their wealth via its digital savings and investing products.

Carsome

Carsome spots a gap in auto-financing for graduates, aims to introduce similar product in Indonesia, Thailand after Malaysia

Carsome plans to introduce auto-financing for graduates in Indonesia and Thailand, as it targets a loan size of at least MYR 100M ($24.17M) for its auto-financing business in 2022.

Malaysia SPAC AEI CapForce II Investment plans to raise $100M from IPO

At the proposed deal size, AEI CapForce II Investment would command a market value of $129 million.

PayPal to acquire Japan BNPL unicorn Paidy for $2.7B

The acquisition will expand PayPal's capabilities, distribution and relevance in the domestic payments market in Japan, complementing the company's existing cross-border ecommerce business in the country, PayPal said.

The future of MSME financing will be collaborative, says IFS Capital’s Renchun Zeng [Q&A]

The future of SME financing will be increasingly tech-driven, inclusive, and accessible. Innovative financial solutions by traditional financial institutions and fintech firms will emerge.

SGX-listed iFAST Corp to continue digital bank ambition in Malaysia [Q&A]

It will target B40 segment while eyeing low-cost deposits globally.

Central banks of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa to test central bank digital currencies for international settlements

Led by BIS Innovation Hub’s Singapore Centre, the project, dubbed Project Dunbar, aims to develop prototype shared platforms for cross-border transactions using multiple CBDCs.

ADDX, ICHAM ink $200M agreement linked to China government-granted quota for offshore investments

ADDX has reached an agreement with the Singapore-regulated wealth and fund management company ICHAM, which has received a $200 million allocation as part of the Chongqing government’s overall $5 billion QDLP quota. ADDX will be the primary venue for investments from the ICHAM fund in China authorized to raise capital from Chinese institutions and…

Airwallex secures money services business license in Malaysia, now positioned for growth in Southeast Asia

From early next year, businesses in Malaysia can enjoy "fast, transparent and cost-effective" international payments in multiple currencies, empowering them to operate and grow globally.

Indonesia’s Ayoconnect raises $10M in Pre-Series B funding round

Pre-Series B funding allows Ayoconnect to continue to focus on growth, recruitment, and product development - particularly in building the API economy in Indonesia with full-stack API solutions.