Latest news and trends about tech
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.
AI voice is scaling across APAC; Its ability to listen has not kept pace
AI voice agents are expanding across Asia-Pacific, but inconsistent recognition of regional accents, dialects, code-switching, and real-world speech could limit their effectiveness. Businesses need to evaluate whether these systems understand how customers actually speak.
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.
What growing up around a retail business taught me about inventory shortages
Growing up around a family retail business showed Lee Leslee how small inventory errors can build into recurring shortages. He explains where spreadsheets begin to fall short and why growing businesses need clearer, more consistent stock tracking.
Quantum sovereignty in Asia: How quantum computing, AI and emerging ventures are shaping the next technology frontier
Asia’s quantum ambitions are moving beyond research as governments, companies, and universities build capabilities in computing, AI, cybersecurity, and commercial applications. This article examines the region’s push for quantum sovereignty and the roles of emerging ventures in the UK, China, Singapore, and Malaysia.
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.
Huawei, Thailand jointly launch AI ecosystem initiative, to push innovation, talent development
Huawei has joined Thai government agencies, telecom carriers, large language model developers, AI associations, and universities to launch the Thailand AI Ecosystem Initiative, in order to push Thailand as a hub for AI innovation in Southeast Asia.
