Singapore retains top position as the region’s FinTech hub while mature players dominate mega deals

SINGAPORE, Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ASEAN’s Financial Technology (FinTech) sector has entered a leaner phase in 2025, recording its lowest funding amount since 2016 and fewest deals in the past decade. Amid funding headwinds driven by market volatility and heightened caution among investors, FinTechs that captured attention obtained larger investments, particularly mature late-stage FinTechs whose resilience helped them secure the region’s largest deals, contributing to the bulk of total funding. These insights are part of the FinTech in ASEAN 2025: Navigating the New Realities report, jointly launched today by UOB, PwC Singapore and the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA).

Across the six largest ASEAN economies^[1], both funding amount and number of deals declined in the first three quarters of this year (9M25) compared to the same period last year. Total funding secured by region fell 36 per cent to around US$835 million, while the number of deals plunged 60 per cent to 53 deals. Although overall funding declined, the region saw a 42 per cent jump in average deal size to US$21.4 million in 9M25, signalling stronger investor confidence in FinTechs that successfully differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape.

As investors de-risk amid an uncertain macroenvironment, their focus continues to shift from early-stage FinTechs chasing rapid growth to those demonstrating profitability, scalability and sustainability. This trend is reflected in mature, late-stage FinTechs capturing 67 per cent of ASEAN’s total funding in 9M25, a 24-percentage-point increase year-on-year (yoy). The average funding per late-stage deal also soared by 40 per cent yoy to around US$112 million, driven by three mega deals totalling nearly US$450 million.

Ms Janet Young, Managing Director and Group Head, Channels & Digitalisation and Strategic Communications & Brand, UOB, said, “As ASEAN’s FinTech sector recalibrates, innovators continue to show remarkable resilience. The rise in average deal size and strong performance of late-stage companies underscore investor confidence in the region’s long-term potential as a thriving digital economy. We believe that innovation is the key to driving sustainable growth and financial inclusion. Guided by our commitment to building the future of ASEAN, we will continue to foster collaboration, support the catalysing of new solutions and empower businesses to seize the opportunities in the digital future.”

Ms Wong Wanyi, FinTech Leader, PwC Singapore, said, “Over the past decade, the FinTech landscape in ASEAN has seen significant growth and innovation. Mobile payments and Artificial Intelligence-driven platforms have boosted financial inclusion. Collaboration among ASEAN countries has enhanced cross-border transactions and economic integration. Despite slower funding and lower valuations, investor confidence persists, fuelled by sophisticated FinTechs that have successfully adapted to market shifts, putting them ahead of the curve. Such resilience is often grounded in strong risk management, agile business models, comprehensive organic and inorganic expansion strategies, as well as effective stakeholder communication. Capital is expected to increasingly flow toward ventures with strong value propositions and execution excellence. If we continue in this trajectory, FinTech will keep ASEAN at the forefront of global innovation.”

Ms Holly Fang, President, Singapore FinTech Association, said, “Singapore’s position as the region’s leading FinTech hub reflects the strength of its collaborative ecosystem, where regulators, financial institutions, and innovators work together to drive meaningful change and sustainable growth. The sector’s focus on sustainable growth and profitability marks an important step in the maturation of the FinTech ecosystem, where firms are being tested on their ability to sustain innovation amid an increasingly volatile and uncertain environment. As the industry continues to mature, SFA remains committed to supporting FinTechs at every stage of growth, fostering innovation, and strengthening regional connectivity to advance Singapore’s FinTech ecosystem.”

Singapore reinforces its position as ASEAN’s FinTech powerhouse

Singapore continues to cement its position as the region’s FinTech hub, attracting 87 per cent of total funding in 9M25, amounting to more than US$725 million. This marks a significant rise from 57 per cent of funding share in 9M24 and 65 per cent in 9M23, underscoring the city-state’s status as the preferred base for FinTechs.

Singapore accounted for more than half of the region’s 53 deals in 9M25, primarily in blockchain for financial services and investment technology. Pre-series and early-stage investments made up 79 per cent of the country’s deals, highlighting opportunities for budding innovation. Notably, eight out of ASEAN’s top ten funded FinTechs for 9M25 are based in Singapore, of which five are late-stage firms.

Outside the city-state, FinTechs in the other key ASEAN markets faced a more challenging fundraising environment. Indonesia, trailing behind Singapore, saw its share of funding fell from 20 per cent in 9M24 to a mere four per cent in 9M25, with deals dropping from 23 to 10. Philippines, tying with Indonesia in the second place, clinched its position with five deals, one of which was alternative lending firm Salmon which secured ASEAN’s sixth most funded deal as an early-stage firm. The remaining three markets, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, collectively accounted for less than 10 per cent of total funding in 9M25 and saw noticeably fewer deals.

Despite the harsh funding winter and intensified competition, ASEAN remains resilient to support FinTech innovation. The sector’s pivot toward operational excellence, realistic valuations, and sustainable growth lays the foundation for a more mature and resilient ecosystem, putting ASEAN’s FinTechs to a test on their ability to sustain innovation in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world.

The FinTech in ASEAN 2025: Navigating the New Realities report was launched at Singapore FinTech Festival today. For the full report, please visit go.uob.com/fintech2025.

– Ends – 

About UOB

UOB is a leading bank in Asia. Operating through its head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, UOB has a global network of more than 470 branches and offices in 19 markets in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions. Today, UOB is rated among the world’s top banks: Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA- by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.

For nine decades, UOB has adopted a customer-centric approach to create long-term value by staying relevant through its enterprising spirit and doing right by its customers. UOB is focused on building the future of ASEAN – for the people and businesses within, and connecting with, ASEAN.

The Bank connects businesses to opportunities in the region with its unparalleled regional footprint and leverages data and insights to innovate and create personalised banking experiences and solutions catering to each customer’s unique needs and evolving preferences. UOB is also committed to help businesses forge a sustainable future, by fostering social inclusiveness, creating positive environmental impact and pursuing economic progress. UOB believes in being a responsible financial services provider and is steadfast in its support of art, social development of children and education, doing right by its communities and stakeholders.   

Six organisations driving AI-powered low-code innovation and transformation honoured as Singapore marks 60 years of progress

SINGAPORE, Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — OutSystems, the leading AI-powered low-code development platform, today announced the winners of its 2025 regional OutSystems Awards, recognising six organisations leading the next wave of digital innovation with AI-powered low-code. Launched in celebration of Singapore’s 60th anniversary, the awards pay tribute to visionary companies that embody the same ingenuity shaping the nation’s rise as a global technology hub.

Representing both public and private sector innovators, the award highlights how organisations are harnessing AI-powered low-code to reshape customer experiences, streamline operations, and strengthen workplace collaboration. Winners were selected across six distinct pillars: AI Transformation, Customer Innovation, Digital Excellence, Digital Trailblazer, Digital Workplace, and Process Excellence.

The full list of award recipients includes:

• Certis Group: AI Transformation – Singapore’s leading security and integrated services provider modernised frontline learning with eQuiz, an AI-powered refresher-training app built on OutSystems. Generating over 46,000 adaptive questions, eQuiz provides personalised, gamified learning that improves retention and morale while cutting manual training time. Real-time dashboards also reveal knowledge gaps, enabling supervisors to target retraining efforts and strengthen workforce readiness.
• Civil Service College Singapore: Digital Trailblazer (Partner: Temus) – As the key learning institution for the Singapore Public Service, Civil Service College (CSC) serves all Ministries and Agencies comprising over 140,000 public officers. As part of the new LEARN initiative, CSC utilised OutSystems’ low-code platform to develop key functions of its Digital Learning Eco-System (DLE) within six months, and consolidated multiple applications into a comprehensive end-to-end solution for the entire learning lifecycle within a year. The DLE is a one-stop platform that has transformed learning processes, and has provided a scalable and adaptable foundation to meet evolving whole-of-government needs.
• Far East Organization: Customer Innovation – Singapore’s largest private property developer introduced the oneFarEast App, a unified mobile and web platform tailored for both property buyers and residential, commercial and retail tenants. The app streamlines service and property management solutions, achieving an average 70% sign-up rate across its portfolio. It has delivered significant savings through paperless operations while elevating the overall customer experience.
• Ministry of Law: Digital Excellence – Faced with a sprawling technology landscape spanning over 30 systems, the Ministry of Law turned to OutSystems to consolidate and modernise its infrastructure with standardised services that can be reused across operations. The transformation is projected to unlock significant savings per business process over five years and improve service delivery by at least 60%.
• Scoot Pte. Ltd.: Process Excellence – Singapore’s low-cost carrier reimagines its disruption management using vOCC (Virtual Operations Command Center). The app automates real-time alerts and stakeholder coordination, improving data visibility by 90% and cutting manual communication by up to 70% — saving roughly 3,000 minutes in manual communication every month. vOCC has become a model of operational agility and customer transparency in aviation.
• Seaco: Digital Workplace – Seaco is one of the world’s leading shipping container lessors. Seaco transformed how its commercial teams operate with Dragonfly, a centralised digital commercial cockpit. By integrating analytics, sales, and lead management into one workspace, Dragonfly replaces disconnected systems with dynamic dashboards, boosting productivity, accelerating deal cycles, and enabling consistent collaboration across markets.

“The throughline across these organisations is not just the technical results they have produced, but their courage to fundamentally rethink how they create impact for employees and customers, empowered by AI-powered low-code. As Singapore marks 60 years of nation-building, we celebrate the organisations that embody the same pioneering spirit: taking calculated risks, solving complex problems, and raising the bar for what’s possible in a new era of agentic software development,” said Leonard Tan, Regional Director, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Greater China Region at OutSystems.

The winners of the awards were unveiled at the OutSystems Singapore Customer Appreciation Day 2025 on 11 November, an exclusive gathering of 100 CIOs, CTOs, and IT Directors. The event showcased customer achievements, explored the latest in AI-powered low-code innovation, and featured a keynote from Certis on its award-winning AI project.

To discover more customer success stories and explore how organisations are driving innovation with AI-powered low-code, visit the OutSystems Customer Stories page.

About OutSystems

OutSystems is the leading AI-powered low-code development platform trusted by thousands of customers worldwide. The platform empowers CEOs, management teams, and technology leaders to build mission-critical applications and agentic systems that grow revenue, streamline operations, and deliver exactly what businesses need. 

While evolving AI pilots into production success can be challenging due to talent gaps, legacy systems, imperfect data, and sprawling point solutions, OutSystems provides a proven low-code platform and AI-driven development experience that enables innovation up to 10x faster with the assurance of built-in security, scalability, and governance.

Recognized as a leader by analysts, IT executives, business leaders, and developers around the world, global brands trust OutSystems to innovate as fast as the evolving market demands and orchestrate powerful human + AI collaboration in the agentic future.

Founded in 2001, the company’s network spans more than 60 million end users, over 500 partners, and active customers in 75+ countries across 20+ industries. Learn more at www.outsystems.com.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Michelin is turning its “All Sustainable” vision into reality, balancing People, Planet, and Profit, with open innovation and advanced technologies at its core.

A harmonious balance of People, Planet, and Performance

Facing climate and economic challenges, Michelin is committed to balancing People, Profit, and Planet, guiding all R&D, corporate culture, and community programs. The Group fosters a diverse and safe workplace with 129,800 employees in 175 countries, guarantees a decent minimum wage through its “Living Wage” policy, and supports employees in hardship via “One Care.”

Through its “Lifelong Learning” program, Michelin provides 5 million training hours annually and co-founded “Hall 32” to train future industry technicians.

For the Planet, Michelin is pursuing its 2030 goals: 40% of tire materials from recycled or renewable sources, 100% sustainable natural rubber, and a 47% cut in operational CO₂ compared to 2019. In Southeast Asia, removing plastic packaging from motorcycle tires saves 300 tons annually. In Vietnam, shifting freight to sea and utilizing biomass boilers and solar power at the Binh Duong factory reduces CO₂ emissions by over 3,700 tons per year.

“No development project can be imagined without considering all its economic, social and environmental impacts. Similarly, no single player can meet the collective challenges facing the world. Michelin’s “All-sustainable” approach exemplifies this multifaceted need for collaboration, which has become essential between all stakeholders, for the benefit of civil society as a whole.” – Mr. Florent Menegaux, Chairman of Michelin Group shared.

Making mobility more innovative and more sustainable

An open innovative mindset is central to Michelin’s culture, driving progress and growth opportunities. The Group partners with research institutes, universities, and companies such as Factolab in France, contributing to recycling initiatives like BlackCycle and WhiteCycle.

Michelin leverages AI to create robotic solutions for handling flexible composites and accelerates adoption through collaborations with Microsoft and global leaders. At the same time, it advances maritime sustainability with technologies that help decarbonize global shipping.

Maritime transport accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and faces mounting pressure to reduce its carbon footprint in line with the IMO’s 2050 Net Zero target. In this context, Michelin’s WISAMO (Wing Sail Mobility) project has opened up a sustainable mobility solution for the industry.

Tests show that WISAMO can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 20% on existing vessels, and over 50% for new builds. Developed by Michelin’s R&D teams in Switzerland, the inflatable wing sail operates efficiently even against the wind and can retract fully to ensure safe navigation.

The system has already debuted a 170 m² sail, adaptable for fishing boats, research ships, and patrol vessels, and can even be installed on yachts. The team is now developing a larger 800 m² version to launch by 2026, underscoring Michelin’s commitment to helping the maritime sector “move cleaner, further, and smarter.”

Michelin has been officially operating in Vietnam since 2009, helping shape the country’s fast-growing mobility sector with solutions that prioritize innovation for a better and more sustainable life in motion. Today, Michelin provides consumers, enterprises, and mobility partners nationwide a wide range of tires for various means of transportation through its authorized distribution network with focus on a retail network named Michelin Car Service which has marked its remarkable milestone of inaugurating its 100th store in August 2025. www.michelin.vn.

SYDNEY, Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Salestrekker has today announced the launch of Salestrekker AI, its first steps toward embedding artificial intelligence across broker workflows in Salestrekker 2.0 in a way that strengthens compliance and safeguards consumer privacy.

Available exclusively through Salestrekker’s aggregator partners, Salestrekker AI introduces AI features designed to simplify document verification, automate compliance checks, and support brokers in creating more consistent, audit-ready client files.

“This isn’t AI for the sake of AI,” said Dalibor Ivkovic, CEO of Salestrekker. “We’ve built these tools to solve real compliance challenges that brokers face every day – and we’ve done it without ever compromising the security of personal data. No customer information beyond a customer’s first name is shared, stored, or processed outside of the protected environment.”

The staged rollout will occur through key aggregator partners, beginning with SFG, which will participate in the initial testing and feedback cycle. The rollout will capture insights to refine how AI-driven tools can meaningfully assist brokers while maintaining full compliance with Australian privacy and data protection standards in Salestrekker 2.0.

“SFG brokers are always looking for technology that balances innovation with integrity,” said William Lockett, SFG Managing Director. “This allows us to explore how AI can take the friction out of compliance, giving brokers more time with clients and more confidence in their processes.”

“Salestrekker AI is as much about learning as it is about launching,” added Heather Gallagher, Head of Customer Success at Salestrekker. “Our goal is to ensure every AI enhancement fits naturally into broker workflows and makes day-to-day compliance simpler, faster, and safer.”

Following the launch, Salestrekker will release further AI-enabled features through its aggregator network as part of the continuing rollout of Salestrekker 2.0, the next evolution of its loan origination and CRM platform.

About Salestrekker

Salestrekker 2.0  is Australia’s first combined lending, origination and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. The new features, flexibility, and functionality deliver unprecedented workflow and marketing automation to help brokers diversify from mortgages to new asset financing in a single platform – and without the need for external IT support. www.salestrekker.com