Handshake Finance, a fintech company based in Singapore, has successfully raised S$500,000 in a pre-seed funding round to develop its escrow-as-a-service platform. The funding will primarily support the company’s expansion within the renovation and interior design sector in Singapore, with plans to extend its services to other industries facing similar trust issues.
Founded in September 2025 by Christopher Chan and Lee Jun Xian, Handshake Finance was inspired by personal experiences of trust failures in service transactions. Chan and Jun Xian, who met as university classmates in London, identified a recurring problem where either the customer pays before work is completed or the provider works without upfront payment, leaving one party at risk. Their platform aims to mitigate this risk by holding funds in escrow and releasing them upon completion of agreed milestones.
The company operates on a bank-grade payment infrastructure, fully regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), with funds held in segregated accounts at DBS. “We are trying to solve a structural trust gap in service industries,” said Chan. “Our users have to trust us, and ensuring every fund flow is compliant is our top priority.”
Handshake Finance has already onboarded over 40 interior design companies and signed partnerships with Renonation.sg and Network SG to boost awareness and adoption. Jun Xian expressed excitement about the support received, stating, “We are laser-focused on fixing renovation first before expanding to other markets.”
The platform’s innovative approach includes AI-generated transaction structures and offers mediation services, aiming to improve the transactional experience for both homeowners and service providers.
