Ant International Bets on AI to Reshape Global SME Finance

NEW YORK, NY – November 14, 2025

The Rise of the 'Agentic' Financial Tool

Ant International, formerly a part of Ant Group, is rapidly positioning itself as a leading provider of AI-powered financial solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The company, now operating independently and headquartered in Singapore, recently outlined its strategy at the Singapore FinTech Festival, emphasizing the development of what it terms ‘agentic’ AI tools designed to function as virtual CFOs and COOs for SMEs. This ambitious vision goes beyond traditional fintech offerings, aiming to automate complex financial and operational tasks and level the playing field for businesses often underserved by traditional financial institutions.

The core of this strategy is the deployment of tools like ‘Antom Copilot,’ an AI agent integrated into the Antom merchant services platform. Early results suggest significant improvements in key areas like payment integration speed—cut by over 90% according to the company—and chargeback resolution times, reduced by 46%. While independent verification of these metrics remains limited, the potential impact on SME efficiency and cost savings is considerable. "The challenge for many SMEs isn’t a lack of funds, but a lack of the expertise to manage those funds effectively,” says one industry analyst. “If Ant International can truly deliver on its promise of automated financial management, it could be a game-changer.”

Singapore’s Fintech Hub: A Strategic Partnership

Ant International’s strategy is deeply intertwined with the regulatory landscape in Singapore, and the company is forging a strong partnership with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Collaboration on initiatives like Project Guardian, focused on asset tokenization, and PathFin.ai, an AI implementation program, positions Singapore as a leading hub for fintech innovation. “The regulatory support in Singapore is critical,” explains a source familiar with the company's strategy. “MAS isn’t just providing a sandbox; they’re actively shaping the future of finance.”

Within Project Guardian, Ant International is leading the Foreign Exchange (FX) workstream, exploring how blockchain-based technologies can enhance liquidity and efficiency in global currency markets. The company’s Falcon Time-Series Transformer (TST) Model, an AI-powered forecasting tool, has reportedly achieved over 90% accuracy in predicting cash flow and FX exposure, helping reduce FX costs by up to 60% for internal applications. While independent evaluations are still pending, the open-sourcing of the TST model signals Ant International’s commitment to collaborative innovation. Furthermore, the partnership with MAS, and participation in initiatives like BLOOM (Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency) demonstrate a commitment to tokenization.

Beyond Payments: Building a Financial Infrastructure

Ant International’s vision extends beyond simply providing payment processing or lending services. The company aims to build a comprehensive financial infrastructure for SMEs, integrating various financial tools and services into a seamless platform. This includes expanding its Alipay+ cross-border payment network, which connects over 1.8 billion users and 150 million merchants globally. Its expansion through initiatives like WorldFirst, with over $300 billion in annual total payment volume, demonstrates its global reach and capability in providing businesses with scalable and cost-effective solutions. Antom continues to bolster the growth, and saw a near doubling of total payment volume between January and November 2024.

“They’re not just building a payment gateway; they’re building an entire ecosystem,” says one financial technology consultant. “Their goal is to be the financial operating system for SMEs, providing everything from banking and lending to treasury management and foreign exchange.” This ambition is fueled by investments in embedded finance, offering services to over 11 million underserved SMEs and individuals in Southeast Asia and South Asia. The company’s strategic investment in the integrated lending firm R2 in Latin America further demonstrates its commitment to expanding access to credit for businesses in emerging markets.

Ant International’s strategic direction clearly positions it as a significant player in the evolving landscape of global finance. By combining AI-powered tools with a commitment to collaboration and a forward-thinking regulatory partnership, the company appears poised to reshape how SMEs access and utilize financial technology, while potentially redefining the landscape of cross-border trade and finance.