Singapore’s fintech funding rebound: choose the right fundraising peers
H1 2026 data and the different business models behind Airwallex’s Series H and dtcpay’s Series A show how founders can choose more relevant fundraising comparisons.
Southeast Asia Connect
Insights
Evidence-led analysis and viewpoints.
How AI answers about banks change with the question and service
A six-market banking study found different first-mentioned banks across tested AI routes and a wider field for business questions, suggesting that a single visibility score hides the customer need.
Vietnam and the Philippines need more local value from the chip boom
Both countries have entered the World Bank’s upper-middle-income group, but moving towards high-income status will depend on turning semiconductor exports into deeper design, supplier and skills capability.
Singapore's AI hub test is shifting from openings to local capability
More than 70 AI centres create critical mass. Research ownership, technical roles and products shipped from Singapore will show how deep the hub really is.
Southeast Asia is turning cloud strategy into an infrastructure decision
AI workloads, data rules and resilience risks are pushing regional companies to judge cloud platforms by control and continuity, not only price.
Singapore group starts APAC blockchain governance work
Project Pigeon will develop risk controls for financial institutions using permissionless blockchains, following a Monetary Authority of Singapore consultation on crypto-asset treatment.
MetaOptics agrees to place laser writer at Stanford nanofabrication facility
The Singapore metalens company will install a prototyping system at nano@stanford, giving researchers and potential customers a route to test small-volume optical components.
Anchanto study finds a wide gap in omnichannel execution
A survey of 408 decision-makers at large companies finds confidence running ahead of operational integration, but its multi-region sample is not a Southeast Asia market estimate.
AIA summit puts preventive health technology on Singapore’s agenda
The insurer’s first healthcare summit brought policy, clinical and technology leaders together around healthy ageing, with prevention and connected health positioned as operating priorities.
Why Southeast Asia is becoming a test market for Chinese luxury brands
New-format jewellery stores in Singapore and Bangkok show how Chinese consumer brands can test premium retail concepts before wider international expansion.
Asia’s deal market split into different speeds in the first half of 2026
Headline deal value remained large, but sponsor activity, strategic buying and Southeast Asian market conditions moved at different speeds.
Ant International raises US$1.2 billion for cross-border payments expansion
The Singapore-headquartered fintech company says its first external equity round will support merchant payments, account services and agentic commerce products.