Ant International, IFC, GCash Pioneer First-of-its-kind Sustainability Impact Scorecard to Expand MSME Access to Sustainable Financing

Furthering its mission of driving digital financial inclusion, Ant International, International Finance Corp. (IFC), and GCash are developing a Sustainability Impact Scorecard that will make it easier for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to track their environmental and social impact, easily adopt sustainability practices in business operations, and align with global standards.

 

The Scorecard provides Filipino MSMEs with trusted, clear, and accessible pathways to measure sustainability performance, strengthen credibility, and unlock opportunities aligned with global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. By leveraging the GCash ecosystem and metrics tailored to the Philippine market, the Scorecard aims to empower local MSMEs with relevant, simple insights to help transform businesses.

 

In the Philippines, MSMEs account for 99.6% of businesses and employ over two-thirds of the workforce, yet limited access to financing remains a key challenge. The Scorecard, which serves as a benchmark for MSMEs, will help businesses demonstrate their sustainability practices and unlock access to sustainable financing to support growth.

 

Aside from tracking sustainability performance, the Scorecard also provides MSMEs with a way to build the credibility needed to engage with investors and lenders on sustainability performance.

 

“For MSMEs, this is a game-changer. It provides visibility into their environmental and social impact and credibility that can attract green capital and partnerships,” said GCash group head for new businesses Winsley Bangit.

 

“Crucially, MSMEs’ growing social impact cannot be overlooked. Through our collaboration with GCash and IFC, we are making technologies such as AI more accessible to local MSMEs, empowering them to participate in the next wave of sustainable digital transformation. This scorecard serves as a vital tool for future innovation, reinforcing that true environmental sustainability integrates social and economic impact, and it must never be sidelined,” said Carrie Suen, vice president and head of global affairs and strategic development at Ant International.

 

“MSMEs play a critical role across markets. By equipping them with the right tools, we can strengthen resilience, support adaptation, and enable sustainable growth at scale,” Christina Ongoma, IFC East Asia and the Pacific Regional Advisory manager for the Financial Institutions Group, added.

 

Shaping a world-class, competitive & sustainable future for Filipino MSMEs

 

The partnership builds on discussions at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and Ant International’s Programme Sirius, launched in 2024 to support MSMEs in taking the first step toward sustainability. With GCash as a pilot partner, the initiative aims to translate global sustainability commitments into practical, on-ground digital solutions for underserved communities in the Philippines.

 

The Scorecard pilot will roll out in phases, starting with ecosystem assessments, stakeholder engagement, and the development of the sustainability impact scorecard, followed by validation and field testing. Learnings from the pilot will inform potential scaling across the Asia-Pacific region.

 

This initiative underscores the power of collaboration in expanding MSMEs access to practical, data-driven ESG tools, enabling small businesses to integrate sustainability into everyday operations, scale responsibly, and connect with solutions previously deemed out of reach. This reflects the shared commitment of Ant International, IFC, and GCash to advance sustainable finance solutions and build a more inclusive digital economy.

 

For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.

Ant International Becomes Official Sponsor of The Argentine National Football Team

BUENOS AIRES and SINGAPORE, 16 March 2026 – Ant International, a leading global payment, digitization, and fintech solutions provider for merchants and financial institutions, today announced a partnership with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), becoming an Official Sponsor of the Argentine National Football Team for the Asia region (excluding the Middle East).

With over 30 offices around the world, Ant International provides AI- and blockchain-empowered cross-border digital payment, treasury and digitalization solutions for global merchants and financial institutions. Building on broad regional collaborations, its digital payment and account services connect 150 million+ merchants to 1.8 billion consumer accounts in the Asia Pacific by integrating 300+ of mainstream and alternative payment methods.

This agreement unites the reigning FIFA World Cup Champions with one of the world’s most innovative financial technology providers. Through this partnership, Ant International secures comprehensive marketing rights to launch strategic activations across its brand portfolio, including Alipay+, Antom, Bettr and WorldFirst, by leveraging the intellectual property of the AFA and the world-class players of the Argentine National Football Team.

“We are incredibly proud to support the Argentine national team, a beacon of excellence, teamwork, and global inspiration,” said Peng Yang, Chief Executive Officer of Ant International. “Sports and tech are two critical bonds for communities and markets that break barriers and connect people. Together, we will bring more extensive and enriched football experience and community impact through our Asia fintech and digital services network.”

With three FIFA World Cup triumphs in 1978, 1986, and 2022, and having reached the global final on six historic occasions, the Argentine National Team occupies a hallowed place in the pantheon of sporting legends. As the standard-bearers of the “Albiceleste” spirit, the team is defined by a century-old lineage of virtuosity and an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of glory.

“Football is the ultimate universal language. It serves as a powerful bridge that transcends borders and connects the entire world,” said Claudio Fabian Tapia, President of AFA. “Through this partnership, we are excited to bring that connection to an even wider audience in Asia.”

“This partnership is a commitment to long-term success and a strategic union of two global leaders,” said Leandro Petersen, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of AFA. “By joining forces, we aim to deepen our presence in Asia and achieve new heights in both sports and fintech.”

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and Ant International Deepen Partnership to Accelerate Digitalisation of MSMEs Across Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 3 December 2025 — The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Ant International are strengthening their partnership to accelerate the digital transformation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide.

In a newly established Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Ant International will empower local MSMEs through EPOS, the all-in-one SME transformation platform of Ant International’s Antom, offering a comprehensive suite of digitalisation solutions. MDEC will support the programme by engaging the MSME community, industry associations, and ecosystem partners to drive broad-based digital adoption across the country.

This builds on MDEC’s ongoing collaboration with Ant International to support local talent and innovation development through its global digital business centre in Kuala Lumpur under the Business Digitalisation Initiative (BDI).

Anuar Fariz Fadzil, CEO of MDEC said, “Digitalisation has become a fundamental requirement for MSMEs to stay competitive and resilient. Our deepened collaboration with Ant International directly supports Malaysia’s journey towards an AI Nation, ensuring that even the smallest enterprises can access modern, AI-enabled tools. By synergising global technology capabilities with Malaysia’s national priorities, we are empowering MSMEs to transform how they operate, strengthen their business foundations, and participate fully in the opportunities of the digital economy.”  

Driving Digital Inclusion for Malaysian MSMEs

MSMEs represent the backbone of Malaysia’s economy, accounting for 97% of all business establishments. Yet many still face challenges in adopting digital tools due to limited access, cost barriers, and lack of technical knowledge.

This collaboration is designed to bridge those gaps. Through EPOS, Ant International will unify its ecosystem of digital solutions and cutting-edge AI technologies, into a single platform that integrates payments, digital banking solutions, and growth tools tailored for MSMEs. With EPOS, MSMEs will gain access to simple, affordable, and powerful digital solutions—including payments, multi-channel online store deployment, operations management, and AI-powered productivity tools—all accessible within minutes.

Merchants can also unlock valuable business insights that enables them to run operations more efficiently, make data-driven decisions, and expand their reach across online channels.

Retail and F&B merchants stand to gain significantly. These sectors continue to face rising labour costs, manpower constraints, and increasing customer expectations for seamless, digitally enhanced experiences. As consumer behaviour shifts toward mobile-first engagement, digitalisation is no longer optional, but it is essential for sustained competitiveness and growth.

Ian Cheong, CEO of EPOS, said: “Malaysian MSMEs are ambitious, resilient, and eager to grow, but they need the right tools to compete in an increasingly digital economy. MDEC has made great strides in supporting MSME digitalisation, and through EPOS, we can advance this national strategy even further. By making advanced technology accessible within minutes, so that even the smallest business can operate smarter, serve customers better, and scale with confidence, we can ensure no MSME is left behind.”

Leveraging Malaysian Ecosystems for Support

As the agency leading Malaysia’s transformation towards an innovation-led digital economy, MDEC will spearhead initiatives to connect local communities, industry partners and ecosystem players, enabling them to collectively reach SMEs across diverse sectors.

These initiatives will include workshops and training sessions to raise awareness and facilitate access to new technologies such as AI, co-developed programs to engage SMEs and support them in adopting digital solutions, and strategic alignment of the partnership with MDEC’s broader national digitalisation strategies and ongoing initiatives.

Ant International’s Antom Debuts Agentic Payment Solution

Singapore, September 5, 2025 – Antom, a leading merchant payment and digitisation services provider under Ant International, recently announced the launch of an agentic payment solution, featuring a first-of-its-kind secure APM checkout solution. Antom is among the first partners of Mastercard and Visa to pilot card-based transaction capabilities for AI agents. 

In a commercial setting, one of the most critical capabilities for AI agents is to complete payments flexibly and reliably to meet user expectations. Antom’s agentic payment solution is expected to meet this need with broad payment method coverage, offering convenient checkout through APMs and cards. It features an AI-ready payment mandate model and enhanced payment asset management, ensuring precise recognition of user intent while safeguarding transaction security and providing increased transparency for users.

Building upon the Model Context Protocol (MCP), this agentic payment solution supports embedded payment flows through dialogue-based interactions with AI agents, covering both confirmed purchase requests and conditional, pre-authorized transactions, such as purchases within a predefined spending limit or scheduled flash sales. The Antom agentic payment solution is now open-sourced on GitHub.

Advancing trusted AI for APM checkout

Many payment systems still require multiple clicks during the checkout process. In agentic scenarios, payment intent is confirmed within multi-run natural language conversations, demanding a new model for authorization and traceability.

Antom connects AI agents to diverse APMs, including a wide range of digital wallets. With Antom EasySafePay, the industry's first streamlined checkout solution for APMs, the payment process is faster and simpler. Antom EasySafePay allows users to link their digital wallets directly to the checkout page without being redirected to external apps, fitting naturally into agent-initiated payment flows.

Antom EasySafePay combines convenience with robust safeguards. It leverages Multi-Party Computation (MPC)-based AI risk management and mobile device security systems to identify and block fraudulent transactions, preventing phishing, fraud, and identity misuse, reducing the risk of account takeovers for digital wallet users while protecting privacy.

With industry-leading risk control technology, Antom is setting a new industry framework for agentic payment security. Compliant with the rules of PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), it manages payment assets through cryptographic measures and builds an AI-ready user intent analysis and authorization model for each transaction. This model links key transaction parameters with intent evidence to create verifiable credentials, enabling end-to-end traceability. Thus, users can maintain control and visibility into how agents act, and disputes can be resolved through privacy-computing-based credential queries.

Pioneering agentic payments with Mastercard and Visa for card-based checkout

Antom’s structured and adaptable solution is designed to help AI agents support diverse payment methods, including cards, wallets, and bank transfers, efficiently reaching a broad customer base while reducing integration costs.

Antom is among the first partners to work with Mastercard via Mastercard Agent Pay and Visa via Visa Intelligent Commerce in the Asia Pacific, exploring tokenized card-based agentic payments and advancing AI commerce with a secure and seamless checkout experience. They will pilot reliable and personalized agentic payments with tokenization, authentication, and transaction control tools. 

Shaping the future of AI commerce with industry leaders

This launch reflects Ant International’s AI strategy by combining its deep know-how in the fintech sector, trusted AI capabilities, and platform-level AI support. The goal is to support developers, financial institutions, and merchants in embracing AI-driven commerce with confidence. 

"Agentic payment is a foundational step in allowing AI agents to generate real value in our everyday life,” said Gary Liu, General Manager of Antom, Ant International. “The rise of agentic payment calls for rethinking how payment systems are designed. We look forward to co-building the protocols and frameworks with partners across the financial, tech, and commerce sectors to ensure agentic payments are smooth and reliable.”

Alipay+ Launches World’s First Smart Glasses-Embedded Payment Solution

SINGAPORE, 19 June 2025 — After Alipay debuted a smart glasses payment solution with Rokid in China, Alipay+, the unified wallet gateway service under Ant International, announced the Alipay+ smart glasses-embedded payment solution for global e-wallets. In collaboration with Meizu, a global industry leader, Alipay+ completed the world's first real-world smart glasses-embedded e-wallet payment transaction in Hong Kong.

The successful transaction on Meizu StarV Snap smart glasses with AlipayHK, Hong Kong’s leading superapp, marks another milestone in Alipay+’s advance at the forefront of global mobile payment innovation. Users can make seamless payments with QR scans or voice commands from their smart glasses, backed by Alipay+’s AI-powered voice interface, intent recognition, and voiceprint authentication technologies. The new feature will roll out to Alipay+ global partner e-wallets in 2025 upon the integration of Alipay+’s upgraded tech suite for smart glasses. 

In April 2025, Meizu officially announced the global pioneer of offline AI glasses-enabled mobile payment function powered by Alipay+. Alipay+’s advanced payment SDK solutions are integrated into all new Meizu smart glasses, supported by Meizu’s industry-leading optical waveguide display technology, voice noise reduction and capture technology, and camera-based code scanning technology. 

Alipay+ is accelerating new innovations to support e-wallets’ transition into the future of seamless commerce. Today, Alipay+ connects over 1.7 billion user accounts on 36 global e-wallets, national QR schemes and banking apps to 100 million merchants across 70+ core markets. 

With one integration, wallet partners can access Alipay+’s expanding toolkits for customer engagement and business growth. Among these, Alipay+ now integrates QR-based and card payments via a global NFC solution. It also enables a full range of agentic AI features including MCP-based AI payments built on Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit, an AI-as-a-Service platform for fintech companies. 

“The offline payment function of smart glasses launched overseas by Meizu and Alipay+ has set a new technological benchmark for the industry,” said Peng Guo, General Manager of the XR Division of Meizu. “The innovation in the payment scenario has enhanced the practicality and appeal of smart glasses and promoted the progress and development of the AR glasses industry. We hope this function will bring more convenient experiences to users.”

“We are grateful to work with industry leaders like Meizu to pioneer smart glasses-embedded payment solutions. By unlocking payment capabilities, smart glasses will rapidly transform into the next-gen personal device like the mobile phone," said Jiangming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer of Ant International. “We look forward to supporting more industry partners with one integration into Alipay+‘s premium wallet ecosystem across global markets, to help them build broader user scenarios and achieve growth.”