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Hello readers,
Most of my work days begin with a barrage of fintech-related news. I couldn’t avoid it, even if I wanted to. Whether it’s funding, mergers, or insolvency, the space is abuzz with interest. This is understandable given the countless consumer-facing apps that offer convenient financial solutions and seem to be appearing from thin air.
Fintech is often seen as a recent marriage of financial services and IT. That’s what led me to assume that fintech came to the fore only in the early 2010s (how did I forget about ATMs? 🏧), along with the onset of the smartphone invasion of the world. In fact, fintech has evolved over three distinct time periods, dating all the way back to 1886.
With e-wallets apps across Southeast Asia grabbing most of the headlines, it is easy to forget just how broad and diverse the fintech sector is. Its sheer vastness also helps explain the flood of fintech news. Earned wage access, credit scoring, SME financing, digital lending, insurtech, personal finance, point-of-sale firms, and buy now, pay later all fall under the fintech umbrella.
As the benefits of fintech trickle deep into every Southeast Asian market, in our premium story today, we take a detailed look at the shifting landscape of Vietnam’s fintech sector, which attracted over half a billion dollars in investments last year.
Also, if you’re an entrepreneur looking for funding, fill out this form to get your company featured on our list of fundraising startups.
— Shravanth
The Big Story
Why Vietnam’s fintech battleground is shifting gear
More than half a billion dollars was invested into the country’s fintech sector in 2021. Read more.
Trending news
1. SG insurtech firm bags $4.3m in seed money
Cyber Sierra provides businesses cyber and technology insurance coverage of up to US$5 million.
2. India blacklists Garena’s Free Fire, 53 other apps on security concerns
In 2020, India also banned many popular Chinese apps, such as TikTok, Shein, WeChat, AliExpress, and PUBG Mobile.
3. A list of SEA’s unicorns and their early investors (Updated)
Southeast Asia has 46 unicorns, which also includes a number of decacorns – startups valued at U$10 billion or more, according to Tech in Asia’s analysis.
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