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In focus
- ShopBack goes gaming as bottom line improves
- MoneyHero feels internal pressure
- Aspire’s take on US expansion
Hello reader,
For most online purchases, Shopee’s been my go-to recently. But back when Lazada was more generous with its incentives, I used to grind the games it offered to get solid discounts on small purchases, usually coffee beans.
Since January last year, a similar grind’s been available on cashback rewards firm ShopBack’s platform. Through a feature called ShopBack Play, the company rewards users just for playing mobile games installed through the ShopBack app.
The company knows shopping is a lower-frequency activity, and adding a play-to-earn feature can help turn opening the app into a habit.
But gamification isn’t the only lever ShopBack can pull as it enters its 2027 financial year. Huanmin Huang, the company’s chief of staff and acting CFO, shares more with Tech in Asia for this edition’s first top story, including its North American push and AI integrations.
Over at fintech firm MoneyHero, Tech in Asia has learned that a number of the company’s senior management were pushing for board chairman Kenneth Chan to step down in late March.
It marks the latest escalation in tensions between the board and management team. Check out our second top story for the full details.
Miguel Cordon, journalist
Top Stories
1️⃣ From shopping to gaming: ShopBack sees over 30% growth in FY 2026
Photo credit: ShopBack
What stands out most from the company’s latest financial statement, which covers its financial year ending March 2025, is its swing to a US$159.9 million profit before tax. That said, most of this profit came from a change in financial income, which doesn’t necessarily reflect the daily grind of the business.
Still, Huang says ShopBack has been adjusted EBITDA profitable for the last six consecutive quarters, the latest being Q4 of its FY 2026.
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