Singapore’s fintech sector attracted nearly $1.04 billion in the first half of 2025, rebounding strongly after a muted 2024, with investors pouring money into payments, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence-driven platforms, according to a KPMG report.
The funding, spread across 90 deals, marked the highest level since the first half of 2023, when $1.59 billion was raised through 125 transactions.
Investment values rose 87% from a year earlier and 28% from the second half of 2024, underscoring renewed investor appetite for digital financial innovation.
Globally, fintech investment fell to $44.7 billion across 2,216 deals, the weakest six-month period since the first half of 2020, and down from $54.2 billion in the previous half.
Analysts say the divergence highlights Singapore’s role as a strategic hub despite subdued sentiment worldwide.
Payments led the surge, with $475 million in investments – almost eight times the level in late 2024 – buoyed by mega-deals including Airwallex’s $301 million raise.
KPMG noted that cross-border payment firms dominated the top three deals, reflecting investor interest in scalable infrastructure for real-time, international transactions.
Cryptocurrency and digital assets also remained resilient, attracting $254.1 million across 48 deals, the highest deal count among all verticals.
Notable transactions included $30 million rounds by protocol provider Giants Planet and blockchain tooling platform Coinseeker.co. Analysts said this reflected growing institutional demand for regulated, enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence was another standout, with $234.5 million raised across 22 deals, a record high for the sector in Singapore.
Investors targeted AI-driven productivity and financial software, as well as tools for hyper-personalised financial services and regulatory compliance.
“Singapore is seen as a strategic hub for fintech innovation, supported by robust regulatory frameworks and a reputation for efficiency and resilience,” said Anton Ruddenklau, KPMG’s global head of fintech and innovation. He added:
In a climate shaped by trade tensions and financial disruption, demand for agile, tech-driven infrastructure is set to grow.
Ruddenklau added that global fintech investment has shifted towards strategic bets, with investors prioritising cost efficiency, AI adoption and scalable infrastructure over speculative deals.
“Fintech-focused AI is only going to get hotter headed into the back half of 2025,” he said.
The rebound suggests Singapore could strengthen its position as Asia’s payments and AI-fintech hub, even as global flows remain subdued amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
