HKSTP connects SE Asian Fintech unicorn with key partners to tap the enormous GBA market

HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today announced the addition of a global Fintech unicorn, Nium, as a partner company to HKSTP’s thriving Fintech ecosystem. Nium is opening its new office at InnoCentre to leverage Hong Kong’s growing Fintech opportunities as well as the huge GBA market potential for seamless application programming interface (API)-based payments services. The high-growth Fintech startup connects consumers, corporations and financial institutions to the world’s payment infrastructure through a single API for fast, low-cost international transfers.

Nium has been present in Hong Kong since 2016 and the growing team will join other fast-rising Fintech ventures at Science Park’s flagship Fintech hub at InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong. The Temasek-backed Fintech startup closed its Series D funding round in July of this year, propelling its valuation beyond US$1 billion. The round enables Nium to accelerate its regional growth, with HKSTP chosen as the ideal partner for this next stage of the journey. The new funds will support rapid global expansion, with Hong Kong and the GBA as major growth opportunities. It currently holds several regulatory licenses and offices around the world, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, India, the US, and the UK.

HKSTP has already connected Nium with a number of Fintech API players in Hong Kong to accelerate service development and business growth. Through collaboration with industry leaders and tech startups at InnoCentre, Nium can instantly plug into the Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech ecosystem and ride the wave of API-based financial services sweeping across Hong Kong and the GBA.

Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP, said: “Today we welcome Nium, the world’s first global B2B payments unicorn from Southeast Asia to the HKSTP ecosystem. The addition of such a world-class leader is a sign of strength for Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech scene, and proof of the city’s allure as a global Fintech hub. Growing adoption of API-driven solutions among Hong Kong’s financial institutions are fueling rapid development of Fintech startups, like Nium, and igniting growth for next-generation financial technologies into the GBA and beyond.”

Ivy Lun, Head of North Asia, Nium, said: “Our new Hong Kong operation is a major step in our North Asia growth journey, with HKSTP’s extensive Fintech expertise and unmatched network, we aim to become one of the key players in the Hong Kong Fintech ecosystem. Our mission is to provide individuals and businesses with one connection to the world of payments. We want to give them access to money with simplicity and speed, with Hong Kong as the ideal gateway to the huge market opportunity in the GBA and North Asia.”

Nium will leverage Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre, a regulatory leader, a transportation and trade centre, and a world-class international I&T hub to power its regional expansion plans. The HKSTP Fintech ecosystem can fuel Nium’s growth journey by providing the ideal environment for API innovation, connections to deep Regtech and Fintech expertise, as well as integration to the GBA.

About Nium

Nium is a leading embedded fintech company that provides banks, payment providers, travel companies, and businesses of any size with access to global payment services via one API. Its modular platform provides services for pay-outs, pay-ins, card issuance, and banking-as-a-service. Once connected to the Nium platform, businesses can pay out in more than 100 currencies to over 190 countries - 85 of which in real time. Funds can be received in 33 markets, including Southeast Asia, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, India, and the US.

Nium owns the broadest licence portfolio, covering 11 of the world’s jurisdictions, enabling seamless global payments and rapid integration, across multiple geographies. Nium is part of CB Insights Fintech 250, which highlights the most promising Fintech companies globally.

For more information, visit: http://www.nium.com.

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Comprising Science Park, InnoCentre and INNOPARKs, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is a statutory body dedicated to building a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem to connect stakeholders, nurture technology talents, facilitate collaboration, and catalyse innovations to deliver social and economic benefits to Hong Kong and the region.

Established in May 2001, HKSTP has been driving the development of Hong Kong into a regional hub for innovation and growth in several focused clusters including Electronics, Information & Communications Technology, Green Technology, Biomedical Technology, Materials and Precision Engineering. We enable science and technology companies to nurture ideas, innovate and grow, supported by our R&D facilities, infrastructure, and market-led laboratories and technical centres with professional support services. We also offer value added services and comprehensive incubation programmes for technology start-ups to accelerate their growth.

Technology businesses benefit from our specialised services and infrastructure at Science Park for applied research and product development; enterprises can find creative design support at InnoCentre; while skill-intensive businesses are served by our three INNOPARKs at Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.