Ant International Completes $1.2 Billion Series A Funding Round
Ant International has finalized a funding round of approximately $1.2 billion in Series A financing, supported by its parent Ant Group, Alibaba, existing shareholders, and various global investment firms. The capital will be used to expand the company’s international fintech operations and enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities.
Funding Details and Investor Participation
Chinese media outlet Yicai reported on July 21, 2026, that the financing will back Ant International’s global expansion, increase investment in AI, and extend services such as cross-border payments and global accounts. The company stated that the capital will also help merchants grow through its international financial technology offerings.
The Series A round included participation from Ant Group, several existing shareholders including Alibaba, and multiple international investment institutions, according to Yicai. The company did not disclose the identity of outside investors involved. The funding comes after months of investor interest, following reports in June that Ant International had been exploring a fundraising round of about $1 billion at a valuation of at least $10 billion, after recording eight consecutive quarters of profitability.
Strategic Focus: AI and Cross-Border Payments
The fresh capital will be directed toward growing Ant International’s presence in overseas markets while increasing spending on AI technologies. The company also plans to expand inclusive fintech products focused on cross-border payments and global account services for businesses operating internationally.
Corporate Structure and Leadership
Ant International has become the centerpiece of Ant Group’s overseas business after the parent company reorganized several units into independently governed businesses. On March 19, 2024, Ant Group Chairman Eric Jing announced that Ant International, OceanBase, and Ant Digital had each established separate boards of directors to operate independently. The current leadership team includes Jing as chairman, Yang Peng as chief executive officer, and Douglas Feagin as president.
Operating from Singapore, Ant International serves markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Its network connects more than 150 million merchants with over 2 billion consumer accounts through innovation, settlement, and operational centers in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. The business is organized into four operating units: Alipay+, merchant payments platform Antom, cross-border financial services provider WorldFirst, and Bettr, which develops AI-powered treasury management and fintech products for businesses.
Global Expansion via Blockchain and Stablecoins
Ant International’s global strategy heavily relies on blockchain-powered payments infrastructure and regulated digital asset initiatives. Bloomberg reported in June that the company generated an estimated $3.7 billion in revenue during 2025, an increase of about 25% from the previous year. Although the business accounted for roughly one-tenth of Ant Group’s total revenue, its international operations have been growing faster than several domestic businesses.
Alipay+ and Blockchain Network
A major part of the international strategy centers on cross-border payments. Ant International’s Alipay+ network operates in more than 100 markets, allowing consumers to pay with their existing digital wallets while merchants receive settlements through local payment systems. Supporting that network is Whale, the company’s blockchain platform. According to previous company figures, Ant International processed more than $1 trillion in global transactions during 2024, with about one-third of those payments settled through blockchain infrastructure.
The company has also extended the platform into enterprise treasury management. Previous collaborations with Standard Chartered included blockchain-based liquidity transfers denominated in Singapore dollars, following earlier Hong Kong dollar settlement trials under the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Ensemble Sandbox initiative for tokenization.
Integration of Stablecoins and Licensing Plans
Ant International has been incorporating regulated digital assets into its payment infrastructure. Earlier this year, the company integrated Circle’s USDC stablecoin into parts of its cross-border settlement network, enabling selected transactions to settle over blockchain rails instead of relying entirely on traditional correspondent banking systems.
Regulated stablecoins are expected to become another part of Ant International’s international strategy. Bloomberg reported that the company planned to apply for stablecoin issuer licenses in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Luxembourg. A company spokesperson confirmed at the time that it would seek a fiat-referenced stablecoin issuer license in Hong Kong after the city’s Stablecoins Ordinance took effect, with applications in Singapore and Luxembourg expected to follow.
Speaking at the Singapore FinTech Festival, Ant Group Chairman Eric Jing emphasized that artificial intelligence and tokenized settlement technologies could make financial services more accessible, underscoring the technologies the company continues to prioritize as it expands its international business.
