Singapore Fintech Festival

This year’s Singapore Fintech Festival surrounds six major themes that will frame 2025.  One of the themes among industry leaders, in particular, is the need to bridge the financial gap and ensure equitable access and usage of financial services and products to the underserved.  On this note, did you know that 1.4 billion people globally still lack access to bank accounts? Yes, and that is according to an article published on the World Economic Forum in just September this year.  So what can we then do to level the playing field for the underbanked and underserved – both individuals and budding entrepreneurs who are starting out?  Well, the numbers appear to point to fintech as the answer, given increased internet adoption and digitalisation. In this panel discussion on "Bridging the Financial Gap", we talked about the challenges individuals as well as Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises faced in accessing traditional financial services and how the use of digital banking and digital tokens can level the playing field for the underserved.  We also looked at the metrics used to determine progress towards equitable financial outcomes and identify areas for further intervention, and the need to ensure that digital technologies continue to narrow and not widen the wealth gap.  As part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Kai Qiu, Deputy CEO and CTO, ANEXT Bank and Eric Barbier, CEO, Triple-A for more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We want to give you a quick wrap of some of the announcements made at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, as well as the implications of the developments on the fintech industry. One of the biggest announcements released ahead of SFF 2024 was how the Monetary Authority of Singapore set up the Global Finance & Technology Network or GFTN to further strengthen Singapore as a global FinTech hub and enhance global connectivity for impactful innovation in financial services.  The GFTN will catalyse the growth of the Singapore FinTech ecosystem and drive greater synergies and networks with the global FinTech community.  In particular, the MAS has said that the GFTN will work with the central bank to advance industry and policy dialogues in payments, asset tokenisation, AI as well as quantum technologies. It will also support the MAS’ efforts to grow a vibrant FinTech ecosystem, and scale SFF as the premier global FinTech event. But speaking of driving synergies and advancing dialogues in emerging FinTech trends, we’ve also seen a number of private sector announcements by companies within the industry as well. As part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Wong Nai Seng, Financial Services Industry Regulatory Strategy Leader, Deloitte Southeast Asia and Grace Ho, Chief Commercial Officer, GoImpact Capital Partners.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this segment, we want to talk about the people behind a startup’s first few paychecks.  Business management theory would say that the first people who would give startup money to founders are the friends, family and fools, or people who give what they have in their pockets not because they buy into the founder’s idea, but because they genuinely want to help. As the company grows over time, startup founders would then seek to raise money from venture capital firms or institutional investors to scale their businesses.  But between getting money from friends, family and fools and getting money from institutional investors lie a very special group of people. They’re angels who would put their capital in early stage startups based on their experience and subject expertise.  But how do angel investors work, and how do they decide on what to invest?  How far do they negotiate for a larger stake in the startups they invest in, how much say do they have in a startup’s direction for the future, and how do they prevent dilution as startups seek further funding from larger investors? Also – does it make sense for angels to join angel syndicates and which are some of the companies that angels are seeking in the fintech field right now? As part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Ee Chien Chua, a Fintech Executive & Angel Investor and Vanessa Ho, Co-Founder, Investments, Fintech Nation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year’s Singapore Fintech Festival surrounds six major themes that will frame 2025.  At the front and centre of discussions is the Roadmap for AI and Quantum. Of particular focus this year is the boom in generative AI, which uses algorithms to identify patterns within existing data to come up with new content, ranging from text, images, videos and even codes.  The technology is said to hold the potential to radically change the financial services industry, with an EY analysis suggesting that rethinking the financial institution with Gen AI at its core has the potential to create US$200 billion to US$400 billion by 2023, with productivity gains reaching up to 30 per cent by 2028.   In this panel discussion on the Roadmap for AI and Quantum, we looked at where fintech players are at right now when it comes down to generative AI adoption and what the road to achieving an AI-embedded future looks like for them.  We also dived into emerging risks surrounding AI and challenges surrounding the adoption of quantum computing.  Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Lim Him Chuan, Group Head of Strategy, Transformation, Analytics & Research (GSTAR) and Group Executive at DBS, as well as Phoram Mehta, Senior Director and Chief Information and Security Officer, International Markets at Paypal for more, as part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Collaborations in the fintech sector are on the cards today, and with the year end holiday season very much in sight, why not talk about maximising your air miles through credit card spend? Specifically, we want to talk about how Heymax, a startup aggregating consumers’ fragmented rewards, worked with digital payments leader Visa in rolling out new products and campaigns to customers throughout the course of the year.  In May this year, Heymax announced a new innovation called Card Maximiser, in partnership with Visa. Powered by the Visa Offers Platform, the feature aims to help consumers seamlessly track their spending and optimise credit card rewards.  More recently, Heymax and Visa in September came up with a sustainable travel campaign to double miles earned from MRT or bus rides using Visa-linked cards over the 9.9 period.  But what are the key learnings from such collaborative initiatives? What are the benefits of getting startups and industry leaders to team up and what made them decide to work together again? How far is collaboration the way to go in the fintech space? As part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Adeline Kim, Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei at Visa, as well as Joe Lu, Co-founder & CEO of Heymax.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that despite what appeared to be a tough time for funding and valuations, the global fintech report coauthored by Boston Consulting Group and QED Investors in June this year noted that the global fintech market remained a hotbed for innovation and growth.  The firms expect fintech to reach a market size of US$1.5 trillion in revenue by 2030. That’s about a five times growth from numbers seen at the time the report was written. However, the report, which was based on interviews with over 60 global fintech CEOs and investors, noted that the rules of the game are changing, with growth at all cost, in their words, “no longer the watchword”. So what are the major themes shaping the financial technology sector in the longer term? What are the headwinds facing the industry right now and how far are they short-term corrections?  And more importantly, what role will Singapore play in the growing fintech space for startups and industry heavyweights? As part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Shayan Hazir, Chief Digital Officer of ASEAN at HSBC and Reuben Lim, CEO at the Singapore FinTech Association.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From digital innovation and manufacturing to infrastructure development and financial inclusion, India’s economy is poised for an economic transformation, with technology at the forefront of its growth. According to a review report released by its government earlier this year, India’s GDP is estimated to hit the $7 trillion mark by 2030. On this episode of Morning Shot, Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India shares his insights on what’s ahead for India and how the outcome of the US Presidential Election will affect the South Asian region.  Presented by: Ryan HuangProduced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting ([email protected])See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In many countries, financial inclusion is a critical challenge. One company in the Philippines is doing its bit to close the gap by opening the doors to digital lending for the unbanked, and unlocking opportunities to millions of underserved Filipinos. Fuse Lending is the official lending arm of leading finance app GCash, the number one finance super app in the Philippines. For some of the lessons we can take away on its journey so far, we check with Tony Isidro, CEO, Fuse Lending.  Produced/Presented: Ryan HuangSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) will be back for its 9th edition from 6th to 8th November, preceded by the Insights Forum™ from 4th to 5th November.  Since its inception in 2016, the SFF has provided opportunities for the global FinTech community to engage, connect, and collaborate on issues relating to the development of financial services, public policy, and technology. Ahead of the festival, Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore shares his perspectives and exciting sessions to look out for. SFF is organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Elevandi, and Constellar, in collaboration with The Association of Banks in Singapore. Presented by: Ryan HuangProduced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting ([email protected])Photo credits: Singapore Fintech Festival 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Broadridge, one of the global fintech leaders, recently launched BondGPT which helps users simplify workflow and boost efficiency in the portfolio construction processes. What are the functionalities and goals of BondGPT? Is generative AI reshaping the finance industry? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Joseph Lo, Head of Enterprise Platforms at Broadridge, about BondGPT and how generative AI helps improve financial trading. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rise of AI in the payment industry offers various advantages in the payment industry. How has AI contributed to the payment industry's development? But other than artificial intelligence, what other trends are there in the payment industry? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Judith Loh, Head of Strategic Sales at Worldpay, about the transformative trends in the payment industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guess what, the increasing convergence of AI advances mean that in the near future, that “what to watch next” suggestion on your Netflix could soon be possible when it comes to financial services! What will such advances mean for seed-stage startups and what do investors watch out for when deciding which startup to fund?  On this special Singapore Fintech Festival edition of Morning Shot, Sheel Mohnot, Co-Founder and General Partner, Better Tomorrow Ventures shares more. Presented by: Ryan Huang  Produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting ([email protected])See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Market View, Hongbin Jeong and Ryan Huang provide an afternoon roundup on the key highlights of Singapore FinTech Festival Day 2 and what are some of today's top finance news to look out for.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI has made its way into the blockchain industry wherein businesses are integrating it into its operations. How does AI fit into the world of cryptocurrency? Can we expect more adoption of AI into the crypto world? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Carney Mak, Head of Investment - FinTech at FXHB Asset Management, to find out moreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Generative AI is slowly being integrated into corporate and investment banks. But while there are opportunities and benefits, AI also comes with new risks. So what are the potential consequences of integrating AI in this area? How will banks mitigate its risks? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, to find out more on the impact of generative AI in the banking and finance industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Central bank digital currencies (CBDC) have the potential to replace cash, but adoption could take time," said Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2023. Even as cash grows incompatible with the digital economy, how prudent must countries be in their adoption of CBDCs? On this special Singapore Fintech Festival edition of Morning Shot, Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union shares her perspective. Presented by: Ryan Huang  Produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting ([email protected]) Music/sound credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributorsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to drive digital inclusion, ensuring that people have consistent and equal access to digital information, services, and products? On this episode of Morning Shot, Leong Sing Chiong, Deputy Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore shares his perspective. Presented by: Ryan Huang  Produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting ([email protected])See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For layman investors, it’s often a challenge to hunt down sustainability reports by companies, make sense of how transparent they are, and if the data is based on science. On this episode of Mind Your Business, Gordon Tveito-Duncan, Co-Founder of GaiaLens shares more about his company's real-time ESG analytics platform that provides scientifically curated data ESG data of some 19,000 companies.  Presented by: Ryan Huang & Audrey Siek Produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting ([email protected])See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Market View, Hongbin Jeong and Ryan Huang provide a breakdown of the events that happened during this year's Singapore FinTech Festival 2023 Day 1, what we can expect for the following days, as well as top financial headlines that you might want to consider. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI has been increasingly integrated in multiple sectors, including the FinTech industry. As it rapidly expands, is there any need for it to be integrated into your investment portfolio? Does it play a key role in your wealth management plans? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Samuel Rhee, Co-founder and Chairman of Endowus, to find out more on the implications of AI in future investments and in wealth management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FinTech Talent Report 2023 unraveled distinctive trends, challenges, and opportunities in the financial and technological local landscape. What are the key findings of the report? Will AI replace the human workforce in the future? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Shadab Taiyabi, President of Singapore FinTech Association, to discuss this year's findings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the theme, AI for good. AI for good?, there are lots to look forward to at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2023, where MONEY FM 89.3 is the official radio station. We preview some of the exciting conversations and events for you to check out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Policymakers, financial institutions and industry stakeholders are gearing up for the highly anticipated Singapore Fintech Festival, which will be happening in Singapore from November 15 to 17.  Organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, this annual event, known for its valuable networking opportunities aimed at fostering innovative collaborations, serves as a dynamic platform for fintech startups, established financial institutions, and technology enthusiasts to come together and explore the latest trends, cutting-edge technologies, and transformative ideas in the world of finance and technology. Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore shares more on what to expect at this year's festival. Money FM 89.3 is an official media partner of the Singapore Fintech Festival 2023. Presented by: Ryan Huang Produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting ([email protected])See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.