Ant International, a global digital payments and financial technology provider, announced that it supports approximately 100 million small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) worldwide.
The company also announced the launch of its global ‘Embrace the Power of Small Business’ campaign, to coincide with International Small Business Day today (27 June).
Ant International offers a range of solutions to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to digitalize and capitalize on growth opportunities, and its cross-border mobile payments platform, Alipay+, is now accepted at more than 90 million merchants across 66 markets.
This expansion is Alipay+ Several countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, have national QR codes.
As a result, these markets saw a significant increase in Alipay+ transactions, with transactions at hawker stalls in Singapore increasing by 52% in the first half of 2024 compared to the second half of 2023.
Ant International’s other business, Antom, provides digital payment solutions to merchants in more than 40 countries and regions.
The company’s D-store solution, which enables small businesses to quickly and easily create online stores, has been adopted by more than 5,000 businesses and saw average monthly transactions increase by 27% in the second quarter of 2024.
WorldFirst, a subsidiary of Ant International, provides international payments to more than one million small and medium-sized businesses and has plans to expand to more markets in Southeast Asia and Europe.
Digital wholesale bank ANEXT Bank has also seen a significant expansion of its customer base, with 69% of its customers being small and medium-sized enterprises.
The company recently We launched bettris a new global digital lending service that aims to provide microloans to small and medium-sized enterprises through embedded financial partnerships.
In addition to digital solutions, Ant International is also focused on partnering with other organizations to help small and medium-sized enterprises develop.
In Indonesia, the company is working with DANA to launch the second edition of “SisBerdaya,” a program that provides training and mentoring to women entrepreneurs.
The program’s first inaugural round saw over 2,700 applicants, of which 180 received training and 30 received grant funding.
Ant International is also a partner of the 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion program, which aims to develop digital leaders in developing countries.
As of 2023, more than 6,000 people from over 100 countries have graduated from the program, with 90% from developing markets and 60% working for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Earlier this year, Ant International launched Program Sirius, an initiative backed by 13 fintech leaders in Asia Pacific, to help small and medium-sized enterprises transition to sustainability.
Douglas Feagin
“SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy, driving innovation, jobs and inclusive development. Their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit deserve to be celebrated and nurtured. Ant International firmly believes in the power of small businesses and the impact they can make.”
“Today’s fintech innovations are opening up new possibilities for small businesses to dream bolder and compete globally. Together with our partners, we want to ensure every business and every person has access to the knowledge, networks and digital tools that can help them achieve their goals.”
President Douglas Feagin said: Ant International.
