Industry News

Global Branded Residences (GBR), a leading advisory firm for branded residential developments, has launched in the Asia Pacific region, responding to its rapid growth in the luxury real estate sector. This expansion aims to support developers and operators as Asia Pacific is poised to match North America as the largest market for branded residences.

Asia Pacific is currently the second largest market for completed branded residential developments and holds a significant pipeline position, according to GBR data. Over 900 branded residences projects are expected to launch globally in the next five to six years, with Asia Pacific driving this growth. Thailand, Vietnam, and India are leading the charge, with cities like Bangkok, Phuket, and Bali emerging as key hotspots.

Phuket and Bangkok have secured top global rankings, with Phuket now overtaking Bangkok in pipeline projects. Vietnam has seen a remarkable rise, with 51 projects currently in development, making it the top spot in Asia Pacific for branded residential projects.

GBR, led by founder Riyan Itani, has advised on over 150 branded residential projects across 40 countries, working with marquee brands such as Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton. The firm has appointed Anna Carver as Business Development and Brand Selection and Negotiation Manager for the region, based in Singapore.

“The growth of branded residences in Asia Pacific is both rapid and sustained,” said Itani. Carver added, “We’re seeing developers increasingly recognise the value that hotel and lifestyle brands bring to residential developments.”

GBR’s expansion follows its role as Strategic Partner at the Branded Residences Forum Asia in Bangkok, where it presented its latest data and moderated key sessions on the sector’s future.
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UNIQLO has announced its first collaboration with the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and the Pokémon TCG Pocket app, set to launch on 11 August. This new UT Collection reimagines Pokémon nostalgia into everyday wear, featuring designs inspired by original card illustrations of beloved characters like Pikachu, Lapras, and Mewtwo. The collection includes five designs for adults and four for children, available in all UNIQLO stores and online.

To celebrate the launch, Pikachu will make special appearances at UNIQLO’s Orchard Central Global Flagship and Jewel Changi Airport stores on the release day. Fans purchasing two UTs from the collection can take photos with the Pikachu mascots between 12pm and 6.30pm. By sharing these photos on Instagram and tagging @uniqlosg, participants stand a chance to win a Pokémon Trading Card Game Deluxe Battle Deck. Entries will be accepted until 17 August, with winners announced on 18 August.

The collection offers T-shirts priced at $19.90 (£15.50) for adults and $14.90 (£11.60) for children, with sizes ranging from XS to 3XL for adults and 100 to 160 cm for children. This collaboration marks another successful venture for UNIQLO, following previous popular partnerships with the Pokémon brand. The Pokémon TCG Pocket app, which digitises the card collecting experience, complements this launch, offering fans a modern twist on a classic pastime.
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The Singapore Department of Statistics has reported varied movements in the country’s price indices for June 2025. The Import Price Index increased by 1.3%, whilst the Export Price Index saw a modest rise of 0.1%. The Domestic Supply Price Index also experienced a slight increase of 0.3%. However, the Singapore Manufactured Products Price Index fell by 0.8% compared to May 2025.

These indices are crucial as they reflect the price changes of goods traded internationally and domestically, impacting economic planning and business strategies. Excluding oil, the Export, Singapore Manufactured Products, and Domestic Supply Price indices decreased by 0.6%, 1.6%, and 1.5% respectively, whilst the Import Price Index remained unchanged.

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MATRIXX Software has announced a five-year extension of its partnership with Singapore’s telecommunications giant, StarHub. This collaboration aims to bolster StarHub’s digital offerings and provide agile, real-time monetisation solutions for both consumer and enterprise sectors. Initially implemented to support the launch of StarHub’s all-digital brand, giga!, the partnership will now extend to the main brand offerings.

StarHub’s chief information officer, Adam Seyer, highlighted the company’s commitment to modernising its infrastructure. “StarHub is modernising from the inside out, driving growth in our consumer business through smarter cross-product bundling and a multi-brand, multi-segment strategy that creates meaningful value,” he stated. The partnership with MATRIXX will enable StarHub to deliver faster and more seamless digital experiences, catering to evolving customer needs.

The collaboration will see StarHub leveraging MATRIXX’s cloud native monetisation solution to unify its IT infrastructure, enhancing both consumer and enterprise offerings. This move is part of StarHub’s long-term growth strategy, aiming to accelerate the delivery of new digital services and experiences.

Tom Fisher, vice president of APAC sales at MATRIXX Software, expressed enthusiasm about the continued partnership. “We are excited to continue our partnership with StarHub, delivering the agile, real-time charging capabilities that enable them to bring new digital products and services to market faster and deliver world-class customer experiences,” he said.

The extension of this partnership is expected to drive new growth opportunities for StarHub, particularly in the realm of innovative 5G services, and further solidify its position in Singapore’s dynamic mobile market.
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Registration is now open for the DNDA25 Summit, co-hosted by Singapore Polytechnic and the Don Norman Design Award, set to take place from 19 to 21 November 2025 at the Singapore Polytechnic Convention Centre. This marks the first time the summit will be held outside the United States, underscoring Asia’s rising role in shaping design for societal impact.

Themed “Humanity-Centred Design (HCD+): The Future of Education, Business and Community,” the summit will gather global designers, innovators, and educators. Attendees can expect transformative keynotes, stories of design breakthroughs, and debates on how HCD+ can foster positive change for people and the planet.

Keynote speakers include design pioneer Don Norman, Ezio Manzini from Politecnico di Milano, and Daniel Iacofano, CEO of MIG. Also speaking are Dr Wong Sweet Fun from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Sanjay Purohit of the Centre for Exponential Change, with more speakers to be announced.

A highlight of the event will be the DNDA25 Awards, celebrating contributions in early-career work, educational programmes, and organisational leadership. Honourees will share insights from their design journeys, inspiring others to integrate humanity-centred values into their work.

This summit builds on a partnership between Singapore Polytechnic and Don Norman, which began in 2023. The collaboration has grown, with SP receiving global recognition at DNDA24 for leadership in the HCD+ space. The DNDA25 Summit invites professionals, students, and industry leaders to join a movement redefining design’s impact.
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Synagistics Limited, a leading AI-powered digital commerce platform in Southeast Asia, has announced the launch of its Digital Finance Group (SDFG). This strategic initiative is set to develop interoperable multi-currency stablecoins and real-world asset tokenisation solutions, marking Synagistics’ entry into the programmable finance sector. The initiative aims to bridge traditional financial systems with blockchain infrastructure, enabling tokenised settlements of real-world assets like trade receivables and inventory using stablecoins pegged to multiple fiat currencies, including the Hong Kong Dollar, offshore Renminbi, and Singapore Dollar.

The venture will be led by Katherine Tsang, former Chairperson of Greater China at Standard Chartered, alongside a team of seasoned industry veterans. Tsang emphasised the importance of creating a “trusted, scalable solution that supports sovereign currencies, enhances regional liquidity, and empowers businesses with 24/7 programmable money.”

Synagistics is leveraging its existing infrastructure and partnerships to accelerate the adoption of SDFG’s solutions. Collaborations include a digital trade platform with China Post Hong Kong and a pan-regional AI-powered trade corridor with Jiangsu Soho, a major Belt and Road Initiative enterprise. These partnerships aim to support SMEs and exporters by providing faster, more transparent, and cost-effective financial solutions.

As Asia-Pacific emerges as a hub for digital trade, with Southeast Asia’s e-commerce GMV expected to surpass $295 billion by 2025, the demand for regulatory-compliant stablecoins and tokenised assets is anticipated to grow. Synagistics’ initiative positions it at the forefront of this digital finance transformation, offering scalable and compliant solutions to meet the region’s evolving needs.
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Clio, a global leader in legal technology, has launched its AI tool, Clio Duo, in Singapore, marking a significant advancement in the region’s legal tech landscape. Clio Duo is designed to streamline legal processes by automating repetitive tasks, extracting insights from documents, and offering smart recommendations, thereby allowing legal professionals to focus on high-value work.

The introduction of Clio Duo in Singapore follows its successful deployment in the US, where it has been praised for enhancing administrative efficiency and delivering insightful document summaries. Femke van der Hoeven from Collective Family Law noted, “Duo is becoming an essential asset in supporting our day-to-day legal work.”

Denise Farmer, General Manager APAC at Clio, highlighted the tool’s potential impact: “Law firms across Singapore are eager for secure, integrated, and genuinely useful AI solutions. With its deep integration with Clio Manage and strong focus on privacy, Clio Duo empowers firms to enhance operations without compromising client trust or ethical obligations.”

Clio Duo is purpose-built for legal professionals, ensuring compliance and trust by drawing only from a firm’s existing Clio data and maintaining strict permission controls. This launch coincides with a growing trend in AI adoption within the legal sector, with 79% of firms already using AI and over 80% planning to increase usage in the coming year.

Available to all Clio Manage customers in Singapore and the APAC region, Clio Duo promises to accelerate casework, reduce administrative burdens, and drive growth for law firms.
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Leading offshore law firm Carey Olsen has been nominated for the Offshore Law Firm of the Year award at Law.com International’s The Asia Legal Awards. This marks the firm’s third nomination in the Asia market this year, following previous shortlistings for the Chambers Asia-Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2025 and the Asian Legal Business China Law Awards 2025. Earlier this month, Carey Olsen was also recognised at the China Business Law Awards 2025 as one of the best offshore law firms for the second consecutive year.

The Asia Legal Awards, now in their 12th year, celebrate significant legal work and cases that have influenced the industry across Asia. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Singapore on 10 September 2025, with winners selected by a panel of esteemed general counsel judges across 44 categories.

Carey Olsen’s teams in Hong Kong and Singapore collaborate with leading regional and international law firms to provide legal advice to Asia-based clients on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and Jersey. The firm’s consistent recognition highlights its strong presence and expertise in the Asia-Pacific region.
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International law firm Bird & Bird has announced the appointment of Ashok Kumar and Darius Tay as Restructuring & Insolvency (R&I) partners in its Singapore office, effective 1 August. The duo, along with their team from BlackOak, a boutique law firm they founded in 2016, will bolster Bird & Bird’s capabilities in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Ashok Kumar, a veteran with 30 years of experience in corporate restructuring and insolvency, and Darius Tay, with 13 years in the field, are set to enhance Bird & Bird’s offerings. Their expertise spans both contentious and non-contentious restructuring and insolvency matters, including banking, finance, and mergers and acquisitions in special situations. They also provide services to fund managers, international firms, and financial institutions on compliance, regulatory matters, and special situations arising from investments.

Jeremy Tan, Singapore Managing Partner at Bird & Bird, remarked, “This addition will strengthen our Singapore and Southeast Asia capability at an important moment when Singapore has emerged as a leading hub for international businesses.” Ashok Kumar expressed enthusiasm about joining Bird & Bird, highlighting the firm’s global leadership in Technology and Intellectual Property. Darius Tay echoed this sentiment, noting the exciting opportunities presented by Singapore’s dynamic environment shaped by technology and regulation.

The move signifies Bird & Bird’s commitment to expanding its presence and expertise in the region, aligning with Singapore’s status as a strategic hub for international business operations.
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The future of artificial intelligence in the financial sector hinges on a hybrid approach that merges the generative capabilities of large models with the precision of traditional AI, according to Ming Jin, International CTO of OneConnect Financial Technology. Speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference in Singapore, Jin highlighted the necessity of this strategy for industries like finance, which manage sensitive data and demand high reliability.

Jin noted that the banking sector often grapples with outdated systems, and AI, particularly large language models, offers innovative solutions for modernisation. “By using AI large models to analyse programme code and extract functional specifications, we can quickly understand and reconstruct the underlying architecture,” he stated. This method has proven effective for financial institutions tackling system modernisation challenges.

OneConnect’s parent company, Ping An Group, exemplifies AI’s practical application, having integrated AI across sales, service, operations, and management. In 2024, Ping An’s AI call centre managed 184 billion customer interactions, handling 80% of total enquiries. Additionally, AI-driven anti-fraud technologies have significantly enhanced credit and fraud prevention.

Jin emphasised three critical elements for successful AI implementation: robust data, computing power, and algorithms; professional talent with cross-disciplinary expertise; and a diverse portfolio of business scenarios. He pointed out China’s advantages in these areas, citing Ping An’s extensive resources, including over 3,000 scientists and 21,000 technology developers.

Looking forward, OneConnect aims to advance its AI capabilities, focusing on integrating large models into business processes whilst maintaining human oversight. This approach ensures system flexibility, transparency, and reliability, contributing to the digital transformation of global financial institutions.
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