NTT DATA, a Japan-based digital business and technology services firm, announced Monday the commissioning of its Malaysia, India, Singapore Transit (MIST) submarine cable system by June 2025. NTT DATA said in a statement that the MIST is an 8,100-kilometer cable that can carry over 200 terabits per second (Tbps). It is one of the largest cables in Asia, and will connect Malaysia, India, Singapore and Thailand. It marks a milestone as NTT DATA’s first cable system to establish direct...

Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment platform of Ant International, has contributed more than 80 percent of inbound QR payments via DuitNow in Malaysia. Alipay+ said in a statement on Monday that the contribution is reflecting a successful public-private partnership in building a more connected payments ecosystem. According to the statement, in the peak travel season in December 2024, the partnership enabled six times growth in revenue for Malaysian merchants, compared to the same...

Malaysian digital media firm Catcha Digital Berhad announced Monday that it has entered into a conditional share sale agreement to acquire a 51 percent equity interest in Malaysia-based digital consultancy DS Services Sdn Bhd (Digital Symphony) for a cash consideration of MYR 22.95 million ($5.16 million). Catcha Digital said in a statement that the acquisition provides significant cross-selling opportunities between Catcha Digital’s existing advertising client base and Digital...

The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has on Monday approved $2.7 billion data center and cloud services projects. BOI said in a statement that the board has approved three data center and cloud services projects, by three different operators, which will be respectively located in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Rayong. The projects, which include one hyperscale data center, represent a combined information technology (IT) load of almost 350 MW. According to the statement, China’s Beijing...

RedotPay, a crypto payment platform based in Hong Kong, has announced the successful close of a $40 million Series A funding round led by Lightspeed following their commitment in December 2024. RedotPay said in a statement on Monday that the round also saw significant investments from HSG and Galaxy Ventures. It also saw participation from DST Global Partners, Accel, Vertex Ventures (Temasek-backed venture capital firm), among other investors. With this new funding, RedotPay plans to...

Malaysian government-linked private equity firm Ekuiti Nasional Berhad (Ekuinas) announced Monday its investment in Bluesify Solutions Sdn Bhd, a local managed security service provider (MSSP). This strategic investment, made via Ekuinas’ Dana Asas I fund reiterates Ekuinas’ continued commitment to accelerate the growth of Bumiputera companies in strategic sectors, Ekuinas said in a statement. Established in 2012, Bluesify was founded by Izman Ibrahim and Faroze Mohd Salleh....

Malaysian lender Hong Leong Islamic Bank (HLISB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with fintech platform GoBarakah, with plans to build a new FinTech ecosystem that channels donations and funds to underserved communities. The partnership, formed under the PayNet Cambah program by Malaysia’s national payments firm Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet), underscores the bank’s commitment to enhancing and strengthening its value-based intermediation (VBI)...

Moving to the cloud unlocks a range of new capabilities that can greatly benefit any organization – increased flexibility, lower costs, and easier scalability just to name a few. However, migrating workloads away from private data centers also introduces major new cybersecurity headaches if you don’t know how to navigate the shared responsibility model properly. With critical assets now hosted externally and accessed over the public internet, expanded attack surfaces get exposed...

Thailand’s Commission on the National Competitiveness Enhancement for Targeted Industries, has approved an investment by a unit of China’s Sunwoda Electronic worth more than $1 billion in the production of electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) batteries at the cell level, in a move that will strengthen the country’s supply chain and support EV manufacturing for both the domestic and export markets. Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) said in a statement on...

Seraya Partners said Monday that energy transition, digitalization, and regionalization, are driving new investment opportunities across developed and emerging Asia, as the region continues to drive global economic growth. The Asia-based independent private equity fund said in its latest whitepaper that an estimated $1.7 trillion in annual funding is required to sustain growth, modernize energy systems, and enhance digital and regional connectivity. According to the whitepaper, the shift...

IdeaSpace, the Philippines-based startup accelerator and early-stage venture investment arm of the MVP Group of Companies, has on Monday announced the appointment of Alwyn Rosel, a startup ecosystem veteran, as the new Executive Director of IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation, succeeding Jay Fajardo. IdeaSpace said in a statement that backed by 13 years of industry experience, Rosel has been with QBO Innovation for the last four years, serving as the Deputy Director. She previously held senior...

GXBank and Grab Malaysia have recently announced the inaugural top eight fintech startups shortlisted to be part of the six-month long TeXnovasi Accelerator Program. Supported by Cradle Fund and 1337 Ventures, TeXnovasi aims to empower Malaysia’s fintech startups through mentorship and resources towards building a tech-driven, financially empowered nation, and position Malaysia as a key player in revolutionizing the digital finance landscape, GXBank said in a statement on last Friday....