With the introduction of Ant International Foundation, Ant International aims to power the future  of global commerce through digital innovation and promote greater inclusion with a  focus on long-term and sustainable value creation in the digital economy 

SINGAPORE, 2023 – Ant Group unveiled its new Singapore office as  home to its various international business and technology segments, including Ant  International. With a newly created Ant International Foundation (AIF), Ant Group reaffirms  the company’s commitment to Singapore as a global anchor of innovation and sustainable  growth.  

Pic below: IMDA Chief Executive, Mr. Lew Chuen Hong (third from right) at the unveiling of the Ant  International Foundation at the new Ant Group office in Singapore.

The office opening and AIF launch was officiated by Lew Chuen Hong, Chief Executive of  Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), who shared about the strong partnership  between Ant Group and IMDA in areas ranging from trust technologies to digital inclusion,  and the importance of jointly building strong digital ecosystems. 

Ant International also had the privilege to host its guests from both the public and private  sectors, including Patrick Tay, Member of Parliament for Pioneer SMC, and Assistant  Secretary-General of National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), in witnessing this important  milestone of its international journey at the new Singapore office. 

Photo above: Mr. Patrick Tay, Member of Parliament for Pioneer SMC, and Assistant Secretary-General of National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Peng Yang, President of Ant International alongside partners in the public and private sectors

Commenting on this new milestone, Eric Jing, Chairman and CEO of Ant Group, said: “This  new office signifies our commitment to enabling our teams in Singapore to continue playing  an important role in our international development. In particular, Ant International and the  creation of Ant International Foundation mark a new journey for the international  development of Ant Group. Today, people everywhere are looking for new pathways to  inclusive and sustainable growth. We will give our best to help realize the promise of digital  technologies to bring small and beautiful changes to every small business and every  community we serve.” 

Ant International, the international business unit of Ant Group, is committed to powering the  future of global commerce with digital innovation to enable consumers with seamless  payment services, and help global merchants to do business easily everywhere through  trusted and innovative digital solutions.  

Peng Yang, the newly appointed President of Ant International, said the launch of an  expanded office and AIF in Singapore, a global hub of financial innovation and sustainable  growth, marks a new chapter of growth and collaboration for the business.  

“From Singapore we are extending a global journey towards our unchanging vision: to work  with partners to create a future commerce where every individual and every business may  harness the power of digital technologies to achieve sustainable growth. The trust and support from Singaporean and global partners is both humbling and inspiring for us. We will  further strengthen regional and global collaboration with policymakers, financial industry  partners and customers, to bring better experience to people and more prosperity for  businesses in Asia and beyond, ” Yang said.  

In its current operation, Alipay+, a suite of global cross-border payments, marketing and  digitalisation solutions, connects close to 30 payment partners, enabling tens of millions of  merchants to engage over 1.4 billion user accounts with smoother digital payment and varied  marketing assistance.

A global acquiring and merchant service arm, backed by extensive  institutional channels and a comprehensive license and compliance structure, covers over 200  countries and regions.  

Under WorldFirst, Ant International offers over 400,000 SMEs in Asia and beyond a full-stack  of cross-border payment, foreign exchange and funds management services in 40 main  currencies through its B2C and B2B segments. ANEXT Bank, a digital wholesale bank  incorporated and licensed in Singapore, is dedicated to providing embedded and green digital  financing services for regional SMEs.  

Chan Ih-Ming, Executive Director & Head, Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), a joint office of  the Economic Development Board (EDB), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and Infocomm Media  Development Authority (IMDA), said, “The opening of Ant Group’s new International  headquarters here reaffirms their confidence in Singapore’s position as a technology hub and  a nexus for connecting to Southeast Asia and the world. Ant Group’s collaborative efforts with  local companies have driven innovation and empowered local businesses on their growth  journey, boosting our digital ecosystem. The launch of Ant International Foundation (AIF) in  Singapore will further strengthen their efforts in digital inclusion. We look forward to Ant  International’s enhanced contributions in Singapore.” 

Ant International also pledges to increase investment in Singapore on cutting-edge  technologies to enhance trust and efficiency in digital commerce, including privacy-preserving  computing and Web.3.0 innovations. The company is a participant in the IMDA Privacy Enhancing Technologiessandbox and has teamed up with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological  University (NTU) in privacy computing research collaboration under the ambit of Strategic  Centre for Research in Privacy-Preserving Technologies & Systems (SCRIPTS), which is an  initiative jointly funded by the IMDA and National Research Foundation. Committed to a  sustainable friendly digital future, Ant Group is also collaborating with IMDA to promote  “Tech for Good” by encouraging more sustainable digital consumption built on carbon  reduction techniques and framework. 

The unveiling was marked with the launch of Ant International Foundation (AIF), a registered  foundation to be set up in Singapore, focusing on emerging issues around environmental  protection, promotion of more digital inclusion for the underserved communities and  cultivation of digital leadership and talents to bring transformative changes to their  communities. 

AIF is dedicated to amplifying positive impact by harnessing collective strengths through  partnerships globally. AIF aims to work with worldwide partners, including: • the 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion Project, a non-profit project launched by Ant Group  and International Finance Corporation to promote tech inclusion and bridges digital  literacy in underserved communities;  

• Green Digital Finance Alliance, a Swiss based non-profit initiative jointly launched  with the United Nations Environmental Programme in enabling transformative digital  and financial innovation for climate, nature and biodiversity challenges; and  
• Forum of Young Global Leaders, a global leadership programme led by the World  Economic Forum.  

In particular, Ant International and the creation of Ant International Foundation mark a new journey for the international development of Ant Group.

Leiming Chen, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant International, also announced AIF will lead  new collaborative projects in Singapore including Girls Love Tech initiatives with SG Women  In Tech to advance inclusivity and capacity-building in the fintech industry.  

“Ant International Foundation anchors our commitment to bring more sustainable and  inclusive impact for people and the planet in Singapore and beyond,” said Chen.  

Patrick Tay, Member of Parliament and Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC, who attended  the event, said: “I’ve known Ant Group in the past many years in my capacity as co-chair of  the Financial Sector Tripartite Committee and my involvement in the Fintech space. In many  of the developments in the fintech space, I’ve seen Ant Group very supportive of the national  programs, including programs with IMDA to promote digitalisation and inclusion across  Singapore. I congratulate Ant International on this new office and the launch of Ant  International Foundation, as part of our ecosystem to do more, do better, do good and do  together.”