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Ping An Releases 2024 Sustainability Report

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30 Years of Public Welfare Education
“Worry-free, Time-saving and Money-saving” Project Creates a New Paradigm in Services

HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (“Ping An“, the “Company” or the “Group”, HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) has published its Sustainability Report 2024.

This is the 16th consecutive year that Ping An has released its sustainability report. The report features two themes: “Public Welfare Education” and “Worry-free, Time-saving and Money-saving” services. It also discloses the Company’s latest progress across five key areas: strategic management; business; operations and community; climate change and carbon neutrality; and governance.

Theme One: Thirty Years of Public Welfare Education

Ma Mingzhe, Chairman of Ping An Group said, “As long as there is still one student at Ping An Hope Primary School, our public welfare volunteer teaching will continue.”

Ping An’s public welfare education initiative marked its 30th anniversary in 2024. Since the establishment of the first Ping An Hope Primary School in 1994, the Group has continued to support rural education through measures such as infrastructure and maintenance, volunteer teaching, educational scholarships, training and development, and summer camps. In 2024, Ping An’s support included:

  • renovation of 22 rural schools
  • donation of sports grounds to five rural schools to create a better learning and sports environment for students
  • organization of 987 volunteers to conduct teaching in 74 schools, contributing 6,767 teaching hours
  • educational scholarship programs that collectively supported 1,065 students, including enabling 65 students realize their university dreams
  • training of 294 rural teachers
  • organization of 165 teachers and students from 27 schools to participate in summer and winter camp activities

As of the end of 2024, Ping An had assisted in building 119 Ping An Hope Primary Schools across the country. It recruited 12,708 volunteer teachers who contributed more than 443,000 total teaching hours. Ping An also established educational scholarships which have cumulatively supported 31,345 students, and trained over 20,000 rural teachers, benefiting 310,000 students.

Theme Two: “Worry-free, Time-saving and Money-saving” Project Creates a New Paradigm in Financial Services

Michael Guo, Co-CEO of Ping An Group, said, “Customers’ voices, needs and suggestions are the guide for our service reform and product upgrade.”

Since Ping An was established 36 years ago, the Company has grown into a world-leading “integrated finance + health and senior care” services group. Adhering to the value proposition of “worry-free, time-saving, and money-saving” services, Ping An focuses on developing professional products and services for three main scenarios: financial advisers, family doctors, and senior care concierges. Ping An made every effort to promote its value proposition in 2024. The Group launched its 2024 Customer Listening Day in May, calling on senior executives, business teams and front-line employees to engage with customers to understand their needs and pain points, and then accelerate the upgrading of product and service upgrades.

To meet customers’ diversified needs in wealth management, health, and senior care, Ping An provides services such as wealth management, insurance protection, and consumer credit through an integrated financial model featuring “one customer, multiple accounts, multiple products, and one-stop services.” As of the end of 2024, Ping An had 242 million retail customers, with an average of 2.92 contracts per customer. More than 25% of them were holding four or more contracts within the Group. Nearly 63% of Ping An’s retail customers were entitled to service benefits in the health and senior care ecosystem as of the end of 2024. In 2024, over 21 million customers of Ping An Life used health management services. Ping An has approximately 50,000 in-house and contracted external doctors and partnered with all top 100 hospitals and 3A hospitals in China. It has also established cooperation with over 104,000 health management institutions and 235,000 pharmacies. Ping An’s home-based senior care services cover 75 cities nationwide, and over 160,000 customers are eligible for home-based senior care services.

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Top 10 highlights of Ping An’s sustainable development in 2024

1.    Stable business performance, with total cash dividends increasing for 13 consecutive years:  In 2024, Ping An achieved an operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company of RMB121,862 million, a year-on-year increase of 9.1%; net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company was RMB126,607 million, a substantial year-on-year increase of 47.8%; and total revenue was RMB1,141,346 million, a year-on-year increase of 10.6%[1]. With the goal of providing stable returns to shareholders, Ping An distributed a full-year dividend of RMB2.55 per share in cash in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 5%. The cash dividend ratio based on the operating profit attributable to the parent company was 37.9%, with the total dividend amount maintaining growth for 13 consecutive years.

2.    Technology empowering sustainable development, driving innovation in finance and healthcare: Ping An continues to increase investment in technology, comprehensively improving the user experience of financial and healthcare services through cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. As of the end of 2024, Ping An had accumulated 55,080 patent applications in the fields of financial technology and healthcare. AI service representatives reached about 1.8 billion times, covering 80% of Ping An’s total customer service volume in 2024. Through intelligent underwriting and intelligent claims settlement, 93% of life insurance policies achieved second-level underwriting. Ping An Property & Casualty independently developed the Disaster Risk System (DRS3.0) and the Catastrophe Emergency Service Platform, integrating over 2 trillion pieces of geographic, disaster, meteorological, and insurance data, combined with meteorological disaster models, satellite remote sensing, machine learning, and other technologies. These tools provide intelligent risk control services such as disaster early warning, risk screening, and catastrophe risk management. In 2024, the DRS 3.0 issued 10.55 billion early warning messages, providing pre-disaster early warnings to 67.34 million individuals and enterprises. In healthcare, Ping An’s independently developed AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment system currently covers the diagnostic knowledge of over 2,000 diseases, with an accuracy rate of over 99% in triage – guiding patients to the appropriate medical department – and an assisted diagnosis accuracy rate of over 95%.

3.    Continuously developing green finance to support the low-carbon transformation of industries: Ping An regards green finance as a systematic initiative, supporting green development and industrial transformation through insurance, lending, investment, and other products and services. In 2024, Ping An’s green insurance premium income reached RMB58,608 million, a year-on-year increase of nearly 57%. The balance of green loans was RMB157,762 million, a year-on-year increase of 13%, and the scale of insurance fund green investment was RMB124,712 million. As an extension and expansion of green finance, transition finance has become a key driving force for promoting industrial upgrading and stable economic operations. Ping An is actively responding to this trend, increasing its support for transition finance and emerging low-carbon technologies. As of the end of 2024, Ping An Bank had cumulatively issued RMB440 million in project loans for carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology (CCUS) to Baotou Iron and Steel Group; and cumulatively issued approximately RMB3.44 billion in project loans for the Coal Grading Clean and Efficient Conversion Project to Yulin Chemical Co. Ltd.

4.    Leveraging integrated financial advantages to promote inclusive financial development: Ping An is committed to improving the accessibility of financial services, providing broader protection and support for micro and small enterprises and low-income groups. In 2024, Ping An Property & Casualty added 304 new inclusive insurance products to further expand the scope of protection. Ping An Life Insurance launched low-premium rural insurance products, covering accidental risks such as transportation and natural disasters, and the product provided protection for 42,000 customers throughout the year. Ping An Bank issued loans of  RMB160,224 million to micro and small enterprises, with a loan balance of RMB 506,331 million in 2024. It also issued 63,000 Rural Revitalization Debit Cards. As of the end of 2024, Ping An Property & Casualty had provided over RMB220 trillion in full-risk protection for nearly 2.4 million micro and small enterprises, with over 900,000 claims processed, worth nearly RMB4 billion. Ping An Bank had cumulatively served 782,000 micro and small enterprise loan customers, and issued nearly 260,000 cards.

5.    Operating carbon emissions decreased by 8% year-on-year, accelerating towards the 2030 carbon neutrality goal: Ping An identifies and assesses climate change-related risks and opportunities, conducts climate risk scenario analysis, and formulates response measures and transformation plans. In 2024, the company actively promoted energy conservation and carbon reduction, with total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the year at 439,291 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), a year-on-year decrease of 8%. Among them, Scope 1 (direct GHG emissions) was 28,158 tCO2e, a year-on-year decrease of 22%. Scope 2 (energy-related indirect GHG emissions) was 342,193 tCO2e, a year-on-year decrease of 8%. In 2024, Ping An purchased a total of 11,612 megawatt-hours (MWh) of green electricity, avoiding nearly 6,800 tCO2e emissions. Scope 3 (paper use and employee travel) was 68,941 tCO2e emissions, about the same as in 2023. As of the end of 2024, Ping An’s self-developed employee carbon account platform covered 180,000 employees, recording 2.26 million carbon reduction actions, achieving an emission reduction contribution of approximately 23,662 tCO2e. In the field of green buildings, Ping An has 30 building projects that have obtained domestic and foreign green and healthy building certifications, of which 10 buildings have obtained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold and above certification.

6.    Protecting consumer rights and privacy, exploring an aging-friendly service model: In 2024, Ping An updated its Policy Statement on Privacy Protection (2024) and Policy Statement on Information Security (2024), conducted special audits on consumer rights protection, and tracked the rectification of problems found in the previous year, ensuring a rectification rate of 100%. Targeting the senior population, Ping An is exploring the “aging-friendly” service model. Actions include installing anti-collision corners in the basic infrastructure of service counters, setting up rest areas for the elderly, and providing equipment such as wheelchairs, walking sticks, reading glasses, and medicine kits for a more friendly service environment for the elderly. Ping An also provides an exclusive service hotline for customers over 60 years old. Through the service hotline, senior customers can directly reach the dedicated customer service with one click, enjoying convenient and caring services. In addition, Ping An continues to explore digital methods such as intelligent voice assistants and simplified mobile app interfaces to help elderly customers cross the digital divide.

7.    Focusing on employee development and protection, with satisfaction increasing for two consecutive years: Ping An is committed to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of employees, helping employees grow through salary incentives and training, and achieving the common development of employees and the company. In 2024, Ping An updated the Statement on Employee Rights (2024), improving its employee protection mechanism. As of the end of 2024, Ping An had 273,053 employees. Female employees accounted for 51%, and in senior management, female personnel accounted for 36%. To encourage retention of core talent, Ping An implemented the Core Personnel Stock Ownership Plan and the Long-term Service Plan. As of the end of 2024, 103,610 employees participated in the plans, covering 38% of employees. For employee training and development, Ping An cooperated with educational institutions to introduce high-quality courses. In 2024, the Group invested RMB956 million in training, and employees benefitted from an average of 49 hours of training each. In addition, Ping An conducts satisfaction surveys for all employees every year. In 2024, the overall employee satisfaction reached 90 points, steadily improving for two years in a row. With excellent talent development and management practices, Ping An ranked 318th globally and second in the Chinese financial industry in Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2024.

8.    Strengthening information security management and building an AI ethics system: Ping An continues to improve its information security management system and is promoting the construction of an artificial intelligence (AI) ethics system. In 2024, the Group, together with its member companies, completed 67 security emergency drills, covering 11 emergency scenarios such as ransomware, anti-DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks, and phishing emails. It carried out database backup recovery drills and cross-regional joint disaster recovery exercises, effectively improving the Group’s emergency response capabilities for information security. Throughout the year, more than 30 information security training sessions were conducted, focusing on eight major risk scenarios, such as personal information leakage, data outsourcing, phishing emails, and third-party personnel management. The training pass rate was 100%. Ping An has maintained information security management system certifications for many years. As of the end of 2024, Ping An’s ISO/IEC 27001 certification coverage rate reached 93%. In addition, in terms of AI governance, Ping An follows five ethical principles: people-oriented; human autonomy; safe and controllable; fair; and just, open and transparent. It issued the Policy Statement on AI Ethics Governance (2022), and aims to scientifically manage the development and application of AI to ensure that technological innovation meets ethical and moral standards.

9.    Actively fulfilling social responsibility and enhancing community influence: In 2024, Ping An provided over RMB52 billion in rural industrial revitalization assistance funds, provided free physical examinations for 6,859 villagers, held 29 lectures on chronic diseases science, upgraded 45 rural clinics, and held 45 free medical consultation sessions in rural areas. Ping An also encouraged employees to devote themselves to public welfare projects. As of the end of 2024, there were more than 490,000 employee and agent volunteers, who participated in voluntary blood donation, educational public welfare, emergency disaster relief, and other public welfare actions.

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10. Outstanding performance recognized by international rating agencies and capital markets: In 2024, Ping An was awarded an AA rating in the MSCI ESG rating, ranking first in the Asia-Pacific region in the multi-line insurance and brokerage industry for three consecutive years. It was rated “Low Risk” in the Sustainalytics ESG rating, with a score of 15.6, the best score among insurance companies in Chinese mainland. It was selected for the S&P Global’s “Sustainability Yearbook 2024 (China Edition)”, the only insurance company included in mainland China. In addition, Ping An has been selected as a constituent stock of the FTSE4Good index series for five years and has been a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index Series for 14 years.

Sustainable development is a cornerstone of Ping An’s long-term strategy. The Group will continue to deepen the “integrated finance + health and senior care” technology-driven strategy, using technological innovation to create a competitive advantage in service. It will provide customers with all-around professional financial advisory, family doctor, and senior care concierge services, enabling customers to enjoy “worry-free, timesaving, and money-saving” services experience, and it will continue to create long-term, stable, and sustainable value for customers, employees, shareholders, and society.

[1] Based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

For details of the report, please click here.

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEx:2318 / 82318; SSE:601318) is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. It strives to become a world-leading provider of integrated finance, health and senior care services. Under the technology-driven “integrated finance + health and senior care” strategy, the Group provides professional “financial advisory, family doctor, and senior care concierge” services to its 242 million retail customers. Ping An advances intelligent digital transformation and employs technologies to improve financial businesses’ quality and efficiency and enhance risk management. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. As of the end of December 2024, Ping An had more than RMB12 trillion in total assets. The Group ranked 29th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2024 and 53rd in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2024. 

For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn – PING AN.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ping-an-releases-2024-sustainability-report-302421824.html

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Okto Becomes Go-To DeFi Trading App in Korea with Hyperliquid Spot & Futures Integration, HyperEVM launching soon

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BANGALORE, India, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Okto, the mobile frontend for Hyperliquid, has rapidly emerged as the preferred choice for Korean crypto investors, offering seamless access to Hyperliquid’s Spot and Futures markets — all within a single, self-custodial mobile interface. With deep liquidity, low slippage, and advanced trading infrastructure, Hyperliquid has become one of the most powerful decentralized trading venues. Okto acts as its mobile front end, combining CEX-like performance with the security and control of self-custody, allowing Korean traders to experience the full power of DeFi without friction.

“Korean investors are leading the next wave of DeFi adoption,” said Rohit Jain, Head of DeFi Initiatives at Okto. “The rise in perpetual and spot trading activity on the Hyperliquid-powered Okto app is proof that the region is embracing decentralized markets — not as an alternative, but as the future. With self-custody at the core and institutional-grade liquidity, Okto is helping redefine how Korean trades.”

Okto’s Futures trading went live in February 2024, followed by the recent launch of Spot trading — marking yet another major milestone in the app’s rapid evolution. “We envision Okto as the ‘Phantom’ of Hyperliquid — the most seamless and secure mobile gateway for decentralized trading,” said Rohit Jain. “As the leading mobile app for Hyperliquid, Okto was the first to integrate both Futures and Spot trading, and will soon be the first to bring HyperEVM assets and dApps directly to users. With this, we anticipate exponential growth in adoption over the next 2–3 years.”

Key Features:

  • Hyperliquid-Optimized Design: Okto is tailored to integrate seamlessly with Hyperliquid’s advanced tools, allowing traders to manage their positions effortlessly across both spot and futures wallets. The one-click deposit feature to the Hyperliquid Spot wallet eliminates prior steps required for transactions on Hyperliquid.
  • Cross-Chain Trading: With Okto’s powerful chain abstraction, users can seamlessly deposit and manage assets across 5+ blockchain networks — including Solana, Ethereum, Polygon, and more — all within a single app. Thanks to the Okto Layer, a robust middleware that abstracts away Web3 complexities, traders can now bring assets in and out of Hyperliquid with just one click. This unlocks true cross-chain trading at scale, maximizing opportunities without the friction of manual bridging or multiple wallets.
  • Enhanced Security & Control: Okto offers a self-custodial wallet, providing users full control over their assets. Secure, gasless transactions and social login options enhance user convenience.
  • Smart Notifications: Receive real-time alerts for price movements, trade execution, and market updates, ensuring traders never miss important opportunities.
  • Optimized Mobile Experience: Designed with a mobile-first approach and CEX like experience, Okto eliminates friction in decentralized trading by offering real-time portfolio tracking and one-click cross-chain swaps, giving users greater flexibility.

Okto is revolutionizing mobile DeFi trading, making institutional-grade DEX trading accessible directly from users’ mobile devices. Whether a seasoned trader or a DeFi newcomer, Okto offers a secure, intuitive, and rewarding platform to access Hyperliquid’s full potential.

About Okto

The Okto ecosystem aims to simplify Web3 for everyone. At its core, it is a chain abstraction, and orchestration layer designed to simplify blockchain development. By offering web2-like modular APIs to help both new developers and experienced teams to build efficiently on the blockchain.

Okto ecosystem is experienced by 20Mn+ users while under development in the pre mainnet phase. Key components include the Okto Chain, Okto SDK, Okto wallet and Okto partners ecosystem.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2625238/5179517/Okto_Logo.jpg

 

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Investment of Approx. USD 4.5 Million in Development of Diagnostics for Tuberculosis to Partners Including Fujirebio and University Hospital Heidelberg

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TOKYO, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today an investment of approximately JPY 679 million (USD 4.5 million1) for the development of diagnostics for tuberculosis, in addition to an investment of approximately JPY 15.9 million (USD 0.1 million1) for a drug discovery project for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.2 

Investment of approximately JPY 679 million (USD 4.5 million1) for the development of diagnostics for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious infectious disease, with approximately 10.8 million cases and 1.25 million deaths reported in 2023, making it the leading causes of death from a single infectious agent.3 The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a target to end TB by 2030, but achieving this goal requires accurate and accessible diagnostic technologies. Current TB tests face challenges such as low sensitivity, high costs, complexity, and the need for specialized equipment and sputum samples, making them unsuitable for all patients. In particular, children, people with conditions who cannot produce sputum, and those in resource-limited settings often struggle to receive timely diagnoses, causing the continued spread of the disease. To address this issue, the GHIT Fund has decided to invest approximately JPY 679 million (USD 4.5 million1) towards a new TB diagnostic development project by US-based diagnostic developer Fluxus, Inc., 4 in partnership with Fujirebio, Inc., a developer of clinical diagnostics in Japan,4 and Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany.

This project will leverage Fluxus’ cutting-edge ultrasensitive detection technology to develop and validate a urine-based TB biomarker lipoarabinomannan (LAM) assay on its automated benchtop immunoassay analyzer. Additionally, the project will design and develop critical components for a portable, ultrasensitive point-of-care (PoC) system that integrates the urine LAM test. This advanced technology will enable rapid, accurate, and accessible diagnosis across a broader patient population, contributing to improved clinical outcomes and reduced transmission.

In addition, the GHIT Fund will invest approximately JPY 15.9 million (USD 0.1 million1) in a screening project against Chagas disease and leishmaniasis by Kitasato University, Nagasaki University, University of Tokyo, and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

Please refer to Appendix 1 for detailed descriptions on these projects and their development stages.

As of March 31, 2025, the GHIT Fund has invested in 36 projects, including 15 discovery projects, 12 preclinical projects, and 9 clinical trials.5 The total amount of investments since 2013 is JPY 38.2 billion (USD 255 million1) (Appendix 2).

1 USD1 = JPY149.53, the approximate exchange rate on March 31, 2025.
2 These awarded projects were selected and approved as new investments from among proposals to RFP2023-002 and RFP2024-001 for the Product Development Platform and the Screening Platform, which were open for applications from June 2023 to July 2024.
3 WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis
4
 Fluxus, Inc. and Fujirebio, Inc. are members of Fujirebio.
5 This number includes projects in the registration phase.

The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership (PPP) fund that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world’s vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases.
https://www.ghitfund.org/en

Appendix 1. Project Details

ID: G2023-204

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Project Title

Ultrasensitive Detection of Urine LAM for Point-of-Care Rapid Diagnosis of All Forms
of Tuberculosis

Collaboration

Partners

1. Fluxus, Inc. (USA)

2. Fujirebio, Inc. (Japan)

3. Heidelberg University Hospital (Germany)

Disease

Tuberculosis

Intervention

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Diagnostics

Stage

Product Design, Product development

Awarded Amount

JPY 679,783,110 (USD 4.54 million)

Status

New project

Summary

[Project objective]

To develop a prototype portable point-of-care (PoC) system and integrated ultrasensitive
assay for detection of Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine. The test will be benchmarked
to a fully-validated ultrasensitive urine LAM assay being developed on Fluxus’
automated benchtop immunoassay analyzer.

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[Project design]
The project objectives will be achieved by performing the following Specific Aims: 1)
Complete development and validation of an ultrasensitive urine LAM assay on an
existing benchtop immunoassay analyzer. This essay will be adapted and transferred to a
stable and cost-effective PoC cartridge format. 2) Design and development of critical
components for a portable, ultrasensitive PoC system, with functional cartridge and prototype PoC LAM assay.

Project Detail

https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/240/en

ID: S2024-122

Project Title

Searching for Chagas disease therapeutic seed compounds from microbial cultures

Collaboration

Partners

1. Kitasato University (Japan)

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2. Nagasaki University (Japan)

3. University of Tokyo (Japan)

4. Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) (Switzerland)

Disease

Chagas disease / Leishmaniasis

Intervention

Drug

Stage

Screening

Awarded Amount

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JPY 15,945,864 (USD 106,639)

Status

New project

Summary

[Project objective]

The main objective of our proposed project is to identify novel T. cruzi active scaffolds
meeting GHIT/DNDi hit criteria and amenable for further development by screening
microbial cultured broths with a natural product chemistry approach. We aim at
characterizing at least five T. new chemical templates unprecedently associated with T.
cruzi
activity over an 18-month work period. We will also opportunistically evaluate the
anti-Leishmania donovani activity of any antichagasic agent to be identified in the course
of the project.

 

[Project design]
In this project, three academic institutions (Kitasato University, Nagasaki University, and
the University of Tokyo) and DNDi will utilize their expertise to identify at least five
seed compounds for Chagas disease therapeutics produced by microorganisms in a one-
and-a-half-year research period. The seed compounds for Chagas disease therapeutics to
be identified during the project will also be assessed for their activity against Leishmania
donovani
, which causes visceral leishmaniasis, to verify their drug potential.

Project Detail

https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/241/en

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*All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD1 = JPY149.53, the approximate exchange rate on March 31, 2025.

Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of March 31, 2025)

Investments to date
Total investments: 38.2 billion yen (USD 255 million1)
Total invested projects: 136 (36 active projects and 100 completed projects)

To learn more about the GHIT Fund’s investments, please visit
Investment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/en
Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/en
Advancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/en
Clinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en 

For more information, contact:
Katy Lenard at +1-301-280-5719 or klenard@burness.com
Mina Ohata at +81-36441-2032 or mina.ohata@ghitfund.org

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Fintech Pulse: Your Daily Industry Brief – April 22, 2025 (Fiserv, Circle, Braviant, ANNA Money & Shaype, Yubi)

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In today’s rapidly evolving financial technology landscape, incumbents and challengers alike are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible—from regional expansion and payments network advancements to credit infrastructure innovations and AI‑powered super apps. Here’s your concise yet comprehensive op‑ed–style rundown of the day’s most impactful developments.


1. Fiserv Plants Its Flag in the Heartland

Overview: Milwaukee‑based Fiserv has officially confirmed that it will invest $125 million to renovate two buildings on Aspiria campus in Overland Park, Kansas, establishing a 2,000‑employee regional headquarters by March 2030. The new hub, dubbed “Project Turtle,” will transform 427,000 sq ft of former Sprint space into a strategic fintech nexus.

Source: KSHB 41 Kansas City News

Analysis & Opinion:

  • Strategic Geography: Kansas City’s burgeoning tech talent pool and central U.S. location make Aspiria an ideal crossroads for Fiserv’s expansion, signaling that regional cost structures and quality‐of‐life factors are increasingly drawing fintech giants away from coastal hubs.

  • Talent & Economics: Pledging an average salary of $125,000, Fiserv’s commitment underscores the fierce competition for skilled technologists outside traditional metros. Local incentives—property tax rebates and clawback provisions—reflect how states are sharpening their playbooks to attract large fintech employers.

  • Implications for Fintech Clusters: As Fiserv’s new campus joins other high‑tech projects (e.g., Panasonic EV batteries in De Soto), the Kansas City area is rapidly becoming a Midwest fintech cluster, offering a blueprint for similar “second‑tier” cities vying for innovation dollars.


2. Circle Unveils a Global Payments Network on Stablecoins

Overview: Circle Internet Group announced the Circle Payments Network (CPN), a platform leveraging regulated stablecoins (USDC, EURC) to facilitate 24/7 real‑time settlement of cross‑border payments for banks, neo‑banks, and payment service providers. Governance partners include Santander, Deutsche Bank, Société Générale, and Standard Chartered.

Source: Press Release Hub

Analysis & Opinion:

  • Cross‑Border Friction Points: With traditional remittances still averaging >6% fees and multi‑day settlement times, CPN’s programmable rails promise to undercut correspondent‑bank fees and compliance bottlenecks, particularly in emerging markets.

  • Institutional Trust & Compliance: By imposing strict AML/CFT, licensing, and cybersecurity prerequisites, Circle addresses one of the biggest barriers to stablecoin adoption among regulated institutions—namely, the fear of regulatory backlash.

  • Developer Ecosystem: The modular API architecture invites third‑party integrations, foreshadowing an “app store” of financial workflows. This opens new revenue streams for Circle and positions CPN as a foundational layer for decentralized finance (DeFi) interoperability among legacy institutions.


3. Braviant Charts a New Course for Financial Access

Overview: Braviant Holdings, marking its 10th anniversary in consumer credit innovation, has unveiled a multi‑pronged strategy to deepen partnerships with investors, lenders, vendors, and service providers, aiming to broaden access to alternative credit for the underbanked.

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Source: PR Newswire

Analysis & Opinion:

  • Underbanked Market Focus: With the FDIC estimating 51.1 million underbanked U.S. adults and 33% of consumers sporting non‑prime credit scores, Braviant’s data‑driven underwriting and digital borrowing experience could finally bridge gaps left by traditional scoring models.

  • Strategic Alliances: By courting a wider circle of financial service providers, Braviant looks to embed its analytics engine into partner workflows—transitioning from a standalone lender to a B2B2C platform.

  • Sustainable Growth vs. Regulatory Scrutiny: As regulatory bodies intensify oversight of alternative lenders, transparency in Braviant’s innovative analytics will be as crucial as technological prowess in securing long‑term viability.


4. ANNA Money & Shaype Launch Australia’s First AI‑Powered Finance “Super App”

Overview: UK‑based ANNA Money, in partnership with embedded finance provider Shaype, has rolled out the first AI‑driven “business finance super app” tailored for Australian Pty Ltd companies. The platform consolidates banking, tax (IAS/BAS) prep, expense tracking, company formation, and corporate cards into a single interface.

Source: IBS Intelligence, PR Newswire

Analysis & Opinion:

  • End of Fragmented Workflows: SMEs have long cobbled together disparate tools—accounting software, bank portals, expense apps—resulting in data silos. ANNA’s unified approach can slash admin time and elevate financial visibility.

  • AI‑Driven Decisioning: Real‑time transaction categorization and predictive cash‑flow insights give business owners a 24/7 financial co‑pilot, potentially reducing reliance on external advisors for routine tasks.

  • Embedded Finance Leapfrog: By leveraging Shaype’s infrastructure, ANNA bypasses lengthy integrations, showcasing how embedded finance partnerships accelerate time‑to‑market for super apps.


5. Yubi & Cockroach Labs Power Next‑Gen Credit Infrastructure

Overview: India’s leading lending‑tech platform Yubi has integrated CockroachDB to scale tenfold, unify its product suite, and support global expansion—while maintaining cloud neutrality.

Source: PR Newswire

Analysis & Opinion:

  • Scalability & Resilience: CockroachDB’s geo‑partitioning and horizontal scaling ensure Yubi can handle surges in transaction volumes without downtime—a critical factor for mission‑critical credit processes.

  • Compliance & Data Locality: As Yubi enters new jurisdictions, CockroachDB’s data‑locality controls help meet regional data‑sovereignty laws, reducing compliance risks for cross‑border lenders.

  • Strategic Infrastructure Decisions: This partnership signals a broader industry shift toward cloud‑neutral, distributed databases—prioritizing flexibility over vendor lock‑in and aligning with the multi‑cloud strategies of enterprise fintechs.


The Takeaway: A Fintech Mosaic in Motion

Today’s briefs underscore three core themes shaping 2025’s fintech narrative:

  1. Geographic Diversification: Fiserv’s move to Kansas and ANNA’s Australian launch illustrate that fintech growth is no longer siloed in legacy tech hubs.

  2. Programmable Money & Real‑Time Rails: Circle’s CPN and stablecoin rails are accelerating cross‑border flows, foreshadowing an era where money movement is as frictionless as email.

  3. Infrastructure & Data Strategy: From Braviant’s analytics to Yubi’s database overhaul, fintech leaders are doubling down on scalable, compliant, and intelligent back‑end systems to support rapid innovation.

As the industry matures, success will hinge not just on sleek front‑ends but on robust infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and regulatory foresight. Keep watching this space—tomorrow’s Pulse will bring you fresh insights.

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The post Fintech Pulse: Your Daily Industry Brief – April 22, 2025 (Fiserv, Circle, Braviant, ANNA Money & Shaype, Yubi) appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.

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