Visual Capitalist’s infographic visualizes the 27 largest fintech startups worldwide. They look at valuations, cash raised, location, sub-sectors, and much more!

Remittances can contribute to a big chuck of the GDP of a country, notably in emerging markets. The World Bank estimates that migrants will send up to US$636 billion home in 2017, with three quarter of that amount being remitted to developing countries. In 2015, remittances to South Asia grew by 2% or US$117.9 billion. Given their magnitude and contribution to national economies, reducing remittance cost would add billions to these local economies. Digital platforms, mobile and cutting edge technologies have already shown that not only can the remittance costs be significantly brought down, but the money can also be…

WeLab, one of the fastest growing fintech companies in Greater China, has announced it has secured a credit facility of US$25 million from ING Bank. WeLab is the operator of Wolaidai (我来贷), one of China’s largest mobile lending platforms, and WeLend, Hong Kong’s leading online lending platform. The firm aims to tap the bank loan market for another US$50 million in the coming months. This credit facility will provide lending capital for WeLab’s Hong Kong business and enables the company to meet rapidly growing demand for its loans in Hong Kong. WeLab’s business volume in Hong Kong more than doubled…

With financial services accounting for 16% of its GDP and employing 236,000 people, or 6% of total employment in Hong Kong, it comes with little surprise that the region has made fintech one of its top priorities. Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading international financial centers, is looking at financial technology as the natural evolution of financial services. With digitalization, artificial intelligence, robotics, hitting all major industries, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is expected to bring massive disruption in the banking and financial industry as well. Governments from all over the world are gearing up for fintech disruption. In Hong…

In 2015, Asia’s fintech startups attracted US$4.5 billion in venture capital funding through 130 deals, making the region the second biggest player in terms of venture capital following North America with US$7.7 billion through 378 deals. According to a report by KPMG and CB Insights, 2015 was a record year for Asia. The spike was attributable to a notable rise in US$50 million + deals, which included One97, Dianrong, and BankBazaar, among others. Although the US and Europe have so far led the fintech wave, Asia’s conditions are ripe for fintech, according to a report by Kapronasia, one of the…

The announcement of the central bank and government of Thailand to impose tightened financial regulations towards startups and platforms in its fintech industry prompted serious concerns over the Thai fintech ecosystem from local investors and entrepreneurs. In contempt of the government’s strict regulatory frameworks, the fintech market remains the second largest industry in the country, due to the emergence of truly innovative and popular fintech startups and platforms over the past few years. The fintech industry in Thailand has rapidly grown since 2014, with startups including Piggipo, StockRadars, PeakEngine, Flowaccount, and Finnomena securing major venture capital investments and partnerships. Local…

South-east Asia’s rapid economic progression is bringing it further up the ladder in the global race to capitalist success, and with this boom in local potential comes a new drive for white-collared talent. There is now an ever-expanding number of opportunities and incentives for qualified, South-east Asian people living overseas to return to the exciting region for work. And people are coming. And so many (Fintech) Startups would need them…. Robert Walters’ 2015 campaign “Balik Kampung with Roger Walters”, or roughly “Return Home with Roger Walters”, was a key factor in promoting this new demand. Now working across the South-east…

Smartphones have changed the way Filipinos communicate. There’s no doubt that communication technologies are making Filipinos more social, making sure they stay connected with their circle. In fact, the Philippines has been called the text-messaging capital of the world. With better internet access and stronger smartphone adoption, the country has transformed into the most social nation. Who are the Filipino smartphone users? And what are their smartphone habits? Let’s get to know them better with this infographic from Pawnhero. The mobile phone is now the most important device all over the world. Aside from calls and messages, mobile devices now…

Call Levels, a Singaporean fintech startup providing a cloud-based market monitoring and price alerts app, continues to see “exponential growth” as the company seeks to make financial services accessible to everyone and allow average investors to get accurate information and quick alerts right into his or her pocket. Call Levels provides a simple market alert app – available for both Android and iOS devices – that enables users to set price alerts for multi-assets including forex, commodities, indices and stocks. Users can receive real-time alerts once the price is reached and they can also add peers to their list to…

Southeast Asia continues to be a largely cash-in-hand economy, with 264 million unbanked adults across the region, concentrated largely in developing countries, such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Given the region’s huge potential for growth in financial inclusion and e-payments, this report examines three of the world’s largest e-payment platforms from Indonesia, Latin America and India. How do these companies overcome the challenge of reaching largely unbanked populations in remote areas? CASE STUDY: DOKU, Indonesia Founded by Nabilah Alsagoff, COO, as a single-payment system for easing electronic transactions in Indonesia, DOKU is Indonesia’s largest and fastest growing provider of electronic payments.…

MicroGroup Lending Corporation, a leading lending institution, has embarked on a joint venture with Incubix Technologies in order to provide Leverage.ph that is set to improve the financing industry for small businesses. MicroGroup will provide financial expertise and insights for the new joint project, while Incubix will address the development and programming of the new online systems. MicroGroup has been well-known in the lending industry for the convenience and relational approach it does for their clients while Incubix is a well-established organization in software and development brings tremendous value to the joint venture. “The joint venture from these two…

Gemalto, a digital security provider, is supplying the Bank of the Philippines Islands  with EMV prepaid banking and transport cards that support beep, a contactless ticketing system for Manila Metro. BPI is one of the leading banks in the Philippines, and the first to cater to both EMV and transport payment. The two-in-one card leverages Gemalto’s Optelio technology and gives commuters greater security and convenience while increasing the transaction volume and user base for financial institutions. Metropolitan Manila is the most populous region of the Philippines where over 12 millions Filipinos reside and work. Among them, two million people commute daily by…

In partnership with Asosiasi Fintech Indonesia, Deloitte launched its findings: FinTech Indonesia Survey 2016, on fintech industry landscape in Indonesia, the challenges and ways to address them. The finding indicates that collaboration and strategic partnership are needed for economic growth through financial innovation. It is presented in conjunction with the Indonesia Fintech Festival & Conference hosted by the Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) and the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce (Kadin Indonesia). Innovating Financial Services Requires Collaboration For Economic Growth The key findings of FinTech Indonesia Survey 2016 shows that the majority of Indonesian fintech companies desire greater collaboration with other parties.…

Although still nascent, Vietnam’s fintech sector is growing steadily. A report released in May by Global Information, highlighted the sector’s huge potential in Vietnam. Startups that are leveraging technology, digital platforms and peer-to-peer business models are creating competitive pressures on the industry. Some new mobile wallet and payments companies aim at leveraging existing infrastructure by cooperating with financial institutions. Ho Chi Minh City has got a number of promising startups such as M_Service, one of the country’s first fintech startups to gain international recognition; Timo, Vietnam’s first and only digital “bank” powered by VP Bank; and LoanVi, Vietnam’s first peer-to-peer…

“Cyber Five” – consisting of Singapore, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea – is judged to be nine times more vulnerable to cyber attacks relative to their larger Asian counterparts China and India. Among the Cyber Five, South Korea topped the list with a cyber vulnerability score of 884 (compared to 329 in 2008), with Singapore scoring 399 (compared to 224 in 2008) Two notable examples for cyber vulnerability happened in Singapore in 2014: M1 is one of the telecoms service providers in Singapore, and it was alleged that when M1 started taking in online pre-orders for the new Apple…

The digital world is quickly infiltrating all aspects of our everyday lives, creating new technological threats that demand yet to be developed security solutions. The Internet of Things, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, medical devices, the smart home and wearable computing are only a few of the fields with which the cyber defense industry will have to protect in the coming years. Our growing vulnerability to cyber-attacks further emphasizes how our networks and cyber-lives remain insecure and exposed. The criminal world continues to grow stronger in the realm of cyberspace, initiating attacks and cyber warfare designed to generate profit and wreak havoc.…

Business Insider Singapore, CBInsights, Funderbeam, and Crunchbase together have created the world’s fintech unicorns – fintech start-ups valued at over $1 billion. Fintech Unicorns Worth $1 billion 27. Rong360, Chinese Financial Comparison Site Value: $1 billion | Raised: $258 million Founded: 2011 |  | HQ: Beijing Rong360 is riding the online finance wave in China, letting consumers compare and contrast all the various products that are being offered. Silicon Valley’s Sequoia Capital, an early investor in Google, Apple, and WhatsApp, is a backer. 26. China Rapid Finance, Chinese Peer-to-peer Lender Value: $1 billion | Raised: $56 million Founded: 2001 (although online lending did not start…

E-wallets are becoming a key staple for expats, travelers and digital nomads all over the world. But what is the easiest, safest and most convenient E-Wallet for managing your money away from home? The thing about E-wallets is that they make such a lot of sense – they are affordable, convenient, safe, etc, and since there are now so many options, it can be hard to know which one to choose. Many of the bigger, more well-known corporations like PayPal and Apple Pay do not actually offer the lowest rate or the best range of facilities for you, especially as…

Organised by Terrapinn, The IoT Show Asia 2016 will look at new business possibilities and deployment challenges of IoT in new industrial age. Over the recent years, there has been much hype about the benefits and possibilities of the Internet of Things, drones and smart cities. With more announcements for smart cities being made over the past couple of years, how do we transform into smart cities of the future? How should we adapt ourselves for this fourth industrial revolution? Opening The IoT Show Asia 2016 on 1 September at Suntec Singapore. Martin Ford, Author of The Rise of the Robots and…

With their increasing popularity and affordability in civil industries, UAVs or drones are increasingly taking off for commercial missions. How can businesses effectively adopt these unmanned aerial vehicles to save money, time and lives? What will be the best way to manage these drones from the regulatory and safety point of view? On September 1, the leading regulators from across the region will be gathering at Terrapinn’s The Commercial UAV Show Asia to discuss the future plans to improve RPAS regulation in the region. Leading the panel discussion is Mr Daniel Ng, Director, Aviation Industry Division, Civil Aviation…