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
Special Olympics Airlift Takes Flight Nationwide; Dove 1 Arrives at St. Paul Downtown Airport19.6.2026 17:09:00 CEST | Press release
Approximately 130 Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft and volunteer pilots mobilize to transport more than 800 Special Olympics athletes and coaches to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games The 2026 Special Olympics Airlift officially took flight today as all participating Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft, known as Doves, departed from airports across the country. Dove 1 for arrival day, a Cessna Citation Latitude generously operated by Prent Corporation, landed at St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) carrying Special Olympic athletes and delegation members, signaling the start of Airlift arrivals for the Special Olympics USA Games. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260619085293/en/ Special Olympics Airlift takes flight nationwide; Dove 1 arrives at St. Paul Downtown Airport (Photo credit: Textron Aviation). The arrival signals the start of the world’s largest cumulative peacetime airlift spanning more than 40
Record Currency Management Participates in Innovative European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) -Backed Mongolian Tugrik Transaction19.6.2026 16:53:00 CEST | Press release
Record Currency Management Ltd (RCM), subsidiary of London-listed Record plc (Record Financial Group), is pleased to announce its participation in an innovative local currency bond transaction issued by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), supporting the development of Mongolia's capital markets while providing institutional investors with access to attractive frontier market opportunities. RCM is the UK currency management arm of Record Financial Group, the London-listed specialist investment group managing USD 115 billion of assets on behalf of institutional clients worldwide. Record's client base comprises pension funds, foundations, sovereign institutions and other asset managers, with whom the Group has built long-standing relationships through its focus on bespoke investment and risk management solutions. Headquartered in London, Record has offices in Hamburg, Zurich, Zug, New York, and Hong Kong. The investment forms part of Record Financial Group's broad
Plasma One Launches to Herald a New Era of Stablecoin Banking19.6.2026 14:29:00 CEST | Press release
Plasma has today announced the launch of Plasma One, its flagship financial product designed to make digital dollars usable for everyday spending, sending and earning. Plasma One is designed to make stablecoins feel like money, only better - more accessible, reliable and efficient. For years, stablecoin adoption has been held back by a fragmented system and poor user experience. We have seen wallets in one place, exchanges in another, and costly off-ramps standing between digital dollars and daily life. Plasma One brings that experience together in a single app, giving users a simple way to spend, send and earn with stablecoins from one account with zero fees. Headquartered in London, the city that gave rise to Revolut, Wise and Monzo, Plasma is making a bigger bet, that the next generation of consumer banking will be built on stablecoin rails, not legacy banking infrastructure. Underneath Plasma One is the Plasma Network, Plasma’s own blockchain, purpose-built to move stablecoins inst
IQM Appoints Craig Ciesla, Former Illumina VP, as CTO; Inés de Vega Becomes Chief Scientist19.6.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
Ciesla is a seasoned deep tech executive with more than 25 years of experience delivering products across industries — from startups to Fortune 500 companies. De Vega brings more than 20 years of experience advancing quantum technologies from fundamental research to intellectual property and industrial applications. IQM Quantum Computers, the global leader in superconducting quantum computers, today announced the appointments of Dr. Craig Ciesla as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Dr. Inés de Vega as Chief Scientist, as she transitions from her role as Vice President of Quantum Solutions, deepening IQM´s leadership as the company prepares for its planned Nasdaq listing through a merger with Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: RAAQ). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260619693929/en/ From left to right: Dr. Inés de Vega, Chief Scientist, and Dr. Craig Ciesla, Chief Technology Officer. Ciesla, an experienced d
Teijin Receives Approval for Additional Indications of XEOMIN® for Cervical Dystonia and Blepharospasm in Japan19.6.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
Teijin Pharma Limited, the core company of the Teijin Group’s healthcare business, and Merz Therapeutics GmbH, a leading player in neurology-focused specialty pharma, jointly announced today that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved the additional indications for XEOMIN® (incobotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of cervical dystonia and blepharospasm. This approval represents the fourth and fifth indications for XEOMIN® authorized in Japan, alongside its existing approvals for the treatment of upper limb spasticity, lower limb spasticity and chronic sialorrhea. Cervical dystonia is a focal dystonia characterized by involuntary contractions of the neck muscles, resulting in abnormal or repetitive movements and postures.1 Blepharospasm is also a focal dystonia, characterized by excessive involuntary contractions of the muscles surrounding the eye.2 Both conditions significantly impact patients’ quality of life. The approval by MHLW is based on Phase III clinic
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