Fintech Unicorn Nium Joins HKSTP’s FinTech Community to Accelerate Hong Kong’s Booming Fintech Ecosystem

(Hong Kong, 1 November 2021) – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today announced the addition of a global Fintech unicorn, Nium, as a partner company to HKSTP’s thriving Fintech ecosystem. Nium is opening its new office at InnoCentre to leverage Hong Kong’s growing Fintech opportunities as well as the huge GBA market potential for seamless application programming interface (API)-based payments services. The high-growth Fintech startup connects consumers, corporations and financial institutions to the world’s payment infrastructure through a single API for fast, low-cost international transfers.

Nium has been present in Hong Kong since 2016 and the growing team will join other fast-rising Fintech ventures at Science Park’s flagship Fintech hub at InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong. The Temasek-backed Fintech startup closed its Series D funding round in July of this year, propelling its valuation beyond US$1 billion. The round enables Nium to accelerate its regional growth, with HKSTP chosen as the ideal partner for this next stage of the journey. The new funds will support rapid global expansion, with Hong Kong and the GBA as major growth opportunities. It currently holds several regulatory licenses and offices around the world, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, India, the US, and the UK.

HKSTP has already connected Nium with a number of Fintech API players in Hong Kong to accelerate service development and business growth. Through collaboration with industry leaders and tech startups at InnoCentre, Nium can instantly plug into the Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech ecosystem and ride the wave of API-based financial services sweeping across Hong Kong and the GBA.

Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP, said: “Today we welcome Nium, the world’s first global B2B payments unicorn from Southeast Asia to the HKSTP ecosystem. The addition of such a world-class leader is a sign of strength for Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech scene, and proof of the city’s allure as a global Fintech hub. Growing adoption of API-driven solutions among Hong Kong’s financial institutions are fueling rapid development of Fintech startups, like Nium, and igniting growth for next-generation financial technologies into the GBA and beyond.”

Ivy Lun, Head of North Asia, Nium, said: “Our new Hong Kong operation is a major step in our North Asia growth journey, with HKSTP’s extensive Fintech expertise and unmatched network, we aim to become one of the key players in the Hong Kong Fintech ecosystem. Our mission is to provide individuals and businesses with one connection to the world of payments. We want to give them access to money with simplicity and speed, with Hong Kong as the ideal gateway to the huge market opportunity in the GBA and North Asia.”

Nium will leverage Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre, a regulatory leader, a transportation and trade centre, and a world-class international I&T hub to power its regional expansion plans. The HKSTP Fintech ecosystem can fuel Nium’s growth journey by providing the ideal environment for API innovation, connections to deep Regtech and Fintech expertise, as well as integration to the GBA.

About Nium

Nium is a leading embedded Fintech company that provides banks, payment providers, travel companies, and businesses of any size with access to global payment services via one API. Its modular platform provides services for pay-outs, pay-ins, card issuance, and banking-as-a-service. Once connected to the Nium platform, businesses can pay out in more than 100 currencies to over 190 countries - 85 of which in real time. Funds can be received in 33 markets, including Southeast Asia, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, India, and the US. 

Nium owns the broadest licence portfolio, covering 11 of the world’s jurisdictions, enabling seamless global payments and rapid integration, across multiple geographies. Nium is part of CB Insights Fintech 250, which highlights the most promising Fintech companies globally.

For more information, visit: http://www.nium.com

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has for 20 continuous years committed to building up Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub to propel success for local and global pioneers today and tomorrow. HKSTP has established a thriving I&T ecosystem that is home to three unicorns and Hong Kong’s leading R&D hub with over 11,000 research professionals and over 1,000 technology companies focused on healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech and smart city technologies.

Established in 2001, we attract and nurture talent, accelerate and commercialise innovation and technology for entrepreneurs on their journey of growth in Hong Kong, to the Greater Bay Area, Asia and beyond. Our growing innovation ecosystem is built around our key locations of the Hong Kong Science Park in Shatin, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong and three modern InnoParks in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. The three InnoParks are realizing a vision of re-industrialisation for Hong Kong. The goal is sectors like advanced manufacturing, electronics and biotechnology are being reimagined for a new generation of industry.

Through our infrastructure, services, expertise and network of partnerships, HKSTP will help establish innovation and technology as a pillar of growth for Hong Kong, while reinforcing Hong Kong’s international I&T hub status as a launchpad for global growth at the heart of the GBA innovation powerhouse.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org