OCBC Indonesia and Ant International have announced a strategic partnership to provide embedded financial services to local SMEs.
The collaboration aims to enhance financial inclusion in one of Southeast Asia’s most active digital economies.
The initiative brings together OCBC’s experience with Indonesian SMEs and its customer network with Ant International’s capabilities in alternative data modelling, dynamic credit strategies, and automated credit decisions.
It is the first such collaboration in Indonesia between Ant International, a digital payments and financial technology provider, and a commercial bank.
According to both companies, the partnership could benefit thousands of small businesses across the country over the coming years.
Ant International said more than 90% of the merchants it serves globally are small and micro-sized enterprises.
The partnership builds on OCBC’s SME Embedded Financing programme, which provides loans to SME suppliers on B2B supply chain platforms in Singapore and Malaysia.
Since the initiative launched in 2023, the bank has disbursed nearly S$200 million in loans to SMEs in those countries by the end of 2024.
Linus Goh, Head of Global Commercial Banking, OCBC, said,
“We are excited to partner with Ant International in Indonesia, leveraging their transformative technology solutions in SME lending to expand our SME value proposition and reach within this fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia.
We believe this collaboration will help us to shape the future landscape of financial services in an increasingly digital marketplace in Indonesia, and importantly, to help us enable the aspirations and growth of our SME customers.”
Quan Yu, General Manager of Credit Services, Ant International, said,
“Indonesia’s energy and creativity are vividly reflected in its SME community. As digital transformation accelerates, financial solutions must be equally agile and visionary.
The partnership with OCBC, a trusted brand with deep local roots, highlights our shared commitment to deliver tech infused innovation that empowers business growth and support Indonesia’s sustainable future.”
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Indonesia, based on image by 3dhun via Freepik
