Industry News

DHL Group has announced an expansion of its Airfreight Cold Chain Network, aimed at revolutionising the transport of temperature-sensitive healthcare products globally. This initiative is part of DHL’s €2 billion investment in its Health Logistics division, providing end-to-end visibility and enhanced logistics for the world’s leading healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

The expansion includes a newly branded Boeing 777 freighter, marking DHL’s strategic focus on health logistics. Oscar de Bok, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, stated, “Life sciences and healthcare companies expect cold chain solutions that are reliable, compliant, and transparent from end to end — and those expectations are rising fast.”

By reducing reliance on third-party carriers, DHL aims to improve product integrity and temperature control, enhancing supply chain resilience amidst geopolitical tensions and regulatory complexities. The network will initially connect major hubs such as Brussels and Cincinnati, with further routes planned across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

The BRU-CVG corridor, linking the US Midwest with Europe’s advanced life sciences ecosystem, offers a seamless pathway for high-value biologics and time-critical therapies. This infrastructure establishes a resilient connection between two key healthcare markets.

Countries like India, Singapore, Japan, and Brazil are prioritised for further network expansion, ensuring compliance with strict regulatory requirements. The initiative supports DHL’s mission to provide fast, reliable transport of pharmaceutical products, focusing on patient safety and reducing packaging costs.

The dedicated Boeing 777 freighter, featuring the new “DHL Health Logistics” livery, underscores the company’s commitment to healthcare logistics, providing consistent capacity and reinforcing temperature management standards for sensitive shipments.

Asia’s largest food retailers, manufacturers, and hospitality groups are making strides in sustainable protein sourcing, yet they still fall short of global best practices, according to the latest assessment by Asia Research & Engagement (ARE). The report, “The Asian Protein Buyers 100,” evaluates how 100 of Asia’s biggest protein-buying companies manage environmental, social, and governance risks in their supply chains.

The companies assessed, which include well-known names such as China Mengniu Dairy, Yili Group, and Jollibee, represent over $500b in market capitalisation. Despite some progress, the average score for these companies increased from 9 in 2023 to 16 in 2025, indicating that most are still in the early stages of implementing sustainable practices.

The report highlights that whilst the number of companies in the leading Tier 3 group more than doubled from 10 in 2023 to 26 in 2025, no company reached the top two performance tiers. This underscores a significant gap between sustainability commitments and actual execution.

Key areas of improvement include climate change and labour standards, driven by regulatory pressures and investor scrutiny. However, governance related to protein sustainability and protein diversification remains weak, with average scores of 4.5% and 7.4%, respectively.

Kate Blaszak, ARE Director of Protein Transition, stated, “Asia is the world’s fastest-growing protein market, which means what happens here will determine the future of global food systems.” The report aims to shift focus from policy to practice, encouraging companies to adopt measurable targets and board-level accountability for sustainable practices.

State Street has unveiled its Private Capital Index for the third quarter of 2025, offering a detailed analysis of private equity performance across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and globally. The index, which is based on actual cash flow data from State Street’s clients, highlights the challenges of obtaining consistent performance data in the largely non-public private equity markets.

The APAC subset of the index includes 316 funds from Australia, China, India, and Japan. In Q3, APAC funds returned 2.77%, slightly below the global index’s 2.91% and down from 3.30% in the second quarter. Venture Capital (VC) led the way with a 4.72% return, surpassing Private Debt at 2.77% and Buyout at 1.80%.

Globally, the index comprises over 4,200 funds with more than $6 trillion in capital commitments. The US regained its lead in Q3 with a 3.41% return, whilst Europe trailed at 1.55% as currency tailwinds faded. The Rest-of-World funds delivered a 2.18% return.

Fundraising in APAC remains subdued, mirroring global trends. Only $4.3b has been raised for 2025 vintage funds so far, compared to $14.7b in 2024. This suggests a projected full-year pace of approximately $5.8b if the current trend continues.

The State Street Private Capital Index provides crucial insights into private equity performance, addressing the need for reliable data in an opaque market. As the year progresses, the index will continue to offer valuable analytics for investors navigating the private capital landscape.

Samudera Shipping Line Ltd has announced the incorporation of a new joint venture subsidiary, Blue Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd., in Japan. This venture is a collaboration between Samudera’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Samudera Japan K.K., and Imoto Corporation. Samudera Japan holds a 51% stake in the new company.

Blue Ocean Shipping will engage in a range of maritime activities, including domestic shipping, ship leasing, and ship agency services. Additionally, it will operate as a maritime transportation agency and provide support for specified skilled foreign workers as a registered support organisation.

The joint venture is capitalised at JPY 220m with 8,800 shares issued out of a total of 40,000 authorised shares. Samudera Shipping Line has also stated that the incorporation of Blue Ocean Shipping is not expected to significantly impact the company’s earnings per share or net tangible assets for the financial year ending 31 December 2026.

DBS Bank, Southeast Asia’s largest bank, has partnered with Visa to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC), marking a significant step in agent-initiated payments in the Asia Pacific. This collaboration aims to validate AI-ready card credentials and payment signals, ensuring secure and efficient transactions through Visa’s infrastructure. The initiative is set to transform everyday payments by enabling AI agents to conduct transactions on behalf of consumers.

The pilot programme, which utilises a suite of integrated APIs and a partner programme, has already demonstrated success in real-world scenarios. DBS and Visa showcased AI-powered agents completing food and beverage transactions using DBS/POSB credit and debit cards. This success paves the way for exploring a broader range of transactions, including online shopping and travel bookings, aiming to streamline payment processes and reduce manual steps.

Ananya Sen, Group Head of Regional Consumer Products at DBS Bank, highlighted the potential of AI agents in digital payments, stating, “Our collaboration with Visa shows how agent-led payments can be deployed securely and safely at scale.” TR Ramachandran, Head of Products and Solutions Asia Pacific at Visa, added, “Through Visa Intelligent Commerce and Trusted Agent Protocol, we’re building the foundation that will make agentic commerce safe, secure, and scalable.”

As the collaboration progresses, DBS is enhancing its readiness for agent-led commerce by validating AI-ready credentials and advanced authentication. This initiative positions DBS and Visa to define the future of agentic commerce, balancing innovation with resilience and convenience with confidence.

DBS Bank and TenPay Global have introduced a new service enabling DBS customers to transfer money instantly to Weixin Pay, the digital RMB wallet within Weixin (WeChat). This service, launched ahead of the Chinese New Year, aims to accommodate the typical 30% increase in remittances to China during the festive season. The service is part of a broader strategic partnership to enhance cross-border payment experiences within the Tencent ecosystem.

The new service allows DBS customers to use DBS Remit in the DBS digibank app to transfer funds directly to a recipient’s Weixin Pay Wallet Balance or linked bank cards, with zero fees. This initiative makes DBS the first regional bank to establish a direct connection with Weixin Pay, facilitating seamless money transfers from multiple markets. “We’ve been seeing consistent double-digit year-on-year growth in DBS Remit funds sent to China,” said Sanjoy Sen, Group Head of DBS Consumer Bank.

Additionally, DBS and TenPay Global are collaborating to enable DBS PayLah users to make payments at millions of merchants across China by scanning Weixin Pay QR codes. This move is expected to expand payment flexibility for travel, living, and business needs.

Wenhui Yang, CEO of TenPay Global, stated, “By connecting Weixin Pay with DBS’s trusted banking and payment platforms, we are delivering compliant and user-centric cross-border solutions.” This partnership reflects a shared ambition to enhance economic exchange and support secure digital payment experiences globally.

Tower Capital Asia has announced a strategic majority investment in V-Key, a leading provider of digital identity and mobile application protection and security solutions in the Asia-Pacific region. This investment underscores Tower Capital Asia’s confidence in V-Key’s technological leadership and product capabilities, particularly as secure digital experiences become increasingly vital in financial services and the broader digital economy.

V-Key’s platform, which supports over 300 applications across 15 countries, is designed to help banks, fintechs, and enterprises securely onboard users, authenticate access, and protect mobile applications and transactions. The platform’s software-based security architecture allows for efficient deployment and scalability, crucial for institutions expanding their digital services.

Danny Koh, founder and CEO of Tower Capital Asia, highlighted the importance of secure digital identity for financial institutions and digital platforms. “V-Key has built a robust platform that enables organisations to manage identity authentication and mobile app security at scale,” he said. Eddie Chau, co-founder and chairman of V-Key, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, noting Tower Capital Asia’s long-term partnership mindset and regional network.

Joseph Gan, co-founder and CEO of V-Key, emphasised the focus on strengthening digital identity and mobile application security capabilities. The partnership aims to accelerate product innovation, strengthen V-Key’s regional presence, and deepen relationships with financial institutions and digital platforms.

Tower Capital Asia, established in 2016, manages over $900m in investments and commitments. The firm is committed to supporting V-Key’s growth and strategic initiatives, with a focus on long-term value creation in the digital security sector.

MSIG Asia has announced a strategic partnership with Peak3 to advance its digital insurance platform, reinforcing its leadership in the digital insurance sector across Southeast Asia. The collaboration, revealed on 12 February, aims to enhance MSIG’s platform-enabled model by leveraging Peak3’s intelligent core system, Graphene, to boost ecosystem connectivity and support multi-country growth.

As the largest non-life regional insurer in Southeast Asia, MSIG is already a key player in embedded insurance for major platforms, addressing the protection gap for millions. This partnership with Peak3 will extend MSIG’s reach across Asia’s digital economies, enabling the delivery of flexible, needs-based insurance at scale through both direct-to-consumer channels and strategic partnerships.

Graphene, Peak3’s core system, is designed for rapid product configuration and operational efficiency, supporting high-volume operations and diverse distribution models. This technology allows MSIG to create symbiotic partnerships with platforms, accelerating time-to-market and delivering value through pre-connected distribution.

Clemens Philippi, CEO of MSIG Asia, stated, “This investment supports our MSIG Asia 2029 Growth Ambition, strengthening our foundation and expanding our reach across the region’s commercial ecosystems.” Adrian Hill, Chief Digital and Consumer Officer at MSIG Asia, added, “Together with Peak3, we unlock new scale and speed, empowering us to serve more partners and bring intelligent nano insurance to life.”

Bill Song, Group CEO of Peak3, expressed pride in the partnership, highlighting the shared goal of accelerating multi-country growth and delivering consistent, high-quality insurance experiences at scale. This collaboration sets a benchmark for next-generation insurance infrastructure, enabling partners to grow faster and customers to receive more meaningful protection across Asia’s digital ecosystems.

Marriott International has reported exceptional growth in its Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) region for 2025, marking the third consecutive year of record development. The company announced that it signed 187 organic deals, adding more than 28,000 rooms to its development pipeline, reflecting a 32% increase from the previous year. This surge is attributed to robust intra-region travel demand and strong confidence from hotel owners and developers.

Rajeev Menon, President of Asia Pacific excluding China at Marriott International, highlighted the significance of this growth, stating, “Our record performance in 2025 underscores the strength of Marriott’s growth engine across the region and the enduring confidence our hotel owners place in our brands and operating platform.”

The APEC region closed the year with over 400 hotels and more than 86,000 rooms in the development pipeline. Conversions played a crucial role, accounting for 35% of the total signed deals, showcasing Marriott’s appeal to owners seeking rapid market entry and access to a global distribution network. Multi-unit agreements also significantly contributed to the growth.

As Marriott continues to expand into emerging destinations and accelerate conversions, the company remains focused on delivering long-term value for owners and creating compelling experiences for travellers. This strategic expansion is expected to further strengthen Marriott’s position in the Asia Pacific region.

Insurers across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are bracing for a significant rise in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) over the next three years, driven by strategic imperatives rather than opportunistic expansion. According to a study by Clearwater Analytics, 96% of insurance asset management executives predict a surge in domestic M&A, with 15% expecting a dramatic increase.

The research, which surveyed senior executives from life and health insurers, general insurers, and third-party investment firms in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia, highlights a need for rapid growth as the primary driver of M&A activity. Firms are looking to expand quickly to achieve competitive scale, diversify risk, and reduce reliance on a single product or market.

Potential synergies from mergers or acquisitions were identified as the third most important reason for increased M&A activity, followed by the improved financial capacity of the combined firm. The findings suggest that operational efficiency and scale are becoming essential for survival in the market.

Shane Akeroyd, Chief Strategy Officer and President of Asia Pacific at Clearwater Analytics, stated, “The APAC insurance market is experiencing a fundamental shift where scale and operational capabilities are becoming competitive necessities.” He emphasised the importance for insurance executives to evaluate their operational capabilities, infrastructure, and scale to compete effectively in a complex market.

The study underscores the strategic positioning of M&A as firms aim to consolidate rather than eliminate competition, marking a pivotal shift in the APAC insurance landscape.