Country for PR: Hong Kong
Contributor: PR Newswire Asia (Hong Kong)
Tuesday, February 22 2022 - 13:50
AsiaNet
M-DAQ acquires Wallex to expand its cross-border ecosystem
SINGAPORE, Feb. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

M-DAQ, a leading Singapore-based fintech company today entered into a 
definitive agreement to acquire Wallex, a B2B cross-border payments provider 
with licenses in Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore. The acquisition is the 
first of a series for M-DAQ, as it embarks on a global growth plan to capture 
market opportunities and expand its downstream reach in the value chain. 

In addition to the amount paid for the full acquisition, M-DAQ will also be 
injecting fresh working capital to accelerate the Wallex business. The combined 
entity is expected to process in the excess of S$15 billion (US$11 billion) of 
Gross Transaction Value (GTV) this year.

Wallex will continue as an independently operated business and brand, with Hiro 
Kiga, Co-Founder and COO, appointed as the new CEO.

Supporting synergies to scale 

Wallex facilitates B2B cross-border payments in Indonesia, Greater China, and 
Singapore by offering seamless, fast transactions with competitive rates and 
fees into 180+ countries. Businesses benefit from multi-currency solutions to 
collect payments via virtual accounts and hold funds in a digital wallet. With 
customisable APIs, leading fintechs in Asia can leverage Wallex's 
infrastructure to build tailored cross-border offerings. 

Despite Covid-19, Wallex registered 5.5x growth in its annualised revenue. 
Wallex supports nearly 2,000 banking and technology clients, processing almost 
S$4 billion in GTV annually. 

The acquisition provides synergy to both. Through Wallex, M-DAQ clients can 
utilise versatile tools for funds transfers through its currency corridors, 
improving reporting accuracy and regulatory reporting requirements. Through the 
M-DAQ proprietary solution, Aladdin, Wallex customers can experience guaranteed 
FX rates and more competitive pricing through its aggregation and algorithmic 
capabilities. 

Richard Koh, Founder and Group CEO, M-DAQ, says, "Investing in businesses with 
strong growth potential is one of our core strategies, as we expand our 
ecosystem. We are excited to welcome Wallex into the M-DAQ Group to strengthen 
our footprint in the payments space by reaching a wider range of SMEs and their 
customers as we look to provide additional value and cost reductions to their 
businesses. Both organisations will continue with their aggressive hiring to 
scale further." 

"M-DAQ is also investing in building an ecosystem that complements the core FX 
business. In this instance, M-DAQ will be the upstream FX provider to supply 
Wallex with the necessary liquidity it needs to run its core payments business. 
This B2B2b2c business model is an ecosystem of businesses that complements each 
other, reduces duplication, increases efficiency, and ultimately reduces 
transaction costs for the end clients, as economies of scale are materialised," 
adds Mr. Koh. 

Wallex's co-founder and CEO Hiro Kiga says, "At Wallex, we have always strived 
to deliver the most cost-efficient, fast, and secure payment solutions for 
global businesses. The combination of Wallex's network and M-DAQ's fintech 
expertise will enable us to deliver greater value to empower businesses across 
borders. We look forward to achieving our goals together, by creating new 
opportunities that leverage the strengths of each platform." 

Understanding global money movements with M-DAQ's Aladdin solution 

Cross-border payments have grown significantly due to rising demand from all 
businesses to engage in international trade. With a six-year track record of 
providing price certainty, M-DAQ's flagship FX solution Aladdin, has cleared 
close to S$30 billion cross-border transactions. The solution currently 
empowers two of the largest internet ecosystems in China. Aladdin enables 
customers on eCommerce platforms to shop in their home currency while allowing 
merchants to receive payment in their preferred currency. 

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory 
approvals. 

About M-DAQ 

M-DAQ empowers businesses in various industries to facilitate cross-border 
transactions with its best in-class FX solutions. The company has embarked on a 
global growth plan to capture market opportunities and to create a new fintech 
ecosystem, focused on providing technology-enabled financial services to 
enterprises and fintechs. 

Founded in 2010, with a vision to create a World without Currency Borders, the 
company achieved net profitability in 2018. Leading Asian private equity firm 
Affinity Equity Partners invested S$200 million in M-DAQ's Series D round. 

Since 2016, M-DAQ's Aladdin FX solution has processed nearly S$30 billion in 
cross-border transactions covering 45 markets globally, enabling eCommerce 
ecosystems such as AliExpress, Tmall, and JD.com 

Learn about how M-DAQ is transforming a World without Currency Borders at 
www.m-daq.com. Follow them on www.linkedin.com/company/m-daq. 

About Wallex 

Founded by Jody Ong and Hiro Kiga in 2016, Wallex is a leading B2B FX and 
cross-border payment platform catering to SMEs and Fintechs. Customers can 
convert and pay in 46 currencies, collect payments via virtual accounts, and 
hold funds through the Wallex Global Business Account. 

With 100+ employees backed by deep domain expertise; Wallex has been helping 
companies like Coda Payments, StyleTheory, Janio, and thousands of businesses 
to go global effortlessly with their low-cost, secure and quick payment 
solutions. 

Wallex is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a Major Payment 
Institution under license no. PS20200433, by Bank Indonesia under license no 
20/235/DKSP/83, and by the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department under 
license no. 19-12-02935. 

Learn about how Wallex moves funds across borders at www.wallex.asia. Follow 
them on www.linkedin.com/company/wallex. 

For media queries: 
M-DAQ 
Jeremy Sng 
GM, Corporate Finance and Strategy 
+65 96454323 
jeremy@m-daq.com

Wallex 
Isabela Dian Martin 
Marketing Manager 
+62 817857814 
isabela@wallextech.com


SOURCE: Wallex

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=415509

   Caption: M-DAQ Founder and Group CEO Richard Koh with Wallex Co-Founder and 
CEO Hiro Kiga

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