More than 30 Australian fintech companies joined the Team Australia delegation to the 2025 Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF). Delivered in partnership with Investment NSW, Global Victoria and FinTech Australia, the delegation showcased Australia’s strengths across:
- payments and embedded finance
- AI-enabled financial services
- regtech and compliance technology
- digital lending and alternative credit platforms.
Across 3 days, the Australian Pavilion facilitated over 100 targeted business-matching engagements, connecting Australian companies with regional investors, regulators, banks, and corporate innovation teams. These meetings generated new opportunities for pilot projects, partnerships and market entry exploration.
The strong engagement reflects the increasing alignment between Australian fintech capability and Southeast Asia’s digital transformation priorities.
Southeast Asia’s US$1 trillion digital transformation opportunity
Southeast Asia’s digital economy is undergoing rapid expansion, driven by strong demographics, rising digital adoption and accelerating demand for innovative financial services. By 2030, the region’s digital economy is forecast to approach US$1 trillion, presenting significant commercial opportunities for Australian fintech companies.
In this context, the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) has become one of the world’s most influential platforms for global fintech collaboration. Last year’s event drew more than 65,000 participants from over 130 countries, highlighting Singapore’s role as a regional hub for digital finance and innovation.
SFF as a pathway into Southeast Asia
SFF is a major activation point for Austrade’s Southeast Asia Landing Pads network. Operating in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, the Landing Pads support export-ready Australian tech companies by:
- identifying market pathways
- refining regional value propositions
- facilitating introductions to investors, regulators and partners
- providing insights into Southeast Asia’s regulatory and operating environment.
At SFF 2025, the Australian fintech delegation engaged in curated meetings, side events and ecosystem visits. These activities were designed to help them validate their commercial potential across multiple Southeast Asian markets.
The Singapore Fintech Festival plays a crucial role connecting Australian innovators with customers and partners across Southeast Asia.
Strengthening regional and bilateral partnerships
The festival also saw renewed momentum in cross-border collaboration, fostering bilateral partnerships in fintech innovation, trade, and digital transformation as part of the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.
Key collaborations bridged Australian expertise with key markets like Singapore and the Philippines, enabling AI advancements, market access, and financial inclusion. These initiatives, supported by Austrade’s Landing Pads and trade missions, position Australia as a vital partner in Southeast Asia’s tech-driven growth.
Cognitivo and ST Engineering partner on AI for finance
Cognitivo and ST Engineering signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-develop customised AI-powered user experiences for financial institutions in Singapore and Australia, advancing from proof-of-concept to practical AI adoption.
The agreement was inked by Tan Bin Ru, President of Enterprise Digital at ST Engineering, and Alan Hsiao, CEO of Cognitivo. The agreement targets personalised customer engagement, such as generating tailored financial product recommendations based on individual profiles and product guidelines, and enhanced AI chatbots for intuitive support. It also shared best practices for responsible generative AI implementation. Leveraging ST Engineering’s AGIL® Genie Studio and Cognitivo’s AI knowledge platform, the partnership integrates external data like investment news to deliver compliant, context-aware responses.
Austrade renews partnership with Fintech Alliance Ph
Austrade also renewed its MoU with Fintech Alliance.Ph, the Philippines’ leading digital industry association, at SFF. The MOU was signed by Catherine Gallagher, Head of Austrade, Southeast Asia, and Lito Villanueva, Founding Chairman of Fintech Alliance.Ph, in the presence of Philippines Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda.
The partnership bolsters collaboration in trade, investment, and fintech policy aligned with Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 and the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028.
Explore opportunities in Southeast Asia
Australian companies looking to expand into Southeast Asia can connect with Austrade to explore market pathways, understand regulatory settings and identify the right commercial partners.
Support is also available through the Southeast Asia Landing Pads and the Go Global Toolkit, which offers advisory services, practical tools and export-readiness resources:
Austrade looks forward to supporting more Australian innovators as they pursue growth across Southeast Asia and beyond.
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