News
MAS proposes rule changes to speed up approval of new fund types
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has proposed regulatory changes aimed at accelerating the approval of new retail fund products, as part of efforts to support innovation in the investment management industry while maintaining safeguards for retail investors.
SMU launches research initiative on capital markets
Singapore Management University (SMU) has on Tuesday launched the Singapore Capital Markets Initiative (SCMI) to position Singapore at the forefront of a rapidly evolving global capital markets landscape.
Nestlé to invest $688M in AI-powered smart factory in Samut Prakan, Thailand
Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) has approved a $688 million investment by Nestlé (Thai) Co., Ltd. to construct a smart factory and distribution center in Samut Prakan province.
Maybank Indonesia Syariah, Muslim Pro launch embedded Islamic banking service powered by audax
Maybank Indonesia Syariah and Muslim Pro have launched Amanah Pro, an embedded Islamic banking experience that allows users of the Muslim Pro app to open a Shariah-compliant Hajj savings account in minutes through a paperless process.
Philippines’ Kickstart Ventures join Sprout.ai’s Pre-Series A $9M funding round
Sprouts.ai, an AI-native startup delivering Revenue Agents for B2B enterprises through a proprietary go-to-market (GTM) data layer, has raised $9 million in Pre-Series A funding.
QAI Ventures launches Singapore’s first quantum technology accelerator with four-startup inaugural cohort
QAI Ventures, a global venture capital firm focused on quantum technologies and advanced computing, has launched the inaugural cohort of its Singapore Quantum Accelerator.
Animoca Brands pilots AI agent-powered commerce with Visa in Hong Kong
Animoca Brands has completed a live pilot of AI-powered commerce capabilities developed in collaboration with Visa, enabling AI agents on its Minds platform to identify relevant Visa rewards and complete purchases on behalf of users at selected merchants in Hong Kong.
Thailand to invest $1.99B in AI, electronics, aviation, clean energy amid supply chain updates
Thailand has approved nine major investment projects worth a combined $1.99 billion across artificial intelligence (AI), advanced electronics, aviation, clean energy, and food, as global manufacturers reposition supply chains across Southeast Asia.
Singapore-based Nium acquires crypto wallet company Cypher to bridge fiat, digital asset payments infrastructure
Nium, a cross-border payments infrastructure company co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, has acquired Cypher, a crypto-native non-custodial wallet and issuing company backed by Y Combinator and Coinbase Ventures.
East Asia food delivery GMV reaches $38.6B in 2025
The four East Asian markets generated an estimated $38.6 billion in food delivery platform gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2025, Momentum Works said Wednesday.
