ANT-INTERNATIONAL
15.7.2024 05:40:33 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
BNP Paribas, the European Union’s leading bank, and Ant International, a digital payment and financial technology leader, have formed a strategic partnership to enhance cross-border payment solutions for merchants and consumers in Europe.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240714753209/en/
(Clockwise from top left) Marc Espagnon, Head of Payment and Cash Management at BNP Paribas, Kelvin Li, GM of Platform Technology at Ant International, Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International and Pierre Fersztand, Global Head of Cash Management, Payments, Trade Solutions & Factoring at BNP at the MOU signing ceremony on 3 July (Photo: Business Wire)
In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 3 July 2024 in Zurich by Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International and Pierre Fersztand, Global Head of Cash Management, Payments, Trade Solutions & Factoring at BNP Paribas, both parties agreed to develop several key initiatives, which will see BNP Paribas working closely with Ant International and its digital payment and innovative businesses.
BNP Paribas will work with Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions operated by Ant International, to enable thousands of merchants that use BNP Paribas' acquiring service across Europe to accept payments from more than 25 international mobile partners via Alipay+.
The two sides also agreed to work together to strengthen WorldFirst’s participation in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) scheme. WorldFirst, Ant International’s one-stop digital payment and financial services platform for global businesses, will reinforce its participation in SEPA to enable businesses to make online cross-border payments and fund transfers more seamlessly within the SEPA Zone.
BNP Paribas will sponsor WorldFirst’s participation in the SEPA scheme, allowing WorldFirst to leverage the bank’s expertise and products to expedite its integration and onboarding onto SEPA. WorldFirst’s clients will be able to access payment schemes under SEPA in real-time and automate treasury payments to optimise their operations.
In addition, BNP Paribas will explore innovations in tokenised deposits for global treasury management with Ant International, through the latter’s Whale platform. The collaboration aims to improve the efficiency and speed of global fund settlements through the use of tokenised deposits.
Ant International will leverage BNP Paribas’ infrastructure to further develop its Whale platform, a next-generation treasury management solution that utilises blockchain technology innovation, including advanced encryption and AI, to improve the efficiency and transparency of fund movement between bank accounts for better global liquidity management.
Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said: “Europe is an important region for Ant International, with the rise of cross-border commerce and the increase in travellers to the region, and of course, the excitement around UEFA EURO 2024 this year. Through our collaboration with a leading industry partner, we will bring together digital payments and innovative technology solutions from Ant International, with BNP Paribas’s depth of experience in the European market, to deliver greater connectivity and make global travel and trade more convenient.”
Pierre Fersztand, Global Head of Cash Management, Payments, Trade Solutions & Factoring at BNP Paribas added: “This new agreement with Ant International deepens a long-term collaboration that started in 2016 when Alipay+ was rolled-out in Europe. This is a key step in bolstering our service offering while leveraging on each other’s strengths to offer our clients the best service when it comes to cross-border payments. Additionally, we are keen to foster innovation with such a key player to develop tomorrow’s treasury management standards.”
About Ant International
Headquartered in Singapore, Ant International powers the future of global commerce with digital innovation for everyone and every business to thrive. In close collaboration with partners, we support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realise their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions.
About Alipay+
Alipay+ is a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payment and a broad choice of deals using their preferred payment methods while travelling abroad. Small and medium-sized businesses may use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
About WorldFirst
WorldFirst is meeting the needs of SMEs engaged in international trade to expand globally. This includes global collection, making payments, currency conversion, risk management, and supply chain financing to help SMEs reduce costs and improve turnover efficiency to generate more revenue, and quickly capture global business opportunities. WorldFirst, which employs AI and other cutting-edge technologies for risk control, prioritises the safety and security of client funds above all else and has a leading fraud-prevention track record in the industry. WorldFirst has served one million customers worldwide and is connected to over 120 marketplaces. WorldFirst was founded in 2004 and joined Ant Group in 2019.
Learn more about WorldFirst at https://www.worldfirst.com/sg/.
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 63 countries and has nearly 183,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240714753209/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
VELOCIFERO Takes Action Against Counterfeiting in China13.11.2026 17:32:00 CET | Press release
White s.r.o., exclusive owner of the VELOCIFERO brand, takes action in China to protect its intellectual property rights. Initial measures in Chongqing and Taizhou have already resulted in the seizure of vehicles alleged to be counterfeit. VELOCIFERO is taking action against counterfeiting in China. White s.r.o., the exclusive owner of the VELOCIFERO brand and its related intellectual property rights, has launched decisive measures to protect its creative and industrial assets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261113797570/en/ Photo courtesy of White s.r.o. “Vehicle sealed in Chongqing as part of actions undertaken to protect VELOCIFERO’s intellectual property rights.” The matter originated in June 2026 when, according to the company’s complaint, computers were removed from the technical office of Taizhou Siweiluo, the company appointed to manufacture VELOCIFERO products. White s.r.o. subsequently became aware
LangChain Raises $300M to Enable Every Company to Own Their Intelligence13.11.2026 16:53:00 CET | Press release
CapitalG leads Series C funding round at a $3B valuation to advance LangChain's agent engineering platform LangChain today announced it has raised $300 million in new funding at a $3 billion valuation, bringing total funding to date to $460 million. The round was led by existing investor CapitalG, with significant participation from new investors GIC and DFJ Growth and existing investors IVP and Sapphire Ventures. LangChain is advancing its mission to help every company own its intelligence. As agents transform the economy, companies are building domain-specific agents differentiated by their knowledge, data, and user experience. These agents will power new products and transform internal company operations, creating lasting competitive advantages for the companies that control them. "Agents are going to transform how companies operate and the products they deliver. The companies that control these systems will build lasting competitive advantages," said Harrison Chase, Co-Founder and
Kinaxis Named a Leader in Five 2026 IDC MarketScapes for Worldwide Supply Chain Planning13.11.2026 13:00:00 CET | Press release
Maestro delivers concurrent planning on a single platform across discrete, process, consumer packaged goods and life sciences Kinaxis® Inc. (TSX:KXS), a global leader in end-to-end supply chain planning and orchestration, today announced it has been named a Leader in five 2026 IDC MarketScape vendor assessments for worldwide supply chain planning. The recognition spans the overall market and four industries - discrete industries, process industries, consumer packaged goods and life sciences industries - all served by a single platform, Kinaxis Maestro®, the company's AI-powered supply chain orchestration platform. "Supply chain leaders don't need a better forecast once a month. They need to know what changed this morning, what it means across the business, and what to do about it," said Andrew Bell, Chief Product Officer of Kinaxis. "I believe being named a Leader across five IDC MarketScape vendor assessments, in industries that plan in very different ways, shows that a single concurr
SBC Medical Announces Capital and Business Alliance with NeuroBrain Dynamics to Advance Clinic Profitability Through Medical AI13.11.2026 12:30:00 CET | Press release
Companies to co-develop six medical AI solutions targeting revenue expansion and cost reduction; SBC Medical secures priority sales rights in Japan and South Korea and targets B2B expansion across Asia SBC Medical Group Holdings Incorporated (Nasdaq: SBC) (“The Company” or “SBC Medical”), a Medical Services Organization (MSO) providing management support across a wide range of healthcare fields, today announced a strategic capital and business alliance agreement with NeuroBrain Dynamics Inc. (“NBD”), a Taipei-based company dedicated to enterprise generative AI solutions. As part of the agreement executed on November 13, 2026, SBC Medical has made a minority equity investment in NBD. Through this alliance, SBC Medical plans to introduce two complementary suites of generative AI solutions across its network of 287 clinics in Japan and overseas*: “revenue-growth AI,” to elevate average revenue per visit and customer retention through personalized customer guidance, and “cost-reduction AI,
SBC Medical Group Holdings Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results13.11.2026 12:30:00 CET | Press release
Revenue Up 35%, Net Income Attributable to SBC Medical Up 22%, and Adjusted EBITDA1 Up 66% Year-over-Year; Net Income Margin of 27% and Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 47% — Previously Announced Service Fee Revisions and New Clinic Openings Contribute to Revenue Growth and Operating Margin Improvement SBC Medical Group Holdings Incorporated (Nasdaq: SBC) (“SBC Medical” or the “Company”), a Medical Services Organization (MSO) providing management support across a wide range of healthcare fields to medical institutions in Japan and abroad, today announced its consolidated financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 (the three months ended September 30, 2026) and the three cumulative quarters of fiscal year 2026 (the nine months ended September 30, 2026). Third Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights Total revenues were $59 million, up 35% year-over-year. Income from operations was $26 million, up 66% year-over-year, with an operating margin of 45%. Net income attributable to SBC Medi
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom