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With a growing focus on ESG innovation, UOB Finlab Thailand is helping to scale green technology startups through a regional platform that connects fintechs with pressing sustainability priorities
As banks increasingly become enablers of sustainable transformation, the intersection between environmental and social governance (ESG) goals and fintech innovation is coming into sharper focus. UOB Finlab Thailand, through its active participation in its parent company UOB’s GreenTech Accelerator 2024 programme, is building a collaborative model that brings startups, corporates and financiers into the same room to co-create solutions across carbon tracking, waste management and climate-conscious growth.

Climate meets capital
The GreenTech Accelerator spans Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, with over 350 fintech and green tech applications across 46 countries. UOB Finlab Thailand played a leading role in structuring the Thailand chapter of the programme, working alongside 27 partners and more than 30 mentors to deliver pilot-ready solutions in areas including energy efficiency, sustainable urban design and emissions reporting.

Unlike conventional accelerators, this initiative was grounded in specific sustainability challenges posed by SMEs and corporates. Finalists were paired with mentors from UOB Finlab Thailand and ecosystem players such as Techsauce, the National Innovation Agency and Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency, enabling access to funding, customers and technical expertise.

UOB Finlab Thailand’s leadership was not limited to mentorship. With multiple senior executives directly engaged – including mentors from both Thailand and group-wide functions – the bank positioned itself as a key orchestrator of Thailand’s green fintech ecosystem. Its involvement extended from strategy to execution, underscoring a whole-bank commitment to innovation.

Financing impact
Through the GreenTech Accelerator 2024, UOB Finlab has contributed more than just guidance; it has created scalable access to green finance and real-world pilots, with up to SGD100,000 ($74,518) in funding available for deployable solutions. The bank is leveraging its broader ASEAN presence and fintech network to give visibility and opportunity to early-stage innovators working in ESG. In doing so, the accelerator has reinforced fintech’s role in advancing a broader ESG agenda in the ASEAN region, aligning directly with the region’s climate transition goals.

This proactive partnership model positions UOB Finlab Thailand as a conduit between sustainability imperatives and startup innovation, reaffirming its role as an ESG and fintech enabler in the region. These efforts have been formally recognised with the Best Fintech Partnership award at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025.

With bold investments in digital, lifestyle and regional platforms, UOB is setting the benchmark for personalised banking across Southeast Asia
Across Southeast Asia’s competitive financial landscape, few banks match Singapore-based United Overseas Bank (UOB) in strategic clarity and customer focus. With its goal of being the bank of choice for aspiring individuals within and connected with the ASEAN region, the bank is building an ecosystem aligned with the region’s rising affluence.

ASEAN at the centre
UOB’s approach is fundamentally regional. Supported by its acquisition of US-based Citigroup’s consumer banking business, its regional presence spans more than 8 million customers across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. This expanded footprint has enabled the bank to offer seamless cross-border experiences, from QR code payments in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia to exclusive entertainment privileges across borders.

Strategic reciprocal partnerships with brands such as the Woori Card from South Korea to extend cardholder benefits and support seamless cross-border experiences. These partnerships support a lifestyle-led model tailored to regional aspirations.

AI-powered insights
Central to UOB’s approach to deliver personalisation at scale is UOB TMRW, its AI-driven digital banking platform. Its Insights Cards deliver tailored information and offers, while its wealth features provide access to funds curated by the chief investment office (CIO) as well as real-time investment tools. In 2024, 80% of UOB’s total customer base in ASEAN is digitally-enabled, with more than 70% of unit trust transactions in Singapore now taking place via UOB TMRW – driven largely by new-to-wealth customers.

Purveyor of lifestyle
UOB continues to lead Singapore’s cards market, with one in two cardholders holding a UOB card. In 2024, the bank doubled down on its Lady’s Credit Card and Lady’s Savings Account by introducing ‘Unstoppable Pairing’, a bundled proposition that enables cardholders to earn up to 10 miles per dollar based on both spending and savings. The initiative saw Lady’s Credit Card billings grow over 70% YoY and Lady’s Savings Account balances grew by more than 30% within the first month of launch.

Strategic reciprocal partnerships
Entertainment partnerships play a key role in UOB’s card strategy. From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Singapore and Ed Sheeran’s +–=÷× Tour across ASEAN to Korean pop megastars Stray Kids’ dominATE World Tour in Singapore, Bangkok, and Jakarta, the bank has effectively transformed card usage into an access pass for unique concert experiences. Additionally, UOB leveraged partnerships to offer exclusive access to musical theatre productions such as Wicked and The Phantom of the Opera by Base Entertainment Asia. Its collaboration with Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Tourism Board, offering more than 50 exclusive experiences, underscores its brand as a gateway to premium regional experiences across shop, dine, travel and entertainment.

Measured results
The outcomes are tangible. In 2024, UOB saw strong financial performance with double-digit YoY growth in wealth management income and card spend in Singapore. The bank’s Fixed+ home loan product, launched in January 2024, contributed to over 20% YoY increase in new home loan sales, while improving operational efficiency.

Recognising regional excellence
For its strategy, scale and measurable results across digital, credit, debit, mortgage and lifestyle offerings, UOB has been named Asia Trailblazer of the Year 2025 (Institution) at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025. The bank also earned wins in the Best Retail Bank – Singapore, Best Credit Card Initiative, Best Mortgage Offering, Best Loan Offering and Best Debit Card Initiative categories.

With a focus on internal upskilling and AI-powered transformation, UnionBank of the Philippines is building an innovation-led culture to future-proof its workforce and operations
As banks contend with digital disruption and rising customer expectations, the ability to scale artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across both technology and talent has emerged as a key differentiator. UnionBank of the Philippines (UnionBank) has responded with a generative AI-led (GenAI-first) strategy that embeds the technology across core workflows, while simultaneously building a learning ecosystem that equips its people with the skills to lead this transformation from within.

AI fluency as a workforce imperative
Recognising that sustainable digital innovation must be anchored in human capability, UnionBank launched a structured learning and development programme in 2024 aimed at building an AI-augmented workforce.

More than 471 employees took part in live sessions covering everything from prompt engineering to application programming interface (API) integration, supplemented by on-demand content and critical thinking modules to support GenAI adoption.

This was not a one-off training cycle. Instead, UnionBank set out to institutionalise AI fluency by appointing 37 ‘GenAI Champions’ across 21 departments. These internal advocates acted as knowledge bridges between teams and the bank’s AI Centre of Excellence, helping embed use cases tailored to functional needs while cultivating a bottom-up innovation culture.
From learning to real-world impact
What makes UnionBank’s approach stand out is its tight coupling of upskilling and application. Several GenAI tools now embedded across the organisation emerged directly from GenAI champion-led workshops and employee ideation.

Projects such as the GenAI Reputation Dashboard and IT Operations Coach exemplify the bank’s executional maturity. The former doubled sentiment accuracy metrics (from 0.30 to 0.75) and saved brand managers significant time, while the latter reduced the time taken to handle an incident from two hours to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, BoardGPT accelerates strategic decisions by compiling boardroom insights instantly and GenBI empowers non-technical users to build campaign dashboards, cutting dashboard requests by up to 70%.

Culture as a catalyst
UnionBank’s GenAI journey has not been without challenges. Initial scepticism around adoption was addressed through the champion network’s peer-led model, while technical integration hurdles were overcome by strong coordination with the IT team. The result is not only a growing suite of AI tools but a culture that embraces experimentation, iteration and continuous learning.

By combining talent enablement with operational AI integration, UnionBank has created a blueprint for holistic AI transformation – one where people and platforms evolve in lockstep. This dual commitment earned the bank two major honours at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025: Best Learning & Development Programme and Trailblazing Use of AI or Machine Learning in Financial Services.

Powered by Finastra’s Essence, Tonik has implemented a cloud native and scalable core banking infrastructure engineered for speed, agility and scalable growth
In Southeast Asia’s rapidly evolving financial services market, agility is more than a buzzword – it is a business imperative. For Tonik Bank, the first digital-only bank in the Philippines, the goal was to launch a robust, secure and scalable digital bank that could both meet regulatory standards and drive market transformation. To realise this vision, Tonik turned to UK-based financial software firm Finastra’s Essence, an agile, cloud-native core banking platform designed to support rapid innovation and high-volume digital operations.

Engineering excellence
Working closely with Finastra and Microsoft, Tonik deployed Fusion Essence on Microsoft Azure’s cloud infrastructure in Singapore, reducing latency and improving resilience. The architecture provided Tonik with the flexibility to build customised financial services for the Filipino market, ranging from buy now, pay later (BNPL) products and early settlement options to transparent disclosures on effective interest rates.

Crucially, Finastra’s microservices and API-first model allowed Tonik’s 30-strong in-house technology team to go live with a full-stack retail bank with minimal legacy constraints. The platform enabled new levels of performance, including reduced downtime, faster month-end processing and real-time data availability for analytics and machine learning.

Driving measurable impact
In 2024, Tonik continued to scale its service capabilities by expanding its partnership with Finastra through dedicated Agile Streams. As a result, the bank introduced AI-driven customer journeys, optimised in-app loan processing and expanded its product suite. Key outcomes included a 133% year-on-year rise in new loan production, a 94% increase in the loan portfolio and a 78% surge in lending income, pushing its annualised revenue run rate to $19m by mid-2024.

By integrating generative AI chatbot ChatGPT into its customer care workflows, Tonik also achieved 4.3x operational efficiency gains and expects to save $20m over three years. These innovations reflect not just a successful core banking initiative, but a blueprint for the next chapter of digital banking in the region.

Partnership recognition
Tonik Bank’s collaborative approach to building a cloud-first, customer-centric core – empowered by Finastra’s platform – has enabled it to move from startup to market leader in under three years. In recognition of this achievement, Tonik Bank and Finastra were named winners of the Best Core Banking System Initiative at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025.

By centralising loyalty, payment and remittance innovations through an integrated digital framework, Taishin International Bank continues to raise the bar
In a landscape increasingly shaped by hyper-personalisation and lifestyle finance, the local Taishin International Bank (TSIB) has positioned itself at the centre of Taiwan’s points economy. What began as an effort to streamline disparate reward systems has evolved into a digital ecosystem capable of serving credit card holders, wealthy clients and everyday users alike.

The bank’s unified platform allows customers to consolidate and redeem points across multiple domains – from offsetting credit card bills to instant voucher redemption at more than 70,000 partner merchants via Taishin Pay. New strategic tie-ups with the Edenred digital platform for services and payments, Taiwan High-Speed Rail and telecoms providers have expanded this ecosystem, turning TSIB into a one-stop redemption marketplace.

Product simplicity
TSIB’s playbook is rooted in simplifying user experience while deepening digital utility. The Richart Life app, central to the bank’s strategy, now powers seamless point conversion and redemption, with users able to prioritise how points are used and from which loyalty brand.

The results are telling. Point redemptions surged nearly 20-fold in July–August 2024 compared to the May–June period, while the number of users redeeming points grew tenfold. These gains demonstrate the growing customer trust in its platform-first model.

Frictionless payment tools
That same mindset drives TSIB’s merchant strategy. With the launch of the Taishin Merchant App, small businesses in Taiwan have gained access to a mobile-based acceptance solution that bypasses traditional point-of-sale (POS) systems. The app combines QR code and tap-to-pay functionality with built-in transaction history, streamlining setup and improving merchant operations.

A fully digital onboarding process has cut application times from weeks to just minutes, reduced setup costs by 85% and increased service efficiency by 99%, according to TSIB.

Borderless transfers
In cross-border services, TSIB was the first bank in the Asia-Pacific region to implement Visa Direct’s Pay to Account (P2A) model, bringing instant remittance capabilities to local users. With 24-hour availability, mobile-only onboarding and the ability to track funds in real-time, the e-remittance platform now delivers both convenience and cost efficiency. A 50% month-on-month increase in transaction volumes underscores its growing relevance.

These combined initiatives – spanning domestic engagement, merchant enablement and international transfers – earned TSIB the titles of Best Retail Bank – Taiwan, Best in Payments and Best Remittances Service at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025.

By aligning wealth management ambitions with a bold digital agenda, Standard Chartered is advancing its retail leadership in Hong Kong
As Hong Kong’s banking environment contends with geopolitical uncertainties and shifting interest rate expectations, Standard Chartered Hong Kong has leaned into its strengths – a sharp focus on the affluent segment, digital delivery and a suite of flexible savings products – to navigate disruption and deliver record results. Instead of retrenching in the face of slower retail asset growth, the bank advanced its regional strategy to become the preferred wealth manager for high-net-worth (HNW) clients while expanding its digital savings footprint.

Affluent-led wealth
A cornerstone of this strategy is the bank’s Priority Private programme, which has seen a 26% year-on-year growth in client base and a 55% surge among professional investors. With close to 40% of Priority Private clients qualifying as professional investors, Standard Chartered’s product sophistication – including credit-linked notes and open architecture funds – has helped generate significant growth in net new sales of wealth solutions.

Supporting this, a strengthened client acquisition engine, bolstered by partnerships with Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific and regional referral channels, has delivered a 2x year-on-year increase in net new money, with more than half of this coming from new-to-bank clients.

Lifestyle, loyalty and long-term engagement
Client engagement goes beyond financial performance. From exclusive chartered flights to Japan and a private golf series to motivational sessions with Olympians, Standard Chartered Hong Kong has doubled down on experiences that deepen relationships and build inter-generational loyalty.

These events not only reinforce the bank’s value as a long-term partner in the lives of its clients but also align with its vision of offering banking that is both personal and purposeful.

Digital-first savings reimagined
Equally transformative is Standard Chartered Hong Kong’s innovation in deposits. From the Marathon Savings Account – a flexible, high-yield product – to Asia Miles Time Deposits, which pair savings with travel rewards, the bank has modernised the role of deposits in client acquisition and loyalty. Supporting this suite is a fully digitised onboarding process, intuitive calculators and reward preview tools. These efforts helped drive a 6.7x growth in number of accounts opened since 2021.

This dual focus on an affluent-led strategy and deposit innovation has set a new benchmark for Hong Kong’s retail banking landscape. Standard Chartered’s achievements have been recognised with two accolades at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025: Best Retail Bank – Hong Kong and Best Savings Plan Offering.

A seamless digital journey and BetterBanking Rewards loyalty platform are strengthening the bank’s overall strategy bydriving redemptions, usage and operational efficiency
As digital engagement becomes the cornerstone of modern retail banking, customer loyalty is being reshaped by convenience, transparency and immediate value. For Security Bank in the Philippines, rethinking how rewards are delivered and how clients interact with them has become a priority in the face of shifting customer expectations and increased competition in card-based products.

Loyalty redefined
Launched in July 2024, the BetterBanking Rewards platform is Security Bank’s flagship initiative to overhaul the customer rewards journey. Designed as an end-to-end digital experience, the platform enables cardholders to redeem, track and manage rewards in real-time. Its consolidated dashboard and user-centric features, including non-expiring points, points transfer to airline partners and gamified experiential offers, mark a substantial leap forward from the bank’s previous rewards system.

Engagement through simplicity
Key to the platform’s success is its seamless design and automation. Customers benefit from a simplified registration and redemption process, instant updates on points balance and a streamlined rewards catalogue, all of which are accessible through an intuitive interface. This ease of use has translated into a 46% increase in customer redemptions and a 26% rise in card billings, reflecting the programme’s success in fostering deeper engagement and repeat usage.

Multi-channel visibility
A robust communications strategy helped accelerate customer adoption. Launch promotions were delivered across Viber, SMS and email, while video content, including TikTok and Instagram reels, showcased instructions on how to use the platform. Billboard and digital campaigns extended reach beyond existing customers, supporting Security Bank’s broader digital engagement goals.

Operational uplift
Beyond customer satisfaction, the BetterBanking Rewards programme has yielded internal efficiencies. Automation of the previously manual redemption process has reduced error rates, lowered operational costs and freed up resources, thus aligning with Security Bank’s sustainability and digitisation goals.

The programme’s design also allows targeted spend-based campaigns, enabling greater agility in offer delivery. Promotional campaigns across digital, social and out-of-home media, including video content and PR, supported widespread adoption from launch.

These strategic advances in loyalty have earned Security Bank recognition for transforming the cardholder rewards experience, securing the bank the Best Advance in Loyalty/Rewards Programme title at the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards 2025.

The bank’s 2024 transformation has delivered instant credit access, AI-powered rewards and app-based card issuance as a strategy to streamline digital access
As the GCC banking sector accelerates digitisation, institutions are investing in mobile ecosystems to improve engagement, simplify credit access and meet rising consumer expectations. For Islamic banks in particular, the challenge lies in aligning sharia-compliant services with seamless, technology-driven experiences that meet international digital standards.

Qatar-based Dukhan Bank’s 2024 digital strategy was built around its mobile banking app, which was rebuilt using Flutter, Google’s cross-platform framework. The app now supports a full range of banking services including fund transfers, cardless withdrawals and instant digital card issuance. Additional services include Western Union remittances and lifestyle functions such as branch locators, prayer times and donation tools. Together, these features reflect both global functionality and Islamic banking priorities.

Instant access to finance
The app integrates real-time, pre-approved financing features, allowing customers to access finance or apply for credit cards in a few taps. This is enabled by Dukhan Bank’s partnership with Mastercard’s Digital First programme, making it the first bank in Qatar to offer instant issuance of prepaid digital cards. These cards are compatible with Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay, and are supported by numberless physical card options for added security.

Loyalty powered by data
The DAwards rewards platform offers the highest Avios redemption rate among Qatari banks. Customers can redeem points across flights, hotel bookings, car hires and e-vouchers. Cashback programmes have also evolved from flat welcome offers to personalised rewards tailored to spending behaviour. New customers receive up to 15% cashback, with future offers adjusted using AI-led analytics.

Digital infrastructure upgrades
In parallel, Dukhan Bank has rolled out Smart Kiosks to allow 24/7 printing of debit, credit and prepaid cards without branch visits. This initiative, along with the wider mobile banking enhancements, reflects a shift towards self-service infrastructure. These moves are backed by strong financials, with the bank posting a QR1.3bn ($366.1m) profit in 2024 and closing a $800m sukuk that attracted $2.6bn in demand.

Dukhan Bank’s combination of intelligent personalisation, digital infrastructure and accessible finance has earned it the Best Digital Transformation Initiative award at the Mena Banking Excellence Awards 2025 – Retail, Digital & SME.

The bank is bridging liquidity gaps and scaling inclusion to advance Egypt’s banking priorities
As banking markets in the Gulf and wider Mena region double down on SME support, liquidity resilience and digitised trade finance, Egypt’s private banks are increasingly aligning with these regional imperatives. Among them, Commercial International Bank (CIB) Egypt is emerging as a strategic player, advancing financial inclusion and digital innovation in one of the region’s most complex economies.

Driving digital ecosystems
In 2024, CIB Egypt accelerated its transformation agenda through a unique fusion of traditional banking excellence and digital infrastructure. At the centre is the bank’s e-Supply Chain Finance (e-SCF) platform, which as Egypt’s first digital trade financing solution of its kind, enables corporate buyers and SME suppliers to streamline invoice exchange, credit requests and early payments via a unified interface. The platform supports transactions in both local and foreign currencies and caters to a wide range of working capital needs, from purchase orders to warehouse inventory financing.

With a 108% year-on-year increase in total bookings and a 60% rise in transaction volumes, the platform is reshaping how credit flows through Egyptian value chains. By year-end 2024, total SCF loan bookings had surpassed £E6bn ($117.8m), with more than 40 companies onboarded. These outcomes reflect both market demand and CIB Egypt’s ability to bridge liquidity gaps without compromising supplier health or buyer performance.

Seamless experiences
In parallel, the bank has continued to reinforce its leadership in SME banking. Its SME loan book expanded by 44% in 2024 to reach £E12.4bn, while deposits rose by 51% to £E90.8bn. Trade finance activity also grew by 36%, underscoring CIB Egypt’s role in supporting cross-border business. Relationship-led services, bolstered by a workforce of more than 400 and a digital-first infrastructure that now powers 93% of transfers online, have enabled the bank to offer seamless experiences across all SME segments.

Product innovations such as ‘Flash Cash’ for small businesses and gender-inclusive lending platforms have further advanced financial accessibility. Loans to women-led businesses reached £E2.5bn, accounting for nearly 15% of the SME portfolio. Meanwhile, new credit risk guarantee agreements with the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) have unlocked more than $140m in SME lending capacity, particularly for underserved sectors.

Scaling impact
Beyond finance, CIB Egypt has leveraged partnerships with insurers, development institutions and fintechs to offer a full SME value proposition. Whether providing payment terminals to mobile businesses or enabling East African exports for local manufacturers, the bank has combined digital scale with contextual service. The e-SCF platform, meanwhile, continues to serve as a digital anchor for onboarding new customers, enriching procurement strategies and driving down financing costs.

These efforts have earned CIB Egypt the accolades of Best SME Bank – Egypt and Excellence in Supply Chain Financing at the Mena Banking Excellence Awards 2025 – Retail, SME & Digital.

From NFC-powered teller machines to AI-driven financial assistants, the bank is shaping the future of ethical, seamless payments in the GCC
As Mena banks seek to combine digital speed with religious compliance, Kuwait’s Boubyan Bank is pushing the boundaries of what Islamic digital banking can achieve. In a region where mobile-first experiences and real-time transactions are becoming the new norm, the bank has differentiated itself through a portfolio of sharia-compliant digital payment solutions that rival the best in the sector.

Omni-channel depth
Boubyan Bank’s success lies in its ability to unify innovation across both customer-facing and backend systems. In 2024, the bank launched key upgrades to its omnichannel architecture, enabling customers to transition between mobile app, branch and call centre channels with uninterrupted service. This includes deep-linking for app-based onboarding, QR-enabled instant card issuance and real-time payment alerts. These systems now support everyday services ranging from international remittances to murabaha-based digital financing.

Meanwhile, Boubyan Bank’s AI-powered assistant Musaed has evolved beyond chatbot status to become an integrated digital concierge. In addition to executing transactions, Musaed now facilitates Ramadan gamified campaigns, job interview services and interactive banking summaries, all accessible via WhatsApp or the bank app. This conversational interface enhances customer engagement while streamlining the user experience.

Payments with purpose
Within its core platforms, Boubyan Bank has doubled down on inclusive, digitally native payment tools. The Retail App’s PayMe feature remains one of Kuwait’s top-rated peer-to-peer transfer systems, while the Business App caters to SMEs through tools such as eRent for landlords and ePay Mandoob for delegated staff payments. The bank’s wearable payment technology, multi-currency card offerings and support for salary advances via app all add to its holistic ecosystem.

Importantly, these services are built on ethical finance principles. The bank continues to expand features such as Digital Murabaha and its Salary-in-Advance tool, ensuring Islamic financing mechanisms are accessible through frictionless digital journeys. Boubyan Bank was also the first in the region to enable debit card issuance via NFC-equipped ATMs and interactive teller machines (ITM) while offering sharia-aligned credit split options through its Easy Payment Plan.

Dual recognition
Boubyan Bank’s fusion of Islamic values and digital convenience is setting a new benchmark for Islamic fintech in the GCC. Its multi-layered approach to customer-centric innovation spans AI, mobile and SME platforms, and has earned the bank recognition in two strategic categories – Best Digital Payments Platform and Excellence in Islamic Payment Innovation at the Mena Banking Excellence Awards 2025 – Retail, Digital & SME.