SEA

Southeast Asia sees $2.7B in combined equity funding across 12 companies – Tracxn

Southeast Asia's 12 leading payment startups have collectively raised over $2.7 billion in equity funding till date, with the top two companies accounting for approximately 83 percent of the total capital raised, Tracxn said Wednesday.

Southeast Asia’s shift to digital payments accelerates as merchant searches jump – PayMongo

As digital commerce matures in Southeast Asia, the region's shift to digital payments is accelerating as merchant searches jump, according to a PayMongo’s analysis of five years of Google Trends data across six markets: Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

US to invest $2.5B in Southeast Asia, including AI initiative, $1.5B in energy

The United States is investing more than $2.5 billion in Southeast Asia, headlined by a new artificial intelligence (AI) initiative to export American AI technology across the region and a $1.5 billion platform to build out energy infrastructure.

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.

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.

Japan’s JCB, Malaysia’s Fiuu to jointly expand card payments across Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines

Japan's JCB International and Malaysia's Fiuu, a payment processing platform formerly known as Razer Merchant Services, have entered into a direct acquiring partnership covering Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, enabling JCB card payments across online and offline merchant channels in the three markets.

Singapore’s Ant International adds Hang Seng Bank to Alipay+ as first Hong Kong banking partner

Singapore's Ant International has added Hong Kong's Hang Seng Bank to its Alipay+ payment network as the gateway's first banking partner in Hong Kong, allowing Hang Seng Mobile App users to make QR code payments at more than 100 million merchants across more than 55 countries and regions.

Canada’s NEO Battery Materials receives 10,000-unit drone cell order, approaching e-mobility expansion in Vietnam, Southeast Asia

Canada-based NEO Battery Materials has received a purchase order for 10,000 units of its 34Ah drone battery cells from South Korea's battery pack manufacturer PM Energy Solution, the former said in a statement on Thursday.

Germany’s travel booking platform Omio raises $10M to expand in Japan, Southeast Asia

Berlin-based multimodal travel booking platform Omio has raised $10 million in a strategic investment from Granite-Integral to accelerate its expansion in Japan and strengthen its presence across Southeast Asia.