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Yunqi founding partner Michael Mao calls on fintech start-ups to safeguard boundaries and create long-term value as three of its angel-round invested companies are included in CB Insights List

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On the afternoon of June 29, CB Insights China held the “Future of Fintech CHINA and CB Insights China Fintech List” summit, and three Yunqi angel-round invested companies – 360 Finance, Inc, IceKredit and Xtransfer – were included in the List. Guest presider Michael Mao, a founding partner of Yunqi Partners, held round table dialogues and discussions with corporate leaders, exchanging ideas focused on key topics such as national policy direction, financial oversight, data compliance and applications, as well as financial security and privacy. An abstract of the views discussed is set out below:

1. The ups and downs of internet finance: Safeguard your capability boundaries and create long-term value

Prior to founding Yunqi Partners, I was a financial team leader at IDG, and looked at quite a lot of financial projects. IDG is China’s first VC involved in investing in internet finance. In retrospect, a wave of internet finance took place in China at the time, triggered by two events in the summer of 2013:

The first was Baidu’s USD1.9 billion acquisition of 91 Wireless. That was a landmark event in the internet finance sector as none of the BAT had spent so much money acquiring a start-up previously.

Another was the debut of Yu’e Bao. It was an industry and financial sector game changer. We saw lots of media reports on fintech every day. Coupled with the proposal for “mass entrepreneurship and innovation”, internet finance start-ups became all the rage, and together with O2O, became the two major start-up booms.

During that time, internet finance enterprises grew very rapidly, and became unicorns in just three to four years. In addition to being technology- and data-driven, domestic policy driven trends were significant as well. Between 2014 and 2016, start-ups in related industries burgeoned, generating enormous economic dividends, but there were poor quality companies as well. As regulatory oversight tightened, a large number of P2Ps imploded, and the fast money bubble burst. Those that ultimately survived were technology-enabled enterprises with sound growth that nourished their businesses, safeguarded their capability boundaries, and created long-term value.

2. Yunqi’s fintech layout: Early stage investment companion with focus on compliance and development

After Yunqi was founded in 2014, we were focused primarily on “technology-enabled industry upgrading”. Fintech was a key layout direction. We invested in a number of technology-driven start-ups in sectors such as cross-border corporate payment, consumer finance, small and micro credit, intelligent risk control, and supply chain finance. As an angel/early lead investor, we accompanied them throughout their growth phase.

When investing in fintech enterprises, we focus on three particular areas: First, financial background and industry experience; second, grasp of technological advantages and enabling industry development; and third, compliance. For instance, among Yunqi’s portfolio of invested enterprises, 360 Finance, Inc‘s former CEO, Xu Jun, once worked at HSBC, and was the youngest partner in McKinsey Asia Pacific in charge of banking, securities and trust operations in China; IceKredit founder Gu Lingyun was a core member of renowned US fintech start-up ZestFinance; Magnet Finance founder Yan Qiang had more than 20 years of commercial banking experience; and Xtransfer founder Deng Guobiao had more than 10 years of management experience at Visa and Ant Financial.

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Some entrepreneurs had conducted finance operations based on an internet finance mindset, which in fact contravened the essence of finance. Although there was no supervision at the time, there was significant risk. We wouldn’t have invested even if these companies were affordable.

On the basis of such knowledge, despite the consistent collapse of a large number of renowned internet finance companies over the last two to three years, we have not only managed to sidestep all the mine fields and remained untarnished, all the enterprises in our portfolio have in fact grown rapidly and steadily, and three of the companies in our portfolio have been included in the CB Insights List this time round.

Going forward, although China’s financial digitalization still has a long way to go, and the 2020 pandemic will accelerate digital transformation among Chinese industries, fintech may well become the frontier of change. Entrepreneurs should grasp growth opportunities, respect objective laws, excel in their technical expertise, and enable and increase the overall value of the industry.

Fintech PR

INFINOX partners with Acelerador Racing for the Porsche Cup Brazil 2025

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EBENE, Mauritius, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — INFINOX is proud to announce its latest partnership with Acelerador Racing, sponsoring Acelerador Racing’s car in the Porsche Cup Brazil 2025. This partnership enhances INFINOX’s dedication to motorsports, complementing its current sponsorship of BWT Alpine F1 Team. As part of this collaboration, the INFINOX logo will be seen on the top hood and upper door of the Acelerador Racing car all through the 2025 season, which runs until December 31, 2025. On March 22, 2025, the venerable Autódromo Velocitta was the first race sporting INFINOX branding.

This partnership provides INFINOX more than just brand awareness. It also provides them with exclusive access to VIP experiences, media content, and business networking opportunities, allowing INFINOX to engage directly with racing enthusiasts, clients, and partners.

“We’re happy to welcome INFINOX to the Porsche Cup Brazil,” said Eduardo Elias, CEO of Acelerador Racing. “They are committed to accuracy and excellence, exactly what motorsports is all about—where every millisecond counts. We are excited to see INFINOX on the track with us this season and believe this cooperation will be fantastic for both of us.”

“People in both trading and motorsport are driven by focus, fast decisions, and a winning attitude,” said Lee Holmes from INFINOX’s Executive Management. “At INFINOX, we understand that success depends on being ready, having a strategy, and being able to seize chances as they arise. Working with Acelerador Racing makes absolute sense for us, and we’re eager to offer the Porsche Cup Brazil our enthusiasm and expertise.”

About INFINOX

INFINOX is a market-leading global, multi-regulated online brokerage that allows clients to trade a multi-asset class of CFDs. Founded in 2009, it forms strong relationships with partners and provides world-class service to its clients around the world. Its business is built on its core values of Integrity, Ambition, Excellence, and Inspiration.

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APX Lending Announces Landmark Decision of Canadian Securities Regulators

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TORONTO, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — APX Lending is pleased to announce the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have issued a first-of-its kind decision, granting the company exemptive relief from certain registration and prospectus requirements, dated April 1, 2025 (https://www.osc.ca/en/securities-law/orders-rulings-decisions/apx-inc). This positions APX Lending to be the first crypto-backed lender in Canada to provide borrowers with a secure and compliance-focused solution to access liquidity using their digital assets as collateral.

The global crypto-backed lending market is projected to exceed $45 billion by 2030, underscoring the growing demand for trusted solutions that integrate digital assets into the traditional economy. APX Lending is addressing this demand with an institutional-grade lending platform where users can deposit Bitcoin or Ethereum as collateral and access liquidity through flexible, competitive loan terms.

With industry-leading security, strict adherence to Canadian regulatory directives, and insured cold storage custody, APX Lending offers a level of protection that sets it apart from other lenders. A robust risk management framework facilitates transparency, safety, and security for both retail and institutional borrowers.

“Crypto-backed lending should be safe, secure, and simple to access,” said Andrei Poliakov, founder and CEO of APX Lending. “By engaging with Canadian regulators and leading the way in Canada, we are setting a new benchmark for compliance and security in crypto-backed lending, helping retail and institutional borrowers unlock liquidity while maintaining ownership of their digital assets. This marks a major step toward integrating crypto into mainstream finance and building a truly global, compliance-focused crypto-backed lending ecosystem.”

Beyond its core lending platform, APX Lending is seeing increased interest in its white-label lending solution, which allows banks, financial institutions and other lenders to seamlessly integrate crypto-backed lending into their offerings. With this regulatory milestone, APX Lending is set to begin servicing Canadian clients while further expanding into the US, Australia, New Zealand, and other global markets.

About APX Lending

APX Lending is a crypto-backed lending platform, providing instant liquidity to borrowers while maintaining compliance and security. The company enables retail and institutional borrowers to leverage their digital assets without selling them, offering a secure and compliance-focused borrowing experience. Founded by Andrei Poliakov, co-founder of Coinberry, one of Canada’s oldest and largest regulated crypto exchanges, APX Lending is pioneering the future of regulated crypto-backed lending worldwide.

For more information, please visit https://www.apxlending.com/

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue”, and by discussions of strategies that involve risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond APX Lending’s control. In this press release, forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements relating to expectations of the size and success of APX Lending’s lending and other business activities. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by APX Lending, including with respect to the ultimate market size and demand for crypto-backed lending in Canada and internationally and all other statements that are not historical facts.

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By its nature, such forward-looking information necessarily involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities in future periods of APX Lending to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and neither APX Lending nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any forward-looking information, and no one has any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or such other factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

Additional Information, For additional information, please contact, Media Relations: media@apxlending.com

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Abeille Assurances Relies on Location Intelligence and Data Enrichment from Precisely to Manage Climate Risks and Enhance Customer Experience

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Leading French insurer leverages spatial analytics and location data to improve claims processes and empower confident decision-making across the business

BURLINGTON, Mass. and PARIS, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Precisely, the global leader in data integrity, today announced that Abeille Assurances, a leading insurance provider in France, leverages a powerful combination of its location intelligence and data enrichment solutions, including Precisely Spectrum Spatial, Precisely Spectrum Geocoding, and highly curated address and property datasets, to strengthen risk mitigation, optimize underwriting, and enhance customer experiences.

The importance of location intelligence and data enrichment to the insurance industry has grown significantly in recent years. This need has been driven by the increasing impacts of extreme weather events caused by climate change – with geospatial and data-driven insights playing a crucial role in predicting and mitigating risks to buildings, infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health. According to the European Environmental Agency, extreme weather has resulted in more than half a trillion euros in economic damage over the past four decades. In particular, flooding risks are escalating in France and across Europe, where volatile weather patterns threaten large populations and critical infrastructure.

“As climate-related risks continue to evolve, it has become essential to enrich our data with spatial information – not only for prevention but also for effective risk management,” said Rosine Gergaud, Geomatics Project Manager and Head of the GeoAnalytics team at Abeille Assurances. “In order to ensure access to accurate, automated geographic information, the GeoAnalytics team was established to develop spatial analysis for all entities of our business. I’m extremely proud to have been involved in this project for so many years and to see positive results for Abeille Assurances’ teams.”

Enhancing climate risk management with advanced geospatial solutions

With a decade-long partnership already in place, the GeoAnalytics team trusted Precisely for its expertise in spatial analytics and data enrichment. By using Spectrum Spatial alongside its existing Spectrum Global Geocoding implementation, the team can support its Climate Exposure and Underwriting functions. This enables the team to dynamically visualize policyholders and nearby risks with precision, delivering highly accurate exposure assessments.

“Spectrum Spatial satisfied all our various needs to better monitor and take ownership of our exposures,” said Delphine Jeanneau-Bernard, Exposures Management Project Manager and Head of Damage Exposures and Climate Risks at Abeille Assurances. “The big benefit is its flexibility, which is the opposite of the ‘black box’ tools that we’re used to seeing on the market. We were able to implement it very quickly, integrate our own maps and data, and develop a custom module that was eagerly awaited by our underwriting teams.”

With the new capabilities, the GeoAnalytics team expanded its reach, enabling new use cases across departments. For example, claims teams can now visualize Abeille Assurances’ entire network of partners, such as approved garages and service providers, helping claimants receive faster and more efficient support. This expanded functionality also freed up the GeoAnalytics team to focus on creating new projects and web services while maintaining efficient tool administration. Additionally, automated updates and streamlined processes ensure users can independently access critical geographic information – empowering confident decision-making across the business.

Leveraging highly curated location data for even greater accuracy

In addition, Abeille Assurances recently purchased Base Immeubles from Precisely, comprehensive data containing 24 million addresses, 50 million buildings, and 94 million parcels across metropolitan France and its overseas territories. This data provides precise address and property information and building-level details, such as construction year and parcel attributes – helping the team in all stages of the customer lifecycle, from underwriting to claims management.

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“As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, insurers must leverage precise location intelligence to assess risks accurately and protect their policyholders. Abeille Assurances is a prime example of how advanced geospatial analytics and data can drive smarter underwriting, enhance claims management, and improve customer experiences,” said Clarence Hempfield, Senior Vice President – Location Intelligence at Precisely. “We’re proud to support their continued innovation with our location intelligence and data enrichment solutions and be the partner of choice for leading insurance companies around the world.”

Learn more about how Precisely and Abeille Assurances are working together—and why 8 of the world’s 10 leading insurance companies trust Precisely for location intelligence and data enrichment.

About Abeille Assurances

A major French insurance company with 4,200 employees and nearly 170 years of experience, Abeille Assurances offers a wide range of insurance, protection, savings and retirement products and services to over 3.1 million customers. Abeille Assurances offers its products through a multi-channel approach tailored to customer needs: a distribution network covering the whole of France (nearly 1,000 tied agents, 1,800 brokers, 110 Albéa Patrimoine advisors), a dedicated wealth management advisory entity (Union Financière de France with some 20 sites in France and 550 advisors) and distribution via the Direct channel, notably under the Eurofil brand, with more than 230 telephone advisors. Abeille Assurances is also the long-standing partner of AFER, France’s leading savings association (with over 748,000 members and 55 billion euros in assets under management). Learn more at www.abeille-assurances.fr.

About Precisely

As a global leader in data integrity, Precisely ensures that your data is accurate, consistent, and contextual. Our portfolio, including the Precisely Data Integrity Suite, helps integrate your data, improve data quality, govern data usage, geocode and analyze location data, and enrich with complementary datasets for confident business decisions. Over 12,000 organizations in more than 100 countries, including 93 of the Fortune 100, trust Precisely software, data, and strategy services to power AI, automation, and analytics initiatives. Learn more at www.precisely.com.

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