Tag: finance

Singapore – Visa has announced the opening of its transformed Singapore Innovation Center, a dedicated space for partners, clients and businesses in Asia-Pacific. For the company, this space enables stakeholders to engage with Visa technologists to co-create payments solutions ahead of demand, deliver scalable innovation, and address the biggest challenges and opportunities in digital payments in the region.

The Visa Singapore Innovation Center represents Visa’s vision of shaping tomorrow’s payments possibilities. Showcasing the transformative power of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) in retail and payments, and reimagining modern credentials for enhanced security and convenience.

Moreover, it also serves as a springboard for thought leadership in decentralised and embedded finance, offering tailored solutions for businesses and fostering innovative collaborations with startups.

The Singapore Innovation Center is part of Visa’s network of eight regional innovation centres worldwide. It plays a pivotal role in driving regional payments innovation in Asia, addressing the local market needs of Visa’s Asia-Pacific clients, and ultimately driving forward the company’s global mission and strategy to deliver innovative, future-proof and secure payments that enable individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.

Stephen Karpin, president for Asia-Pacific at Visa, said, “At Visa, we’re bringing ideas to life in a way that’s truly unique to the Singapore Innovation Center, a dynamic hub where we transform innovative concepts into practical solutions. We’re dedicated to helping businesses discover valuable insights early so they continue to stay ahead in the rapidly digitalising payments landscape.”

He added, “By combining our expertise with cutting-edge technology and solution architecture, we work alongside our partners to materialise solutions that address payment challenges, driving real business value and growth for our client.”

Meanwhile, Png Cheong Boon, chairman at Singapore Economic Development Board, commented, “The Visa Singapore Innovation Center deepens the longstanding partnership between Visa and Singapore, and enables Visa to tap into our vibrant innovation ecosystem to develop new solutions and create new business opportunities for the global market. We look forward to strengthening and expanding this close partnership with Visa and also hope to encourage more global companies to undertake such activities in Singapore.”

Manila, Philippines – Financial management app Lista launched its new branding to underscore its strategic shift towards offering personal finance services for users. 

Lista’s rebranding introduces ‘Finn the Carabao’, a lovable and relatable character that is set to become a prominent symbol of the brand in its aim to make personal finance more accessible and convenient for its Filipino customers.

The finance management app will also offer an opportunity for its users to access their credit scores for only 10 pesos. This move is Lista’s way to promote financial literacy, as it exemplifies their dedication to making financial education and empowerment accessible to all.

The rebranding efforts come as Lista strengthens their brand’s core mission to empower individuals to make informed financial decisions and achieve their financial goals while solidifying their position as a trusted partner in everyone’s financial journey.

Since its founding in 2021, the financial management app has been providing innovative financial solutions tailored to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Lista plans to expand its range of services to offer more promotions and initiatives aimed at raising awareness about the importance of financial literacy for its users. 

Aaron Villegas, CEO at Lista, said, “We are thrilled to rebrand our logo and overall look as we embark on this exciting journey towards providing easy-to-use personal finance tools and solutions. While we have been proud supporters of MSMEs, we also recognise the pressing need to empower individuals in their own financial journeys. Our rebranding signifies our commitment to this mission.”

Commenting on the new logo, Khriz Lim, co-founder and COO at Lista, said, “Finn the Carabao embodies the spirit of Lista. Finn serves as the personification of Lista’s mission: to help Filipinos effectively budget their money in line with their life priorities. It stands ready to guide and support users on their financial journeys, ensuring they have a trustworthy and friendly companion by their side.” 

Singapore – Yahoo has announced the acquisition of Commonstock, a broker-agnostic social and community-based platform that drives insights for retail investors.

The acquisition advances the power of community for Yahoo Finance and accelerates the brand’s strategy to deliver unparalleled retail investing resources, solutions and experiences to investors of all skill sets and levels.

Through this acquisition, Commonstock will be effectively joining the Yahoo Finance organisation, reinforcing the unique capabilities of Yahoo Finance which is home to one of the largest and most active financial communities on the web, with over 150 million global monthly users.

Commenting on the acquisition, David McDonough, CEO and founder of Commonstock, said, “Joining Yahoo Finance is a tremendous opportunity to build community and products on the largest consumer finance stage, which will positively impact millions of loyal users. This acquisition will allow us to accelerate our mission at scale, emphasising community-driven knowledge and ensuring the amplification of quality insights to separate signal from noise.”

“For me, it’s personal. Yahoo Finance changed my career trajectory during the financial crisis over a decade ago. I was able to teach myself about the stock market and learned from other investors on the Yahoo Finance message boards. The unique blend of Yahoo’s reach and Commonstock’s expertise in creating retail investment communities is an incredibly powerful combination,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Tapan Bhat, president of Yahoo Finance, said, “Our platform caters to every stage of the investment process – from providing pre-trade market news and analysis, facilitating engaging pre- and post- trade conversations within our community of like-minded investors, to offering effective self-directed portfolio management tools and insights. Acquiring Commonstock reinforces this vision.”

“The Commonstock team has built a trusted community, sharing high- quality insights and knowledge that help everyday investors create wealth. Together, Yahoo and Commonstock will further empower investors of all skills and levels through a one-stop shop for smart financial decisions,” added Bhat. 

Philippines – Katrina Gonzalez has announced that she has been appointed by digital finance service Coins.ph as its new global marketing director. In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Gonzalez said that for her new role, she would be generating awareness for Coins.ph on its operations and future expansions to provide more people with easy access to digital assets and innovations in the Web3 space.

Specifically, she will be prioritizing on educating users on how they can participate in the web3 ecosystem and the opportunities it creates, in a safe and secure manner. 

“For web3 and crypto natives, we’ve got a lot of product launches in store to serve their rapidly evolving needs and cater to the various segments of the market spanning crypto traders, Web3 gamers, businesses, institutions, NFT collectors and more. So we want to do these justice by spreading awareness and making these accessible through education, promotions and community engagement,” Gonzalez told MARKETECH APAC. 

Prior to her appointment, Gonzalez held key roles in indie Web3 game studios as the chief operating officer of Serriva Labs and the former head of operations of YGG Pilipinas for more than a year.

“With YGG, I was constantly exposed to the community of web3 gamers we served. Web3 gaming made a substantial impact on people’s lives in terms of access to earning opportunities, and their trust in YGG to help navigate this new world and provide education on cryptocurrency and financial management was top of mind. Hearing their experiences, successes, and passion to give back to help others too was an inspiration. I believe I learned more from them than they learned from me and I’m truly grateful for that,” stated Gonzalez when asked about her prior experience in the Web3 industry. 

She also possesses a wide array of marketing leadership experience in banking and fintech firms, being the former chief marketing officer as well as the marketing and communications head of UnionDigital Bank and UnionBank respectively.  

“At UnionBank, heading the marketing and communications team of the fintech group, this is where I saw a traditional bank evolve into one that was not only willing to innovate but also keen to work with what was then considered competitors – the fintechs. By enabling fintechs and collaborating with them to create solutions for customers, we were able to do more, for more people. At UnionDigital, I was part of the founding team that started the digital bank and learned how to build from scratch with the customer in mind – the underbanked and underserved,” she mentioned when asked about her previous roles in the field of banking.   

Speaking on her own appointment, Gonzalez said, “Through all these roles, I’ve been lucky to work in organizations that pushed the boundaries of innovation to provide people with opportunities to uplift their lives –  from web3 gaming to financial services. This is why I decided to join Coins.ph as we want to do the same thing in the digital asset space. I’ve learned through my prior roles, that it’s by keeping this mission in mind, day in and day out, that allows us to go beyond to serve the customer.”

When asked about the challenges and opportunities that the fintech industry will face for this year, she pointed out the emergence of fintech alternatives as something that could both be a challenge and an opportunity.

“For quite some time now, fintechs have been challengers to traditional financial services offered by banks and institutions. What we’re seeing emerge is that there are alternatives to fintechs coming from the web3 and digital asset space – from lending, savings and ways to earn – it will be interesting to see how fintechs either compete or collaborate with builders in web3. This is both a challenge and opportunity for fintechs,” she answered. 

Gonzalez joins Coins.ph following its cryptocurrency partnerships with UnionBank, Globe, and the Philippine BasketBall Association. 

Singapore – Around 6 to 10 Southeast Asians are said to currently have debts or loans, according to a survey conducted by market research firm Milieu Insight in 2023. 

The study found that 62% of the Southeast Asian population are currently holding debts or loans, with Malaysia and Vietnam emerging as the nations grappling with the highest amount of people who currently have loans or debt.

The main factor as to why debt and loans have grown in Southeast Asia vary for each country. In Singapore, 49% of Singaporeans choose to take on debt in order to purchase property. On the other hand, 48% of Indonesians and 41% of Vietnamese and Filipinos stated that they took out loans and had debts due to an urgent need for immediate funds.

‍Regionally, there is a growing concern about indebtedness, with 14% of respondents stating that they aren’t able to save after deducting expenses and debt/loan repayment. This is even more alarming in Thailand, with 24% of respondents being unable to save after covering essential expenses and loans. However, there is a stark contrast in Singapore, where 14% of respondents are still saving more than 50% of their income.

Furthermore, the study revealed that 1 in 4 of Southeast Asians lacked personal finance education, with 39% of respondents attributing their financial literacy to the Internet.

In a press release regarding this, Milieu Insight commented, “Understanding the debt landscape and personal finance dynamics in Southeast Asia has never been more critical. Financial education is thus crucial and should be viewed as a lifelong learning process, with continuous efforts to update and adapt programs to align with evolving economic conditions. By fostering a culture of learning and financial awareness, we can equip our communities with the tools to make sound financial decisions and achieve financial security.”

Manila, Philippines – Global digital payments company Visa has appointed Jeff Navarro as its new country manager for the Philippines and Guam. He succeeds previous country manager Dan Wolbert, who has moved to a new role for Visa North America.

Navarro was previously the regional vice president for the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indochina at Western Union. He also served as the president and chairman of the board at Western Union Processing Services Inc. Prior to joining Western Union, he has also worked with SMART Communications and Shell across sales, brand, and business development roles.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “It is a great pleasure for me to join Visa, a global leader in payments and money movement, areas which are near and dear to my heart. I am excited and honoured to have the opportunity to lead a team of seasoned professionals, who share the drive and passion to further widen financial inclusion for all Filipinos.” 

He added, “I look forward to working closely with our clients, fintechs, the regulator, and all stakeholders to grow digital payments in the country, and enable individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive.”

Meanwhile, Tareq Muhmood, Visa’s Group Country Manager for Regional Southeast Asia, said, “I am delighted to have Jeff lead our team in the Philippines and Guam as the country manager. Jeff’s regional experience and in-depth knowledge of the financial services industry will be an asset for Visa and will serve him well in leading our team.”

He added, “Jeff and the team will drive our business agenda with clients, consumers, and regulators in the Philippines and Guam, in line with our purpose to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.” 

Singapore – SME growth financing platform Validus and global financial services company Citi have established a US$100m securitisation facility, collateralised by SME loans originated by Validus in Singapore. This will drive SME financing in Southeast Asia.

The facility is also supported by First Plus Asset Management, a Singapore-based multi-asset investment manager focused on Asia structured credit and equities.

Milena Naitoh, head of corporate development at Validus, said, “This collaboration with Citi underscores the quality of our origination, credit portfolio management, strength and resilience of our business, in today’s market environment. With this evolution in our financing strategy, as well as the support of Citi as an established player in the asset-backed securities space, we are now even better positioned to support the growth of SMEs with accessible and effortless business finance.” 

She added, “As Validus continues to extend its position as a leading all-in-one SME finance platform in Southeast Asia, this securitised lending structure, together with a diversified financing and product strategy, will enable us to grow at a much greater scale. We are honoured that Citi has chosen to collaborate with us on this landmark securitised lending transaction with a fintech start-up in Southeast Asia, and we are looking at replicating this transaction playbook across other markets.” 

Validus is currently raising its Series C equity round for an undisclosed amount. The combination of the securitisation facility and Series C equity funding will further drive Validus’ expansion plans as it starts to introduce neo-banking products in other Southeast Asia markets. 

Validus’ proprietary algorithmic credit models and uniquely aggregated alternative underwriting data has driven reliable historical performance in origination, underwriting and collections. Since its launch in 2015, Validus has disbursed over US$1.6 billion across more than 65,000 loans to small businesses in Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. 

Meanwhile, Lei Tie, co-founder and head of structured credit at First Plus, said, “We are thrilled to be part of the transaction, which has established a gold standard for non-recourse asset based financing for Southeast Asia, and to be able to support Validus on their next phase of growth.” 

Sydney Australia – Block Earner, a blockchain-powered fintech company, is moving blockchain and decentralised finance out of tech savvy circles by embracing standard advertising codes with its first-ever OOH campaign in Sydney. The campaign is designed to increase awareness and brand recognition in an increasingly competitive space, and deliver the next generation of financial products to Australians. 

With a minimalist design, the ad simply invites on-the-move people to search for Block Earner online, where a multi-channel digital marketing campaign has been designed to boost awareness, engagement and conversion. Search results also provide curious consumers with a flurry of established and trusted sources that detail the Block Earner story, but also invite them to learn what decentralised finance has in store for them. 

About the choice of an outdoor campaign, Colin Williamson, head of digital and growth at Block Earner, said they want to be in the mainstream consciousness.

“Decentralised finance has many benefits for consumers, but it’s a new space, and we need to help grow the general awareness of it, overcome scepticism and build trust with the people, and give them the tools to grasp the concept, Williamson said.

“This outdoor campaign acts as a portal to a discovery journey inviting visitors to reflect on a new financial way forward, with three layers of narrative around overcoming rising inflation, moving on from legacy financial services that do not benefit them, and unlocking the future of finance,” Williamson added.

The campaign sees a full tram, 50 buses, a double decker, 500 seats, 10 billboards and 82 urban lights wearing the Aussie fintech’s colours for three months. Block Earner worked with Adholics for the campaign planning, Torch Media, Move Media and JCDecaux for outdoor assets and placements, and Studio 3am for the creative and design. 

The digital campaign includes social media amplification, programmatic advertising, and in-game advertising in online and Web3 video games, as well as different landing pages on Block Earner’s website that will be served to visitors based on where they are on their journey through the marketing funnel.

Williamson continued, “Coupling outdoor and digital advertising, with a high-level and simple messaging, Block Earner is aiming to stimulate the curiosity of Australians who understand alternative savings options exist but feel unsure of where to start, and commonly associate decentralised finance with volatility, scams and risk. Instead, we want them to see a wide scope of possibilities, without hurdles, risk or complexity, just better yields for the people to go through these tough times.”

Islamabad, Pakistan – The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced the launch of a challenge fund for local small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs). According to their latest circular, SBP instructs local banks to develop innovative technological solutions to cater the banking needs of the SME sector. In addition, this will also enable the SME sector to increase the access and usage of digital financial services.

Said challenge fund will be focusing on developing SME banking solutions, digital payment solutions for SMEs, developing e-commerce or online marketplace, and digitising loans application and credit management.

The grant size will be determined according to the financing requirements of the proposal under consideration. However, each grantee will contribute 15% of the total cost. Depending upon the quality and innovations of the proposal, the grant size can vary, however one bank will get only one grant. 

The duration of the projects to be implemented through CFS grant should not exceed 8 months.

In addition, commercial banks–both conventional and Islamic, are eligible to apply for grants under the fund. Banks can also apply in partnership with non-banking financial Institutions (NBFIs), fintechs, electronic money institutions (EMI) and software houses. However, lead responsibility will rest with the applicant bank.

Hong Kong – The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has announced new enhancements to its SME Financing Guarantee Scheme, where the application period for the 80% Guarantee Product, the 90% Guarantee Product and the Special 100% Loan Guarantee will be extended to 30 June, 2023.

The maximum loan amount per enterprise under the Special 100% Loan Guarantee will be raised from the total amount of employee wages and rents for 18 months to that for 27 months, subject to a ceiling of HK$9m, originally HK$6m, and the maximum repayment period will be extended from eight years to ten years.

In addition, HKMC Insurance Limited (HKMCI) will also extend the principal moratorium arrangement under the SFGS by six months to a total of 30 months, and the application period for principal moratorium will be extended to end-December 2022.

“An option for borrowers to resume making partial principal repayment for one year will be provided, allowing borrowers to resume normal repayment gradually if they are willing and capable. Whether a borrower chooses the principal moratorium arrangement or the partial principal repayment option, the loan tenor and the guarantee period will generally be extended accordingly,” the authority said.