Fintech PR
in5 start-up funding grows to AED 8 billion as Dubai’s pro-innovation frameworks nurture growth
- Total funding raised by start-ups at Dubai’s leading incubator grows by 163% over 2023 figures
- TECOM Group incubator to showcase ecosystem of more than 1,000 innovators, including Grambell and Estaie, at Expand North Star
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Funding raised by start-ups within TECOM Group PJSC’s entrepreneurship incubator in5 since its inception has crossed AED 7.8 billion as Dubai’s pro-innovation framework nurtures the growth of enterprises and talent. Announced on the sidelines of Expand North Star, the world’s largest event for start-ups and investors being held in Dubai on 13-16 October, the remarkable figure represents 163% growth over total funding raised as of 2023, demonstrating the accelerated growth of in5’s start-ups this year.
“Start-ups are powerful engines of long-term economic growth that tangibly benefits future generations,” said Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President at TECOM Group PJSC, on behalf of in5. “The funding milestone achieved by in5’s start-ups strengthens our mission to unlock entrepreneurial excellence by facilitating opportunities, partnerships, and investor engagement avenues. in5’s dynamic and global community is driving Dubai’s efforts to foster a globally attuned innovation landscape that achieves the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’.”
in5 has nurtured more than 1,000 start-ups across the technology, media, design, and science sectors since its inception in 2013 by TECOM Group, the creator of 10 specialised business districts and vibrant communities in Dubai. This includes in5 Tech, housed at a dedicated in5 Innovation Centre at Dubai Internet City as well as in5 Media, based at Dubai Production City and in5 Design, based at Dubai Design District (d3). in5 Media’s active start-up numbers noted annual growth of 20% in the first half of this year as government initiatives to strengthen the regional creative economy, including Dubai Media’s vision to bolster the competitiveness of media institutions, attract a wider cohort of talent to the city.
in5 Science, which marked its first anniversary in June 2024, provides an enabling platform to more than 35 future-focused science start-ups. Launched in collaboration with Dubai Science Park, TECOM Group’s dedicated ecosystem for the life, energy, and environment sciences, in5 Science is cultivating a regional base of innovators in line with the Dubai Research and Development Programme’s vision.
Landscape maturity
While global trends are indicative of a shift in start-up funding amid the prioritisation of sustainable ventures, funding for artificial intelligence (AI) companies has held steady in 2024. Shored up by strategies such as Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’, Dubai’s pro-innovation framework is enriching the regional pool of entrepreneurs harnessing technology to offer improved consumer services. This is underscored by the incubator’s recent success stories, including Ziina, a fintech start-up providing peer-to-peer payment for mobile apps, that raised AED 80.8 million in a Series A funding round in September 2024. Podeo, the world’s largest podcast distribution platform founded at in5, raised AED 19.8 million in a Series A funding round that same month.
in5 offers start-ups in technology, media, design, and science a platform to scale up with access to advisory, mentorship, and potential investment opportunities. in5 Tech is also home to the in5 Investor Hub, a space where angel investors, venture capitalists, and institutional investors can directly engage with start-ups at in5 for funding and partnership opportunities.
in5’s participation at Expand North Star is part of its commitment to spotlighting its innovative ecosystem to more than 1,200 global investors expected at the event, including start-ups such as AI-enabled communications specialist Grambell, based at in5 Tech, and flexible stay online travel agency (OTA) Estaie, incubated at in5 Media.
in5 is the start-up and entrepreneurship incubator founded by TECOM Group, which has contributed to Dubai’s economic ambitions for more than two decades through sector-focused districts including Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Science Park, Dubai Design District (d3) and Dubai Industrial City.
About TECOM Group PJSC
TECOM Group has been developing strategic, sector-focused business districts across the emirate of Dubai since 1999. TECOM Group is well-positioned to continue playing an integral role in cementing Dubai’s status as a global business and talent hub.
The TECOM Group portfolio consists of 10 business districts catering to 6 vital knowledge-based economic sectors, including design, education, manufacturing, media, science, and technology. The Group provides a varied and tailor-made leasing portfolio – which includes offices, co-working spaces, warehouses, and land – to over 11,000 customers and more than 124,000 professionals.
TECOM Group offers additional value-added services to deliver a competitive and attractive environment for businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive in and to facilitate engagement between the districts’ community members. Government and corporate services are made available through an integrated smart services platform, ‘axs’, which enhances ease of doing business and provides community members with a seamless experience.
TECOM Group also provides industry-specialised facilities, including media production studios, laboratories, and higher education campuses. in5, its enabling platform for entrepreneurs and start-ups, offers innovation centres supporting tech, media, and design start-ups and SMEs. Its future-focused co-working spaces D/Quarters deliver stimulating work environments for tenants, and the ‘GoFreelance’ package serves freelancers.
For more information, please visit www.tecomgroup.ae.
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Fintech PR
StockGro Partners with GIIS Dubai to Transform Youth Financial Literacy in the UAE
DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — StockGro, India’s leading platform for experiential financial education, has joined hands with the Global Indian International School (GIIS) Dubai to equip students in grades 9 to 12 with essential financial skills. This partnership marks StockGro’s second major collaboration in the UAE, reinforcing its expansion into the GCC region.
As GIIS’s financial literacy partner, StockGro has integrated its innovative curriculum into the school’s academic framework. Through expert-led sessions conducted every alternate month, students gain insights into financial concepts, stock market basics, and strategic investment approaches, fostering critical thinking and real-world application.
A standout feature of the partnership is the stock market learning programs which consist of model portfolio exercises for grades 9 to 12. These stock market portfolio management activities allow students to apply their knowledge in a risk-free, real-world environment, building confidence and practical understanding of trading and investments.
Ajay Lakhotia, Founder & CEO of StockGro, said, “This collaboration bridges the gap between theoretical learning and practical application, preparing students to make informed financial decisions. It reflects StockGro’s dedication to empowering the next generation with tools to navigate real-world financial challenges.”
Ms. Rajani Manikonda , Supervisor of Senior Secondary School, GIIS Dubai, remarked, “Empowering students with financial literacy is essential in today’s interconnected world. This partnership with StockGro introduces our learners to the intricacies of financial management in an engaging, practical manner, ensuring they develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in the global economy.”
By partnering with one of Dubai’s top Indian international schools, StockGro strengthens its foundation for future collaborations in the UAE and GCC region, advancing its mission to revolutionize financial education on a global scale.
About StockGro
StockGro is a leading experiential social learning platform for trading and investments, trusted by more than 35 million users worldwide. It has successfully empowered students across 1100+ prestigious educational institutions with immersive financial learning experiences. Through this collaboration, StockGro continues its mission of fostering financial literacy and practical education for the next generation.
StockGro invites educational institutions across the GCC region to join hands in fostering a financially literate world. Write to us at [email protected] so we can empower the next generation with essential life skills together.
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Fintech PR
2024 Marks Breakout Year for China’s ETF Market with Unprecedented Growth
GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — China’s ETF market demonstrated exceptional performance in 2024, with notable returns and substantial growth in assets under management. According to Wind, the average return of A-share ETFs (excl. ETFs launched in 2024) reached 11.36% for the year by December 31, and the total size of A-share ETF market reached USD 5.1 trillion, a net increase of USD 2.3 trillion from year-begin. Notably, CSI 300 ETF (Code: 510310), ChiNext ETF (Code: 159915), and Star 50 ETF (Code: 588080) managed by E Fund Management (“E Fund”), the largest mutual fund manager in China, ranked among the top ten in asset growth, underlining the company’s strong position in the industry.
A Two-Decade Journey of Growth
Since the launch of the first domestic ETF in December 2004, China’s ETF market has expanded significantly. This growth is not only marked by an increase in assets but also by an acceleration in ETF issuance. In 2024, 30 fund companies launched 156 new ETFs, with E Fund leading the market by introducing 14 new products – the most among all issuers.
Over the years, the ETF market has evolved from focusing primarily on broad-based indices to offering a diverse range of products across sectors, asset classes, and themes. These innovations have broadened investment opportunities, providing both institutional and retail investors with low-cost, transparent, and flexible tools to achieve their financial goals.
The Push for Low-Cost Investing
In 2024, Chinese fund companies accelerated the trend of reducing management fees, particularly for broad-based ETFs. Leading the charge is E Fund, which has long been a pioneer in promoting cost-efficient investing. As early as 2015, E Fund set a market precedent by lowering the management fee of its flagship CSI 300 ETF (Code: 510310) from 0.5% to 0.2%, and further reduced it to 0.15% in 2019.
E Fund’s leadership in low-fee strategy is further exemplified by its extensive product range, nearly 50 ETF products offering the lowest management fee of 0.15%, accounting for 60% of its ETF portfolio.
Shaping the Future of China’s ETF Market
With over 80 ETFs under management and total assets exceeding USD 83.7 billion, E Fund continues to innovate by offering a broad range of low-cost, high-efficiency investment solutions.
As China’s ETF market evolves and expands, E Fund remains at the forefront, driving innovation and setting new standards for accessibility and efficiency. The rapid growth in 2024 underscores not only the increasing popularity of ETFs but also their critical role in shaping the future of China’s investment landscape.
About E Fund
Established in 2001, E Fund Management Co., Ltd. (“E Fund”) is a leading comprehensive mutual fund manager in China with over RMB 3.5 trillion (USD 505 billion) under management.* It offers investment solutions to onshore and offshore clients, helping clients achieve long-term sustainable investment performances. E Fund’s clients include both individuals and institutions, ranging from central banks, sovereign wealth funds, social security funds, pension funds, insurance and reinsurance companies, to corporates and banks. Long-term oriented, it has been focusing on the investment management business since inception and believes in the power of in-depth research and time in investing. It is a pioneer and leading practitioner in responsible investments in China and is widely recognized as one of the most trusted and outstanding Chinese asset managers.
Source: E Fund. AuM includes subsidiaries. Data as of Sep 30, 2024. FX rate is sourced from PBoC.
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Fintech PR
HTX 2025 Outlook: Five Sectors to Look Forward to, and How Trump’s Policy Will Affect Crypto Industry
SINGAPORE, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The year 2024 marks a significant chapter in the history of the crypto industry, where we witnessed continuous breakthroughs in blockchain technology, surges in Bitcoin price, and a gradually more open regulatory environment, with cryptocurrencies gaining increasing recognition from the mainstream. As 2025 unfolds, HTX, the world’s leading digital asset exchange, has released its latest report, HTX 2024 Global Web3 Blockchain Ecosystem Review and 2025 Outlook, which provides forward-looking insights into the development prospects of the crypto industry.
Key Sectors for 2025
In the report, HTX highlighted five key sectors that showed encouraging progress last year, and will continue to closely monitor these areas in 2025.
Bitcoin Ecosystem
In 2024, Bitcoin’s market dominance kept increasing, solidifying its position as the core asset, with spot ETFs acting as liquidity channels, and U.S. listed companies such as MicroStrategy (MSTR) serving as the vehicles to absorb unlimited dollar liquidity.
As a result, it is increasingly essential to further develop Bitcoin’s ecosystem and enhance capital utilization efficiency. With strong support from macro markets and infrastructure support, a further surge in Bitcoin demand over the next two years is well-anticipated.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure remained a cornerstone in 2024’s crypto investments and funding. The synergy between capital and technology has driven the rapid development of Layer 1, Layer 2, and middleware projects, among others.
Layer 1 solutions, in particular, now represent the focal point of technical development and exploration within the crypto space, and it is expected to remain a priority for development resources and capital investment in the future.
Meme Coins
The Meme coin sector emerged as a hotspot in 2024, fostering community consensus while integrating with fields like DeFi and GameFi to create new use cases. As the crypto market environment grows increasingly favorable, more retail investors are expected to enter the market, positioning Meme projects as vital channels for capital inflows.
AI
In 2024, the intersection of Crypto and AI sector has been driving the exploration of several segmented fields, the hottest one of which is AI agents. In the future, AI agents will gradually become personal butlers and assistants for users, serving them with comprehensive capabilities. Over time, they may develop unique cultures and religions.
This deep integration of AI and encryption technology is a groundbreaking evolution that is unattainable within Web2 and cannot be achieved by Web3 relying solely on encryption technology.
TON Ecosystem
Attributable to Telegram’s hundreds of millions of users and robust technical support, the TON ecosystem achieved significant milestones in various fields, pioneering the monetization of Web2 social applications through crypto. Moving into 2025, it needs to explore and find new business models to improve user retention and identify its next growth curve.
Donald Trump Effect: Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Worth Anticipating
The report also discusses the potential impact of crypto-friendly policies that could arise after Donald Trump takes office. Two important bills, the FIT21 Act and the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act, are likely to pass more quickly thanks to him.
The FIT21 Act aims to create a clear legal framework for token issuance and trading by classifying tokens as digital assets or digital commodities, transferring the regulatory responsibilities of many blockchain projects from the SEC to the CFTC, and introducing a safe harbor mechanism. This would help standardize and promote the healthy growth of the entire industry.
The Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act, aligning with Trump’s campaign promises, if passed, would mark Bitcoin’s transition from a niche asset to a nationally recognized reserve asset, greatly enhancing its legitimacy and recognition. It may also prompt other countries to adopt similar measures to further advance Bitcoin’s global recognition and application.
The Act was submitted to Congress for deliberation on August 4, 2024, and referred to the Senate Banking Committee for review. Trump is well-positioned to push this bill through. Meanwhile, several U.S. states have already proposed their own Bitcoin Strategic Reserve bills. By 2025, Bitcoin as a strategic reserve may become a reality.
Additionally, under Trump’s presidency, the SAB121 Act is likely to be repealed, allowing traditional financial institutions to hold cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets, further accelerating the institutionalization of crypto assets and contributing to the overall maturity of the crypto market. The SEC’s application criteria of the Howey Test may also be relaxed, increasing the likelihood of more spot crypto ETFs being approved and more public listings of crypto companies.
Meanwhile, the report also provides a comprehensive summary of 2024, looking back on the key events that had a major impact on the crypto industry while summing up what HTX had achieved over the last year.
To learn more, please visit: https://square.htx.com/htx-2024-global-web3-blockchain-ecosystem-review-and-2025-outlook/
About HTX
Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.
As a world-leading gateway to Web3, we harbor global capabilities that enable us to provide users with safe and reliable services.
Our growth strategy – “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance”, underpins our commitment to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.
Contact Details
Ruder Finn Asia
[email protected]
Company Website
https://www.htx.com
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