Celebrating a New FinTech Era and Innovation of Industry Experts
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 September 2023 – Organised by The Institute of Financial Technologists of Asia (IFTA), the IFTA FinTech and Innovation Awards 2022/2023 (IFTA Awards) Presentation Ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Productivity Council yesterday (25 September). Officiated the ceremony was the Guest of Honour Mr Joseph Chan JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury of the Hong Kong SAR Government. A total of 22 corporate winners and 9 individuals / teams were commended with an award. OPENHIVE scooped the Best FinTech of the Year Award while the Best FinTech of the Year – Startup Award went to Reimagine Cyberbay Limited.In its fifth edition this year, IFTA has selected “Game Changers: The Rise of Next Gen FinTech” as the theme of the Awards in response to the wide uptake of artificial intelligence and chatbot technology, with the aim of honouring individuals and teams who have fuelled the development and adoption of FinTech, and motivating innovations essential to drive Hong Kong into a new FinTech era.
Mr Joseph Chan JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury of the Hong Kong SAR Government shared in his speech, “The Hong Kong SAR Government is committed to promoting Fintech as a means to enhance the overall competitiveness of the financial services sector. Our strategy is multi-pronged – enhancing Fintech infrastructure, promoting Hong Kong’s Fintech competitiveness internationally, launching support schemes to incentivise innovative financial services, nurturing Fintech talent, and fostering a regulatory environment conducive to local innovation and cross-boundary collaboration. May the innovative spirit of all winners continue to blaze new trails in the Fintech landscape.”
Mr Wilson Kwok, Founder and Vice Chairman of IFTA mentioned, “In an era where technological applications grow and are adopted at an exponential rate, FinTech evolution has become the driving force of the future. Digital technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain and the internet of things have revolutionised human activities in multiple ways. Innovative adoption of technology in finance has also re-defined workflow and processes related to trading, banking, transactions, investments, risk management and more. We must stay ahead of the curve or risk being left behind. We look forward to more innovations to come at the next edition of the Awards.”
Dr Dorothy Chau, IFTA Awards Head Juror said, “This year we have introduced new ‘Cybersecurity and Data Protection’ award category to recognize companies which have contributed to cybersecurity. This addition reflects the evolving landscape of our industry and the importance of cybersecurity and inclusion in driving innovation. My congratulations go to all winners. Your achievements have not only pushed the boundaries of what is possible in FinTech but have also elevated Hong Kong’s reputation as one of the world’s leading financial centres.”
Response to the Awards was enthusiastic with over 29 nominations received under 14 different categories, including 10 corporate awards for Asia region and 4 individual awards. The highlight of this year was the Best FinTech of the Year Award which was scooped by OPENHIVE, a new technology brand that specializes in enterprise-grade solutions for multiparty data collaboration, AI, and privacy technology, allowing multiple parties to collaborate on modelling and data analysis while preserving the privacy and security of their data. A new start-up Reimagine Cyberbay Limited was awarded Best FinTech of the Year – Start-up Award. Established in 2022, Cyberbay is the first crowdsourcing all-in-one bug bounty marketplace platform in Hong Kong, aiming to connect corporates and cybersecurity researchers via crowdsourced bug bounty service to provide undisrupted and cost-effective cybersecurity checking solution to safeguard corporate business digital assets.
Results of IFTA FinTech and Innovation Awards 2022/2023:
Corporate Achievements – FinTech Solutions
| Regulatory Tech | |
| Platinum | VerifyVASP |
| Insurance Tech | |
| Gold | Prudential Hong Kong Limited |
| Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and CEP (Cryptoasset Exchange Providers) | |
| Platinum | Forms Syntron Information (HK) Limited |
| Payment Tech | |
| Gold | LAB Pay Solutions Limited |
| Banking Tech | |
| Diamond | Openhive |
| Gold | Hang Seng Bank Limited |
| Gold | One Financial Technology Limited |
| Silver | Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited |
| Wealth Tech | |
| Platinum | Manulife Investment Management |
| Gold | CASH Wealth Management Limited and CASH Quant Finance Lab Limited |
| Metaverse, NFT, And DeFi (Decentralised Finance) | |
| Platinum | Muverse HK Limited Muverse |
| Silver | DAEM Technology Limited |
| Cybersecurity and Data Protection | |
| Diamond | Reimagine Cyberbay Limited |
| Platinum | Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited |
| PropTech | |
| Gold | MOVA |
Outstanding Financial Technologists of the Year
| Leader of the Year | |
| Excellence | Qupital Limited – Mr Winston Wong |
| Merit | Quanzhou Jintong Information Technology Co., Ltd – Dr Hong ZhiLing |
| Rising Star of the Year | |
| Excellence | HKUST Web3.0 Labs – Mr Stan Ying |
| Star in the Making | |
| Merit | Fintech Foxes– Miss Ayazhan Kadessova |
| Merit | GreenChain – Miss Lee Yuk Ching |
| Merit | Hong Kong Baptist University Trust Credit – Mr Liu Junkang |
| Merit | InsurEasy – Mr NUNAYON Medeba Samuel |
| Merit | The University of Hong Kong – Mr Wong Wing Lam |
| Team of the Year | |
| Excellence | Bank of East Asia, Limited & Openhive |
Honorary Awards
| FinTech with ESG Initiative of the Year | |
| Diamond | BlueOnion Limited |
| Diamond | On-us Company Limited |
| Best User Experience Application of the Year | |
| Diamond | Quanzhou Jintong Information Technology Co., Ltd |
| Honorary FinTech Education & Talent Development Awards | |
| Diamond | Hong Kong Baptist University Master of Science in Finance (FinTech and Financial Analytics) Programme |
| Diamond | Hong Kong Metropolitan University |
Please click here to download high-resolution pictures.
Photo Caption
Photo 1: Mr Joseph Chan JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury of the Hong Kong SAR Government delivered speech
Photo 2: Group photo with Founder of IFTA, Guest of Honour (From left to right: Mr Wilson Kwok, Founder and Vice Chairman of IFTA; Mr Joseph Chan JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury of the Hong Kong SAR Government; Mr Paul Pong, Founder and Chairman of IFTA)
Hashtag: #IFTA
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About IFTA
The Institute of Financial Technologists of Asia (IFTA) is a non-profit organization established in Hong Kong in September 2017. Our main goals are to elevate the professional standards of financial technology in Asia, drive fintech education, and cultivate talent for the industry. Building upon the collaboration between IFTA, the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF), and the launch of the Certified FinTech Practitioner (CFP) program last year, we have developed certification requirements for financial technology professionals this year, known as the Certified Financial Technologist (CFT) designation. Our vision is to expand the reach of financial and technology courses to Mainland China, Taiwan, and other regions in Asia. In addition to our comprehensive courses, IFTA organizes a wide range of activities, including seminars, Fintech Awards, and workshops, to promote the development of fintech, nurture professionals, and encourage participation from government bodies, regulatory agencies, universities, corporations, and startups.
Services
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Stakeholder mapping, analysis, engagement and communication needs to be detailed to avoid business losses or even worse, a crisis. How can you do this effectively to prevent failure? ...
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Data-driven business decisions have never been as crucial, especially in this era. MGBF leverages off, technology, experience and market presence to aid businesses in making accurate decisions. ...
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
MGBF provides comprehensive strategic advice and results-focused solutions to solve clients' problems in business-government relations so they can focus on their core business. ...
BUSINESS & BROADER MARKET ACCESS
A critical business challenge is meeting the right decision-makers and potential buyers through the best channel and platform. How will you improve your business competency? ...
Upcoming Events
‘A WORKING LUNCH WITH NORDIN’: NATIONWIDE TOUR WITH TOYOTA
MGBF founding chairman Nordin Abdullah and UMW Toyota president Datuk Ravindran K. will delve into the convergence of automotive innovation and environmental sustainability in Penang, Sarawak, Johor and Pahang.
MGBF Roundtable: Digitalisation of the Food and Beverage Industry
Hosted by menumiz™ – an end-to-end restaurant management system – this roundtable will feature a case study presentation and a panel session to discuss the latest digital trends, challenges, and opportunities within the food and beverage sector.
THE SOUTH CHINA SEA: A THREAT OF DISRUPTION FOR BUSINESS?
In this episode of 'A Working Lunch with Nordin', MGBF's founding chairman, Nordin Abdullah, will host this discussion focusing on the biggest threats and opportunities for businesses as we look to manage change in the South China Sea.
FOOD SECURITY IN THE BREACH: INDUSTRIALISATION AND WEAPONISATION
This MGBF Roundtable will focus on regional food security issues and trends in the regional supply chain, and trade regulations and policies, including a new geopolitical tool i.e., weaponisation of supply chains.
MGBF In The News
Planet QEOS, KIS BlOCNG San Bhd, and the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) have officially signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework aimed at producing bio-hydrogen via the Steam Biomethane Reforming (SBMR) Process. The MoU was signed by Planet QEOS executive chairman Dino […]
Planet QEOS and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) are interested in investing RM10 billion to co-develop advanced Megawatt peak (MWp) agrovoltaic in Baram, to further boost Sarawak’s green energy initiative and food security. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was briefed on Friday by both the […]
Last week SPM results came out, 373,974 aspirants who have been waiting patiently over the last few months would now know their fate. Some 10,109 have received all A’s, the golden standard of academic success and the ticket to those looking to study the “more advanced” subjects in university. Proudly, […]
The classic knee-jerk reaction is to say, fire the coach, change the leadership of associations, and reduce the funding till they start performing better. This kind of negative reinforcement may work for kindergarten children, but we are dealing with high-performance adults – individuals much further along in their psychological and […]
Since its earliest tea plantations in 1929, Cameron Highlands has grown to become a key player in the agricultural landscape of Malaysia, producing 40 per cent of all vegetables grown. Despite Malaysia shifting its economic focus away from agriculture, the industry remains imperative for food security and the livelihoods of […]
Although at first glance the travel industry and the agricultural sector appear to have nothing in common, they actually share more than meets the eye. The economic benefits of tourism to the agricultural sector can be multiplied several times over. “Tourism brings the end consumers closer to the source, which […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) recently held a high-level roundtable themed ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’, attended by industry leaders and business associations. The guest of honour was Yang Berhormat Syerleena Abdul Rashid, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Bendera in Penang. The MP’s Special Session […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) will be hosting a roundtable on ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’ on 23 February 2023. It is the culmination of the first three MGBF Exclusive Roundtable Series titled ‘The Evolving Threat Matrix in the Digital Economy’ held throughout 2022. According to the […]
The Founding Chairman of the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF), Nordin Abdullah, today spoke on Bernama TV’s leading English talk show, The Brief, hosted by Jessy Chahal, on the topic of a stable political reality and what that means for the Malaysian economy. Nordin said, “The first thing that it […]
More than 1,100 years ago, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was developing the mathematical formulas that we know today as algorithms which now have become so intertwined with the business fortunes of global media giants and the very fabric of geopolitics. A series of recent high level international reports have revealed […]
KSK Land has been recognised by the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) for its role in attracting high net-worth individuals to Malaysia post-pandemic. The first challenge in investor attraction is “selling” the country. In the context of Asia, Malaysia is competing with some very established investment destinations. The second […]
Malaysia, in particular Kuala Lumpur, continues to position itself as a regional centre to do business, educate a family and enjoy a global lifestyle. One company, KSK Land, has taken the lead in positioning itself and the city of Kuala Lumpur as a property investment destination for the global citizen […]
The upcoming budget represents an opportunity to build resilience in the critical sectors that will form the backbone of the country’s future-facing economic ambitions. This however needs to be achieved in the context of managing the community sectors most impacted by COVID-19 over the past two years. The Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 July 2022 – As the global economy continues to deal with unprecedented levels of disruption caused by the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the convergence of energy security and food security issues has become a front-of-mind issue faced by policy makers and consumers alike. […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 23 June 2022 — Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) ties up with scoutAsia to ensure that businesses are equipped with deeper regional insights. The past two years has seen a massive shift in the way businesses are conducted with digitisation, digitalisation and automation continuously being adopted to improve […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 May 2022 – The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)’s exclusive roundtable on ‘Security Concerns in Critical Value Chains’ was held in a hybrid setting yesterday at the Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The guest of honour was Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, former minister of […]
