Industry News

Grab Finance, the financial services division of Southeast Asia’s leading superapp, has significantly enhanced credit access in the region by implementing over 22 decision workflows across six countries. This initiative, powered by the FICO Platform, has increased credit offer eligibility rates by nearly 50%, benefiting more than 46 million consumers, as well as millions of merchants and drivers within the Grab ecosystem.

The FICO Platform utilises behavioural and transactional data, such as ride frequency and merchant revenues, to provide automated, pre-approved credit offers. This approach helps expand credit access for users lacking traditional credit histories by offering a comprehensive view of creditworthiness whilst managing risk effectively.

Andre Tan, Regional Head of Lending Risk Platforms at Grab Finance, stated, “Grab saw a strategic opportunity to make financing in Southeast Asia more accessible by leveraging our superapp ecosystem and behavioural data.” This strategy enables Grab to deliver real-time credit offers, expanding financial inclusion for underserved users.

Southeast Asia, home to over 700 million people, faces challenges with a large underbanked population. Grab Finance’s initiative addresses data scarcity issues by using in-app behavioural signals to develop alternative risk models. The project, completed in under eight months, involved 22 decision workflows across Grab’s customer portfolios, including driver-partners, passengers, and merchant-partners.

Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp, has announced a strategic partnership with Hesai Technology, a global leader in lidar solutions, to become the exclusive distributor of Hesai’s lidar products in Southeast Asia. This collaboration aims to increase the availability of high-quality lidar sensors across various industries, including robotics and autonomous systems.

The partnership will leverage Grab’s extensive resources and distribution networks to ensure that customers in Southeast Asia can access lidar technology more efficiently. Anthony Tan, Group CEO and Co-founder of Grab, stated, “By expanding access to world-class lidar technology in Southeast Asia, Grab is doing more than improving our own autonomous mobility and mapping capabilities; we are providing the essential ‘eyes’ that allow robotics to ‘see’ and navigate safely.”

David Li, CEO and Co-founder of Hesai, highlighted the importance of the partnership, noting, “Lidar is a core technology that enables robots to achieve autonomous perception and safer operations. The Southeast Asian market has shown strong demand across manufacturing, logistics, and service robots.”

Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses light to measure distance and map environments with high precision. This technology is crucial for applications in autonomous vehicles, topography, and robotics.

The collaboration between Grab and Hesai is expected to accelerate the deployment of lidar technology in Southeast Asia, addressing the region’s growing demand for AI-powered automation. Both companies plan to continue strengthening their cooperation to advance the adoption of advanced lidar technology across the region.

Kairos Risk Solutions has launched its Weather Data Platform, a cutting-edge analytics tool aimed at empowering insurance brokers with precise, data-driven weather forecasts. This platform, unveiled on 4 February 2026, integrates Artificial Intelligence with traditional meteorological methods to extend weather projections up to a year, addressing the limitations of traditional short-term forecasts.

The platform analyses 77 environmental variables, including rainfall, wind speed, and solar irradiation, to generate probabilistic forecasts and adaptive trigger recommendations. This innovation is designed to help brokers more effectively identify and quantify weather-related exposures, aligning with the industry’s focus on data transparency and predictive analytics.

Jeffrey Khoo, CEO of Kairos Risk Solutions, highlighted the platform’s significance: “For brokers, timely and credible insights into weather risk are vital to designing appropriate parametric solutions. Our new platform places these insights directly in their hands, transforming how they analyse and respond to climate volatility.”

Casmond Lim, Chief Operating Officer and project lead, noted the platform’s ongoing development: “We’re refining the model to enhance spatial accuracy and scenario testing, ensuring brokers can make more informed recommendations for resilience planning and risk transfer.”

The platform is available to Kairos’ partner network and licensed brokers, aiming to bolster their climate risk advisory capabilities. Kairos Risk Solutions, with offices in Singapore, Shanghai, and Tokyo, specialises in parametric, trade credit, and cyber risk solutions, among others.

Asia Pacific commercial real estate investment volumes reached US$40.3b in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking a 15% year-on-year increase, according to data from global real estate consulting firm JLL. The total investment for 2025 amounted to US$147.6b, a 12% rise from 2024, making it the strongest year since 2021 amidst challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions.

Japan remained the most active market in the region, with US$9.8b in Q4 investments, contributing to a full-year total of US$41.4b. Despite a 9% year-on-year decline in Q4, Japan’s annual investment volumes rose by 14%, driven by significant sale-and-leaseback deals in office and industrial sectors. South Korea experienced a notable surge, with Q4 investments jumping 41% year-on-year to US$7.7b, totalling US$28.1b for 2025. This growth was fuelled by strong domestic demand for office assets and foreign interest in logistics.

Stuart Crow, CEO of Asia Pacific Capital Markets at JLL, noted, “The strong year-end performance caps a year of steady recovery for Asia Pacific’s commercial real estate markets. Despite a turbulent global backdrop, investment volumes have shown remarkable resilience.”

Cross-border investment trends highlighted the increasing role of regional capital, particularly from Singapore, which was active in Australia. The global boom in Artificial Intelligence (AI) spending is expected to drive demand for data centres, with investment volumes reaching US$15b in 2025.

Looking ahead to 2026, the real estate market is poised for cautious optimism, supported by economic growth, moderating inflation, and sophisticated capital strategies. Pamela Ambler, Head of Investor Intelligence at JLL, stated, “As we enter 2026, we anticipate a more stable operating environment supported by improving market fundamentals.”

Kantar has announced the appointment of Rika Sharma as the Executive Managing Director for its Southeast Asia Cluster and Singapore business. With over two decades of experience in digital and marketing leadership across North America and the Asia-Pacific region, Sharma is set to drive Kantar’s strategic vision and accelerate its momentum in Southeast Asia. Her previous roles include leading Sales and Strategy for Google Agency Partners and Industry Bodies in APAC, as well as senior leadership positions at Digitas SEA and Ogilvy APAC.

Sharma’s appointment is expected to strengthen Kantar’s alignment with its global vision, leveraging her strategic clarity and collaborative leadership style. Cheong Tai Leung, CEO of APAC at Kantar, remarked, “Rika brings a rare combination of strategic depth, commercial acumen, and people leadership to Kantar. As we accelerate our momentum across Southeast Asia, Rika’s experience and perspective will be instrumental in strengthening our client partnerships and advancing Kantar’s regional ambitions.”

Sharma expressed her enthusiasm about joining Kantar, stating, “I’m delighted to be joining Kantar at such a pivotal moment for the business. Kantar’s deep consumer understanding, trusted client partnerships, and commitment to innovation strongly resonate with me. I look forward to working with our talented teams across Singapore and Southeast Asia to build on this strong foundation, help brands navigate an increasingly complex marketplace, and unlock sustainable, meaningful growth across the region.”

Kantar, a leading AI-native marketing data and analytics business, continues to be an indispensable brand partner to the world’s top companies, combining meaningful attitudinal and behavioural data with advanced analytics.

A recent survey by FWD Group Holdings Limited has highlighted significant financial anxiety among Asia’s middle class, with over 70% expressing concerns about their financial wellbeing. Rising living costs and increasing family responsibilities are reshaping financial priorities across generations, according to the survey conducted with Ipsos, which included over 9,000 middle-class consumers aged 21 to 65 across 10 Asian markets.

The survey revealed that 71% of respondents are anxious about their financial wellbeing, with the top concerns being the rising cost of living (71%), high healthcare costs (43%), and unexpected job loss or income reduction (37%). Consequently, many are focusing on short-term financial goals, with 44% aiming to build a basic safety net for their families and 37% seeking financial independence.

Lee Yen Ho, Group Chief Distribution and Proposition Officer at FWD Group, noted, “It’s clear that there is a shared sense of financial vulnerability across generations of middle classes in Asia.” The survey also highlighted generational pressures, with Generation X facing challenges in funding education, paying mortgages, and preparing for retirement. Meanwhile, Generation Y is juggling multiple financial responsibilities, and Generation Z anticipates financial difficulties due to rising expenses.

FWD Group offers various products to address these concerns, such as the OneAll medical insurance plan in Hong Kong and the FWD Sure pension plan in Thailand and Singapore, aiming to strengthen protection and long-term financial security. As the company continues to innovate, it seeks to change the way people feel about insurance, providing solutions that build resilience and secure income for retirement.

Fullerton Fund Management has announced that its Carbon Action Fund has completed an investment in Pyro Energie, Thailand’s leading recycler of end-of-life tyres. This marks the fund’s first investment in Southeast Asia, aligning with its strategy to partner with established businesses that combine robust financials with scalable decarbonisation outcomes across the region and India.

The Fullerton Carbon Action Fund targets mid-market leaders in transition-critical sectors such as industrials, manufacturing, circular economy, energy, and mobility. It prioritises companies with proven operational histories and clear value-creation pathways, steering clear of early-stage technologies and capital-intensive infrastructure projects.

Founded in 2016, Pyro Energie operates commercial-scale pyrolysis facilities that convert waste tyres into pyrolysis oil, recovered carbon black, and wire scrap. The company has established itself as a market leader in Thailand, with an annual capacity of over 40 million litres of pyrolysis oil and over 30 million tonnes of recovered carbon black. The investment will support Pyro Energie’s expansion into higher-value, premium-grade products through the construction of a new production facility.

Anisa Keeratiworanan, Director of Alternatives at Fullerton Fund Management, stated: “We look forward to working with Pyro Energie following the investment. The company is a market-leading business with strong operating fundamentals, defensible positioning, and a clear role in enabling industrial decarbonisation.”

Peerapon Ourapeepon, CEO of Pyro Energie, expressed confidence in the partnership, noting the alignment with sustainability priorities and values. This collaboration aims to responsibly scale the business and focus on long-term value.

Mastercard has launched its Fleet Next Gen portfolio in the Asia Pacific, offering innovative payment solutions designed to support the diverse needs of fleet operators. This new suite of services extends beyond traditional fuel payments, addressing the full spectrum of mobility requirements for both small and large fleet operators. The launch comes as the region’s fleet management market is projected to grow at an 18% compound annual growth rate through 2030.

The Mastercard Fleet Next Gen solutions are crafted to provide operators with enhanced visibility and control over their spending. By unifying payment data, the solutions transform transactions into actionable insights, embedded within fleet management workflows. This integration is crucial for operators facing cost pressures, evolving sustainability mandates, and increased security and compliance expectations.

Key features of the Mastercard Fleet Next Gen include global acceptance across millions of locations, network-based data capture aligned with global standards, and market-specific solutions for enhanced data capture. Additionally, the portfolio offers digitally assigned fleet cards for seamless payments and integration with existing mobility platforms and fleet management tools.

Anouska Ladds, Head of Commercial New Payment Flows Asia Pacific at Mastercard, highlighted the importance of connecting payments data into a single experience, stating, “Mastercard’s fleet solutions are designed to help specialist fleet issuers and payment providers bring advanced fleet capabilities to market faster.”

The launch underscores Mastercard’s commitment to simplifying B2B payments by connecting fragmented commercial flows through a single trusted infrastructure, ultimately aiding businesses in navigating complex operating environments.

Savills Singapore has announced the launch of Sky City Osaka, a new freehold boutique bed and breakfast (B&B) investment opportunity located near Umeda, one of Osaka’s major commercial and transport centres. The development, set to be fully refurbished by TY-Properties, offers a unique chance for investors to enter Japan’s hospitality-led real estate market through a professionally managed, short-stay investment model.

Sky City Osaka, situated in Osaka’s Kita Ward, features studio to two-bedroom flats designed for short-stay guests and urban travellers. The property is strategically located within walking distance of Ōsakatemmangū and Minami-morimachi Stations, providing convenient access to Umeda and Kansai International Airport. The development is also near popular attractions such as Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street, enhancing its appeal to both domestic and international tourists.

Osaka is becoming an attractive investment destination due to strong tourism demand, limited supply of centrally located short-stay accommodation, and favourable ownership structures for foreign buyers. The city’s allure is expected to grow with the upcoming Osaka Integrated Resort, slated for completion by 2030, which is anticipated to boost international visitor arrivals and long-term accommodation demand.

Adrian Lim, Senior Director and Head of International Residential Sales at Savills Singapore, stated, “Osaka continues to benefit from robust tourism demand and a shortage of well-located short-stay accommodation.” He highlighted that Sky City Osaka offers freehold ownership, zero additional buyer’s taxes, and an accessible entry price point, making it an attractive option for Singapore-based investors.

The launch event for Sky City Osaka is scheduled for 7 and 8 February 2026 at Voco Orchard Hotel. Investors are offered freehold rights, a hassle-free ownership structure, and full management, providing a hands-off approach to overseas property ownership.

Real-time payments (RTPs) are rapidly becoming a staple in Southeast Asia’s financial landscape, according to a study by Visa in collaboration with the Global Finance & Technology Network, Nextrade Group, and the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute. The research, which surveyed 5,500 consumers and 2,100 small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across six countries, reveals that RTPs now constitute 26% of transactions for SMBs, trailing only behind credit, debit, and prepaid card payments.

Despite the growing adoption, the study underscores the need for enhanced security measures to maintain consumer trust. Concerns about sending money to incorrect accounts, inability to earn rewards, and fears of fraud were prevalent among respondents in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Specifically, 47% of Singaporeans worry about misdirected funds, whilst 52% of Malaysians share this concern.

The report also highlights the challenges faced by SMBs, with 60% citing customer-related issues such as incorrect payment amounts and transaction delays. Fraud and scams remain significant pain points, particularly in Singapore, where 38% of businesses express concern.

Visa emphasises the importance of collaboration between governments, regulators, and industry players to address these challenges. Serene Gay, Visa’s Group Country Manager for Regional Southeast Asia, stated, “Real-time payments are transforming the way people and businesses move money, but speed must go hand-in-hand with security.”

Visa is actively working with partners to bolster security and interoperability, employing advanced fraud prevention technologies like Featurespace and AI-driven risk detection. These efforts aim to build trust and ensure the continued growth of RTPs across the region.