Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Standard Chartered brings fintech to Greater Bay

Standard Chartered brings fintech to Greater Bay

Fintech banking unit just opened second Hong Kong-based eXellerator innovation lab; global head explains why
The Greater Bay Area is of huge importance and we would like to grow it much more,” Lucy Demery, global head of Standard Chartered Fintech Banking, said in an interview with Asia Times.

In late October, Standard Chartered opened its second Hong Kong-based eXellerator innovation lab which is part of the Bank’s SC Ventures unit to do fintech investments. Earlier, in August, Standard Chartered established an eXellerator innovation lab in Shanghai, the first one in Chinese mainland markets.

“We recognize we could be doing more in the Greater Bay, Demery said. “Standard Chartered has had a strong franchise in Hong Kong for a long time. Across the Bay there is so much innovation and Standard Chartered is well-positioned to help accelerate that innovation.”

She added, “It’s a really important way for us to plug into the financial services innovation ecosystem across china. In many ways, China is leading the world in fintech. That’s why we set up the eXellerator to try to support the emergence of new competition and smaller players who are not only innovating around payments, but also around credit both for consumers and merchants – and also wealthtech and insurtech. We would like to explore more in each of those financial services verticals.”

In terms of fintech innovations not just across the Greater Bay Area but also on a global scale, traditional commercial banking players usually collaborate with newly rising fintech “unicorns.”

For instance, Standard Chartered has had long-time and deep collaborations with Ant Financial on blockchain projects. AlipayHK and Philippines’ GCash apps backed by Ant Financial had launched blockchain-based remittance solutions across borders, in which Standard Chartered acts as the settlement bank. This reportedly has been the first ever blockchain-backed cross-border digital wallet remittance service.

When it comes to what different roles banks and fintech companies can play in fintech collaborations, Lucy Demery said, “Our banking tech talent and engineering teams are able to keep pace with one of the most advanced technology companies in the world. Even for fintech giants, there’s still a need for traditional banks in building the infrastructure of tomorrow and helping connect corridors between different markets where we’ve been present for a long time.”
#ANT 
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×