News
HSBC to open global AI center in Singapore in H2/2026, hiring 100 specialists
HSBC is establishing a Global AI Center of Excellence in Singapore in the second half of 2026, hiring more than 100 AI specialists to develop artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for deployment across its global network.
Maybank sees Singtel as a long-term beneficiary of Physical AI in ASEAN
Maybank Investment Bank said Monday that it sees Singapore's largest mobile network operator a communications technology group Singtel as a long-term beneficiary of Physical AI in ASEAN, while its data centers, GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) offering and connectivity assets position it well to capture near-term growth from digital artificial intelligence (AI).
ASEAN+3 growth forecast raised on stronger AI demand – AMRO
ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said Monday it is projecting the ASEAN+3 region to grow by 4.1 percent in 2026, up from its June forecast of 4 percent, reflects sustained momentum in the region’s technology sector, particularly robust demand for semiconductors and other artificial intelligence (AI)-related products.
Egypt’s Fincart raises $2.8M seed round to expand e-commerce platform across Africa, Middle East
Egypt-based Fincart, a shipping platform, has closed an oversubscribed $2.8 million seed funding round co-led by Launch Africa and Antler MENAP, with participation from Yango Ventures, Five35 Ventures, Bluestream Capital, Hi2 Global, Kalahari Venture Labs, and other MENA and Africa-focused investors.
Hong Kong, Singapore-based KPay receives in-principle approval for Singapore major payment institution licence
KPay Group, a fintech company co-headquartered in Hong Kong and Singapore, has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for a Major Payment Institution license, under the Payment Services Act 2019 for its Singapore subsidiary, KPay Merchant Service (Singapore).
China’s BYD, Australia’s Smart to jointly integrate novated leasing into EV purchase process
China's electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD and Australia's salary packaging and novated leasing provider Smart will jointly offer BYD and DENZA electric vehicles available through novated leases to more than 2.5 million Australians employed by Smart's clients.
Samsung, Maybank launch Malaysia’s first Samsung Wallet QR payment, usable across 5 countries
Samsung Malaysia Electronics and Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) have jointly launched QR payment functionality within Samsung Wallet in Malaysia, allowing eligible Samsung Galaxy users to access Maybank's MAE Scan & Pay feature natively within the wallet application from July 21, 2026.
Danantara acquires controlling stakes in four state-owned investment managers
PT Danantara Asset Management (DAM) has officially signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) for shares in PT Mandiri Manajemen Investasi (MMI), PT BRI Manajemen Investasi (BRI MI), PT BNI Asset Management (BNI AM), and PT PNM Investment Management (PNM IM) on Wednesday.
U.S. Section 301 hits Southeast Asia: 10% for three, 12.5% for Singapore, Vietnam, technology escapes
New U.S. Section 301 tariffs took effect on Friday (July 24) across 60 economies, hitting seven Southeast Asian nations: Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia with a 10 percent additional duty, while Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore face the higher rate of 12.5 percent.
Visa, China’s Lianlian complete first live B2B agentic payment transaction using AI agent
US payments company Visa and China's Lianlian DigiTech have completed their first live business-to-business agentic transaction using LoopXPay, Lianlian's AI agent, in which the agent sourced a product sample from a supplier and completed the purchase within a single automated workflow.
