ANT-INTERNATIONAL
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
DATROWAY® Type II Variation Application Validated in the EU as First-Line Treatment for Patients with Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer Who are Not Candidates for Immunotherapy18.12.2025 08:30:00 CET | Press release
Based on TROPION-Breast02 phase 3 trial results where Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s DATROWAY is the first and only medicine to significantly improve overall survival versus chemotherapy in this patient population If approved, DATROWAY could become the standard of care in this setting The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has validated the Type II Variation marketing authorization application for DATROWAY® (datopotamab deruxtecan) as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. DATROWAY is a specifically engineered TROP2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN). The validation confirms the completion of the application and commences the scientific review process by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Produc
Celltrion receives positive CHMP Opinion for SteQeyma™ (ustekinumab biosimilar) autoinjector18.12.2025 03:41:00 CET | Press release
SteQeyma™45mg and 90mg solution for injection via autoinjector (pre-filled pen) receives positive CHMP opinion, which will facilitate subcutaneous administration in patients with plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and Crohn’s disease (CD)1The new autoinjector option increases convenience, enhances individual patient experience and expands administration options Celltrion, Inc. today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion of autoinjector of SteQeyma™, a biosimilar to Stelara® (ustekinumab), for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and Crohn’s disease (CD). The positive CHMP opinion is for SteQeyma autoinjector in 45mg/0.5mL and 90mg/1mL, expanding the currently approved SteQeyma™ presentation, which includes 45mg/0.5mL, 90mg/1mL in a pre-filled syringe and 45mg/0.5mL in a vial for subcutaneous injection, as well as 130mg/26mL concentrate for solution f
Megaport Expands into India, Accelerating Global Growth with Extreme IX Acquisition18.12.2025 02:15:00 CET | Press release
Through the Extreme Exchange (IX) acquisition, Megaport gains seven Internet Exchanges and access to 40+ data centres across India’s fastest-growing digital hubs. Megaport Limited (ASX: MP1) (“Megaport”), the world’s leading Network as a Service (NaaS) provider, today announced the acquisition of Extreme IX,India’s leading Internet Exchange operator, from Extreme Labs, a Bulgaria-headquartered software and network engineering company that incubated the Extreme IX platform. The acquisition expands Megaport’s global platform into one of the world’s fastest-growing digital infrastructure markets and supports the Company’s strategy to deliver scalable, high-performance connectivity services across APAC. The acquisition establishes Megaport’s presence across seven Internet Exchanges in major Indian metros: Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Pune, connecting 40+ data centres and more than 400 customers. It also accelerates Megaport’s planned market entry by nearly thr
IonQ and QuantumBasel Expand Long-Term Partnership in Next-Generation Quantum Systems17.12.2025 22:10:00 CET | Press release
Extension solidifies QuantumBasel as IonQ’s Innovation Center in Europe; adds IonQ Tempo and next-generation system to advance quantum commercialization IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading quantum company, today announced an expanded agreement with QuantumBasel, the quantum initiative of uptownBasel, Switzerland’s innovation campus. The extended contract grants QuantumBasel ownership of its existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system and secures ownership of a next-generation Tempo system. This new agreement brings the total deal value of the QuantumBasel and IonQ partnership to over $60 million and extends IonQ’s on-site presence in Switzerland four more years, continuing through 2029. QuantumBasel is IonQ’s official Innovation Center in Europe, serving as a hub for European industry, academia, and research institutions to explore practical quantum computing applications and access IonQ’s latest enterprise-grade systems. “Our extended partnership with QuantumBasel represents a cornerston
Suzano Starts Up New Production Line, Boosting Its Fluff Pulp Capacity by 400%17.12.2025 21:50:00 CET | Press release
A R$490 million investment expands the supply of raw material used in the production of absorbent items Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer, has commenced operations this week at its new fluff pulp production line located in its Limeira unit in Brazil’s São Paulo state. This R$490 million investment increases Suzano’s total fluff pulp production capacity by more than 400%, from 100,000 to 440,000 tonnes per year. The project involved converting the existing pulp line at the Limeira unit into a flexible machine, capable of producing both Eucafluff® and market pulp. Eucafluff® is used in the production of absorbent and personal hygiene products, such as baby and adult diapers, sanitary pads and pet pads. Then market pulp is supplied for making products including toilet paper, printing and writing papers, and paper packaging. Launched in 2015, Eucafluff® is the world’s first fluff pulp made from eucalyptus, delivering unique advantages like enhanced softness and flexibility, which t
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