Industry News

Integral, a leading currency technology provider, has significantly expanded its presence at the Equinix SG1 data facility in Singapore, tripling its capacity to meet the surging demand across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. This strategic move comes as the company processes over one million tickets daily, leveraging Equinix Fabric for enhanced connectivity with cloud service providers, partners, and customers.

The expansion at SG1 is part of Integral’s commitment to supporting its growing client base in APAC, ensuring scalability and efficiency without compromising speed or performance. The company has seen robust growth in the region, with numerous client partnerships established over the past year. Harpal Sandhu, CEO of Integral, highlighted Singapore’s pivotal role in accelerating the company’s regional presence, stating, “The expansion of our SG1 data facility represents our commitment to ensuring our clients have access to the most sophisticated and agile cloud-based infrastructure possible.”

Equinix, which operates a global network of over 270 International Business Exchange facilities, provides the secure and high-performance infrastructure necessary for Integral’s operations. Yee May Leong, Managing Director of Equinix Singapore, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting that Integral’s growth underscores the trust placed in Equinix as a strategic partner.

In addition to Singapore, Integral maintains infrastructure in Equinix data centres in New York, Tokyo, and London, further supporting its global operations. This expansion marks a significant step in Integral’s ongoing investment in infrastructure to support its expanding client base and manage increasing transaction volumes effectively.

Atome, Southeast Asia’s leading digital finance platform, has announced the successful closure of a US$345m upsized syndicated debt facility, a substantial increase from the US$200m secured in 2024. This facility, supported by HSBC as Structuring Bank and Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, with DBS joining as a new Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, aims to accelerate Atome’s growth across key Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

The expanded facility will bolster Atome Financial’s regional portfolio and products such as its Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) lending and the Atome Pay Later Anywhere Card. New lenders Fubon Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank have joined existing partners like Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Baiduri Bank, and Cathay United Bank in this financial endeavour.

Andy Tan, Chief Commercial Officer at Atome, expressed gratitude for the support from both new and returning lenders, stating, “This facility has grown significantly within a year. We’re now even better positioned to support a rapidly growing, healthy, and profitable loan book whilst scaling transparent and flexible credit solutions.”

Atome’s financial performance in FY2024 showed a 63% year-on-year increase in operating income to US$236m, with a 50% rise in gross merchandise value (GMV) to over US$2b. The growth momentum continued in 2025, with annualised net revenue surpassing US$500m and GMV reaching US$6b.

Atome, part of the Singapore-headquartered Advance Intelligence Group, continues to expand its services, backed by investors such as SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Warburg Pincus.

Singapore-based fintech company HitPay has partnered with Primer, a global payments infrastructure provider, to facilitate faster international expansion for Southeast Asian merchants. This strategic alliance aims to address the challenges faced by local businesses in accessing global markets, particularly in the US and Europe, by providing seamless payment solutions.

The partnership comes at a crucial time as many Singaporean small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are compelled to expand overseas due to economic pressures. According to the Singapore Business Federation, 40% of businesses anticipate a worsening economy in 2026, with 22% experiencing a credit crunch. HitPay’s collaboration with Primer offers these businesses access to a unified payment infrastructure, reducing transaction failures and improving cash flow.

Key benefits of this partnership include the ability for merchants to instantly activate US and EU payment methods, ensuring successful transactions with Western customers. Last year, HitPay’s solutions helped merchants save over $10m in costs, a significant advantage in a tight credit environment.

Aditya Haripurkar, CEO of HitPay, highlighted the transformative impact of the partnership, stating, “Accelerated access to new markets and local-level payment performance will be transformative for our fast-growing merchants.” Gabriel Le Roux, CEO of Primer, added, “By partnering with HitPay, we’re opening new markets for their merchants and laying the foundation for long-term global expansion.”

The collaboration also benefits Primer, as HitPay integrates into its Primer for Partners programme, allowing global merchants to tap into Southeast Asia’s diverse payment landscape. This two-way partnership aims to replace payment complexities with resilient infrastructure, enabling merchants to expand internationally without compromising performance or speed.

Rex International Holding Limited has announced a proposed acquisition involving Monarch Marine Holding Ltd, which will see Monarch acquire 40% of Xer Sweden shares from Renewable Ventures Nordic AB. The transaction, detailed in a shareholders’ circular dated 13 January 2026, involves the issuance of 13,636,364 new shares in Renewable Ventures Nordic to Monarch as consideration.

The acquisition is structured to ensure that the risks and rewards are proportionate to the equity shares held by both Rex and Monarch in Xer Sweden. Rex’s audit committee has confirmed that the terms of the acquisition are fair and not detrimental to the interests of the company or its minority shareholders.

The acquisition is part of a broader strategy by Rex International to streamline its investments and focus on its core business areas. The move is expected to align the interests of both Rex and Monarch, providing a balanced distribution of risks and rewards based on their respective equity holdings.

The completion of this transaction marks a significant step in Rex’s ongoing efforts to optimise its investment portfolio and enhance shareholder value.

Clio, a global leader in legal AI technology valued at US$5b, has launched its Clio Work platform in Singapore, marking a significant step in the Asia-Pacific region. This platform aims to revolutionise the legal industry by integrating AI-powered practice management with a comprehensive legal intelligence library. Clio Work is designed to unify a firm’s internal matter data with a verified global legal library, addressing the need for more advanced AI tools in the legal sector.

Clio Work stands out by not only storing information but also creating timelines, analysing filings, and generating research outlines directly within a lawyer’s workflow. This innovation is particularly crucial for Singapore’s legal community, which faces high-stakes regulatory challenges. Denise Farmer, General Manager of APAC at Clio, highlighted the platform’s ability to bridge the gap between the business and practice of law, eliminating the fragmentation that often hampers productivity.

The platform’s key capabilities include context-aware intelligence, which leverages matter data to surface insights and identify risks specific to each case. It also ensures that every output is grounded in verified legal authority, thanks to Clio Library, the world’s largest global legal dataset. This feature is especially beneficial for practitioners in Commonwealth jurisdictions, ensuring accuracy and court-readiness.

Clio Work is now available for legal professionals in Singapore, New Zealand, and Hong Kong, setting a new standard for intelligent legal operations in the region.

Atlantis Lab has unveiled Atlantis, the region’s first all-in-one Web3 hub designed to streamline crypto management for everyday users. The platform, launched on 12 January 2026, allows users to track, manage, and interact with their crypto assets across multiple wallets and exchanges through a single, user-friendly interface whilst maintaining full self-custody.

Developed within CryptoKnight Academy, Atlantis addresses the fragmentation issue in retail crypto participation. Zachary Young, founder of Atlantis Lab and CEO of CryptoKnight Academy, stated, “Atlantis was created to change that experience. We centralise the interface, not the assets, so users can rely on one clear control panel for Web3 whilst their funds stay in their own wallets and on decentralised protocols, where they belong.”

Atlantis consolidates various crypto actions into one web-based hub, enabling users to view their holdings, explore top coins, send funds, swap tokens, and bridge assets across supported chains. The platform operates as a non-custodial access layer, ensuring user funds remain secure and private.

The hub is informed by insights from over 40,000 crypto learners, highlighting the need for a simplified and intuitive interface. Atlantis Lab aims to promote responsible innovation and global adoption by integrating education and risk awareness into the platform.

Looking ahead, Atlantis Lab plans to expand the platform’s capabilities, focusing on broader chain support, enhanced mobile experiences, and smarter insights. The goal remains to reduce complexity and minimise user risk, making Web3 accessible to mainstream users globally.

Attika Group has bolstered its shareholding base by successfully placing 15.6 million vendor shares at S$0.35 each, generating a total of S$5.46m. This strategic move attracted significant interest from investors, including Areca Capital, Asdew Acquisitions, ICH Synergrowth Fund, and Lion Global Investors Limited, along with high net-worth individuals.

The sale aims to improve the liquidity of Attika’s shares on the Singapore Exchange and optimise its capital structure. Steven Tan, Managing Director and Executive Chairman of the group, noted the strong demand from both institutional and high net-worth investors, highlighting the confidence in Attika’s growth prospects and strategic direction. “The sale of the Vendor Shares serves multiple strategic objectives for the Group. By broadening our shareholding base to include new institutional and high net-worth investors, we are enhancing the trading liquidity of our shares on the Singapore Exchange, which benefits all shareholders,” he stated.

The diversified investor profile is expected to strengthen Attika’s capital structure, providing a robust foundation for continued development. Tan further emphasised that the interest from quality institutional investors validates Attika’s business model and growth trajectory. He reiterated the company’s commitment to creating sustainable value for stakeholders as it executes strategic plans and capitalises on future opportunities.

This development marks a significant step for Attika Group in reinforcing its market position and ensuring long-term growth.

Regal Rexnord has inaugurated a new office in Singapore, consolidating its operations from multiple sites into a single, modern facility. This strategic move aims to enhance collaboration among its brands, including CENTA, Jaure, Kollmorgen, Nicotra, and Falk, and streamline services for customers seeking mechanical power transmission, motion control, and automation solutions.

The new Singapore office serves as a regional hub, supporting industries such as mining, marine, logistics, and oil and gas across Southeast Asia. Singapore’s strategic location as a centre for engineering, procurement, and construction companies, original equipment manufacturers, and system integrators makes it an ideal base for Regal Rexnord’s operations in the region.

By uniting its teams under one roof, Regal Rexnord aims to provide a more cohesive and efficient service to its clients. The facility is designed to foster collaboration and customer engagement, with ample space for future growth. “Bringing our teams from across Singapore into a single space reinforces the message that we are one Regal Rexnord,” said Shih Pin Tan, Sales Director for Southeast Asia. “It allows us to provide a single localised point of contact whilst continuing to support customers with the trusted brands and expertise they rely on.”

The office was officially opened by Scott Curley, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Shih Pin Tan. This development underscores Regal Rexnord’s long-term commitment to Southeast Asia, enhancing its ability to support the region’s diverse industrial needs.

Deloitte Singapore has unveiled its recommendations for the upcoming Singapore Budget 2026, focusing on measures to help businesses navigate global uncertainties and adapt to new international tax frameworks. The proposals include refining tax frameworks for multinational enterprises (MNEs), boosting innovation, and adjusting personal tax policies to support workforce development.

Deloitte emphasises the importance of adapting to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Pillar Two framework, which impacts MNEs starting from 2025. Rohan Solapurkar, Deloitte Singapore’s Tax & Legal Leader, stated, “Tax policy becomes a strategic instrument—not merely a compliance framework but a channel through which the economy can absorb volatility and support business reinvention.”

The firm also highlights the need for Singapore to enhance its corporate tax framework to support resilience and long-term growth. Daniel Ho, Mergers & Acquisitions Tax Leader at Deloitte Southeast Asia, noted, “Budget 2026 presents an opportunity to further strengthen Singapore’s corporate tax framework in ways that support resilience, investment, and long-term enterprise growth.”

In addition, Deloitte recommends establishing a fund to assist medium-sized businesses in becoming AI-ready, alongside enhancing support for research and development (R&D) capabilities. Lee Tiong Heng, Global Investment & Innovation Incentives Leader at Deloitte Southeast Asia, suggested offering special income tax rates to attract specialised R&D talent.

As Singapore continues to position itself as a competitive investment destination, Deloitte underscores the importance of evolving the Refundable Investment Credit (RIC) to reflect global tax developments. Yvaine Gan, Global Investment & Innovation Incentives Leader at Deloitte Singapore, proposed raising the RIC support rate to 70% of qualifying expenditures to better support businesses.

These recommendations aim to bolster Singapore’s adaptability and competitiveness in an evolving global landscape.

OrangeTee (a member of Realion Group) is set to host Japan Property Day on 17 January 2026, offering Singapore buyers exclusive insights into Japan’s residential property market. The event, held at the OrangeTee Building from 10am to 6pm, will showcase new projects and renovated homes ready for immediate handover.

One of the key highlights of the event is the L’Gente Shirokane-takanawa project in Tokyo’s Minato ward, featuring 38 one- and two-bedroom units. Scheduled for launch in March 2026, prices start at  JPY 103m (approximately S$840,995). This initiative aims to provide Singapore investors with timely opportunities for both long-term growth and immediate rental income.

Steven Tan, Director of OrangeTee International, emphasised the event’s role in helping buyers understand the Japanese market, stating, “Japan Property Day is about bringing timely and tangible opportunities directly to Singapore buyers.” The event will also feature experts from Tokyu Livable, who will discuss market trends, investment districts, and key considerations for foreign buyers.

Yasuaki Nagasaka, Manager of Overseas Sales Section at Tokyu Livable, highlighted Japan’s strong urban fundamentals and transparent transaction processes, expressing enthusiasm for sharing insights with Singaporean investors.

Japan Property Day continues OrangeTee’s collaboration with Tokyu Livable, offering curated opportunities for Singapore-based investors.