Author: Company Announcement

Visa the Official Payment Services Partner of FIFA, released an analysis of spending inside the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia stadiums from the opening match on June 14 through the semi-finals on July 11. The data highlights the increased consumer adoption of innovative payment technology, as fifty percent of purchases with Visa in tournament venues utilized contactless transactions, including cards, mobile devices and wearables. For the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, Visa is the exclusive payment service in all stadiums where payment cards are accepted. In-stadium, fans can pay with contactless Visa credit and debit cards and mobile payment services at the more…

8I Holdings announces a strategic investment in AutoWealth, a licensed regional robo-advisor that automates investing and provides comprehensive investment portfolio rebalancing and management for retail investors. The investment in AutoWealth is part of 8IH’s strategy to increase its product offerings in the Company’s ecosystem and complement WealthPark, the Smart Investing Technology and Wealth Management Platform that 8Bit Global’s Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of 8IH, is developing. Under the agreement, 8IH will invest S$1 million into AutoWealth in consideration for a strategic minority equity stake in AutoWealth. The fresh capital will be used to strengthen its branding and marketing to grow…

I got my first iPod in 2002 — it was my first Apple product. I had had a Sony Walkman for a long time and had recently moved on to their MiniDisc player, but the iPod was so much better. It changed the way I listened to and bought music, creating a powerful connection for me to Apple that still persists. Today, I have an iPhone, an iPad and a MacPro. My kids and better half are all on Apple, our home Wi-Fi runs on AirPlay and we watch AppleTV. This dependency on Apple started with the iPod, and it…

To identify Singapore’s most promising young talents within the blockchain space, Singapore-based cryptocurrency wallet platform Coinhako collaborated with the Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) SPIRIT Research Centre to organise the inaugural The Blockchain SPIRIT Hackathon competition. The highly successful event saw many tech experts and students gather to engage in collaborative computer programming during the two-day Hackathon from 29 to 30 June 2018. Participants were tasked with designing a Singapore-wide blockchain software application and put it through a prototyping design contest. Standout participants stood the chance to win as much as SGD10,000 in start-up grants or even job offerings. For Coinhako…

Bambu, aglobal provider of robo-advisory technology, announced it has completed a USD 3 million Series A funding led by Franklin Templeton Investments, with Singapore family office Octava and prominent Japanese Fintech investor Mamoru Taniya also joining the round. The year 2018 has already become a marquee year for the two-year-old startup, signing clients in both North and South America as well as across Asia, and newly opened offices in London and Kuala Lumpur. Bambu also continues its commitment to its proprietary A.I. research and solutions, with further hires and completion of the team’s first research publication. Bambu CEO and founder…

Asia’s competitive landscape is growing, and organisations across the region are using the latest technological advancements to enhance their customer experience strategy and differentiate themselves from the crowd. AI-powered CX, personalised experiences and innovative journeys are the three areas senior representatives from BFSI, healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, consumer goods, logistics and supply chain told the CX Asia team they are looking to implement or enhance in the coming year. To enable these Heads of CX, Digital Strategy, Operations, Marketing, Customer Insights and Loyalty, the 6th Annual Customer Experience Asia event will feature 70+ case studies from 60+ world-class CX leaders. They…

There is hot news about the first cooperation of it’s kind – the crypto-based CoinDeal exchange, founded by Adam Bicz, Kajetan Maćkowiak and Filip Dzierżak from Wroclaw, became the official sponsor of the Wolverhampton Wanderers team, which this year, after six years of absence, returns to the English Premier League. This is a historical event. It is a first time that the logo of the company established by the Poles would appear on the T-shirts of the English Premier League team. The logo will be displayed throughout the Molineux stadium and also it will be printed on training shirts and…

Singapore Airlines  announced  a partnership with Plug and Play, a startup innovation platform based in Silicon Valley, to further promote creativity and innovation within the airline industry using digital solutions. Plug and Play’s Travel & Hospitality programme launched in 2016 and has accelerated 95 startups. Plug and Play supports these companies by providing them connections to interested corporations, mentorship, and access to funding. Together with Plug and Play, SIA will identify and work with startups that have created new ideas and technologies to develop solutions for business challenges in the aviation and travel sectors. This partnership will complement SIA’s digital…

GO-JEK announces the launch of two locally founded companies in Vietnam and Thailand that will form the first wave of its international expansion. The companies will be run by local founding management teams, with GO-JEK providing knowledge and expertise as well as technology and investment. GO-VIET, the brand being introduced in Vietnam, will enter its beta testing phase in July, which will involve a select number of drivers and consumers, before it goes to full launch in the next few months. GET, the brand being introduced in Thailand, will launch soon afterwards following consultation with local stakeholders including government, drivers…

Over the past 2 years, the crypto space and blockchain projects have gained popularity across the globe.  As a result, many dubious players entered the market to get a piece of the crypto pie. It is increasingly difficult for investors to differentiate between legitimate projects and scams. The Crypto Finance Conference addresses these issues. At all CFC events investment opportunities are being presented, but participants and speakers also discuss and address the risks of investing in crypto projects, how to find the right project and what future trends will bring. Based on our experience, we created  a short guide to help…

Finty, Singapore’s rewards-based financial marketplace focused on credit cards and personal loans,  announced its acquisition by Australian financial comparison giant, Credit Card Compare (CCC), 15 months after the company was launched in April 2017. The acquisition will better equip Finty to serve Singapore while expanding into other Asian markets. Mr. Kwok Zhong Li, Co-founder and Managing Director, Finty said, “As a Singapore startup, we are proud of our achievements and want to do more to serve consumers in our country and the region, which is something very aligned to CCC’s vision. Together with CCC, we now have more resources, manpower…

Ripple announced their University Blockchain Research initiative, a collaboration with top universities around the world to support and accelerate academic research, technical development and innovation blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital payments. In launching this initiative Ripple has committed over $50 million USD in funding, subject matter expertise and technical resources to UBRI’s first wave of university partners —17 prestigious institutions around the world. These schools will determine their own research topics and priority areas of focus, while also partnering with Ripple to: Collaborate on research and technical development that will stimulate widespread understanding and innovation in blockchain. Create new curriculum to meet…

Oracle has chosen Brussels as a European gateway to roll out its Fintech Innovation Program to Europe. Oracle plans to dedicate additional European staff and resources to set up mutually monetizable relationships with fintechs and digital banking innovators. Oracle plans to work with B-Hive Europe to accelerate enterprise readiness for participating fintechs and banks. Brussels was chosen as Oracle’s European fintech hub because of its central location and the presence of leading institutions of the European Union. Oracle’s customers will benefit from a renewed focus on European affairs. Johan Van Overtveldt, Belgium’s Minister of Finance, said, “I wholeheartedly support the…

LINE Corporation announced  that it plans to establish the cryptocurrency exchange BITBOX in July 2018. BITBOX will offer more than 30 highly demanded cryptocurrencies for global users (except in Japan and the United States), with support in 15 languages. BITBOX will trade highly demanded coins, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin, while offering low trading fees of 0.1%. The coins available have gone through an extensive screening process by BITBOX, selected by an internal committee to offer the most reliable and safest trading for users. In addition, LINE is bringing its long-established commitment to protecting user data, instituting its leading…

McAfee released its McAfee Labs Threats Report examining the growth and trends of new malware, ransomware, and other threats in Q1 2018. McAfee Labs saw on average five new threat samples every second, including growth in cryptojacking and other cryptocurrency mining malware, and notable campaigns demonstrating a deliberate drive to technically improve upon the most sophisticate established attacks of 2017. Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee said, “There were new revelations this quarter concerning complex nation-state cyber-attack campaigns targeting users and enterprise systems worldwide. Bad actors demonstrated a remarkable level of technical agility and innovation in tools and tactics. Criminals…

MatchMove announced that it has enabled the first contactless prepaid Mastercard in South Asia. The card is issued by Federal Bank,  a sector bank in India, distributed under the brand name tmw by The Mobile Wallet Pvt.Ltd, India’s first complete payment solution, and powered by MatchMove’s proprietaryBanking Wallet OSTM. This prepaid card allows users in India to make contactless payments at stores or onlinewithout having to key in a PIN for any transaction below INR2,000. The card is ready tocapitalize on the country’s enormous untapped opportunities in mobile payments driven by theproliferation of mobile usage and higher affluence. According to…

JLL and Lendlease jointly launched Propell Asia, the first Singapore based regional propttech accelerator that will connect ambitious start-ups to Asia Pacific’s commercial real estate market, which was worth US$16 trillion in 2017 and is set to grow to US$19.5 trillion by 2020. Propell Asia is an industry-first collaboration between JLL and Lendlease, two of the world’s leading and most recognisable international real estate companies. Together with partners coworking space District6 and creative design incubator MeshMinds, the accelerator programme is targeted at early stage start-ups in the region with a clearly defined product that can be applied to one of…

PayPal Holdings announced that it has agreed to acquire Hyperwallet, a global payout platform, for $400 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments. The acquisition of Hyperwallet enhances PayPal’s payout capabilities, improving the company’s ability to provide an integrated suite of payment solutions to ecommerce platforms and marketplaces around the world. According to Internet Retailer, marketplace sales accounted for more than 50% of global online retail sales in 2017. Upon closing, PayPal and Braintree merchants will gain localized, multi-currency payment distribution capabilities in more than 200 markets with numerous disbursement options, including prepaid card, bank account, debit card, cash pickup,…

Indorse, a decentralized social network for professionals, has announced a partnership with DREAM, a marketplace for high-end blockchain talent. The collaboration aims to provide verification for users’ reputations through the creation of certifiable profiles on both platforms, as well as enabling entrepreneurs to raise funding and grow their teams. Gaurang Torvekar, Indorse Co-founder and CEO said: “One of the most challenging obstacles in establishing a business is raising the required funds to make that vision a reality while also building a talented team. This partnership will not only provide job seekers with portable online profiles, but also assist startups in…

Carousell, Singapore’s fast growing classifieds marketplace, launches CarouPay. CarouPay is the company’s first integrated payment system for users to buy and sell more conveniently and with greater assurance. The feature is developed in partnership with DBS, Stripe and Visa. Carousellers are now able to pay directly within the app using DBS PayLah!, credit or debit cards. With tens of thousands of transactions happening on Carousell every day, CarouPay is expected to enhance the user experience for today’s consumers who value safer, easier and faster buying and selling on mobile. “With the support of our industry-leading payment and tech partners, we…