ReleaseWire Connect

The tech investment platform Angelhub has secured new funding to accelerate its deployment in tech companies, expand the corporate partnership ecosystem of its sister company Whub, and drive growth on a global level. In total, the platform has managed to raise $3 million from Animoca Brands and its existing investor Kharis Capital. Animoca Brands is based in Hong Kong and is focused on improving democratisation of investment in blockchain companies. The partnership between Angelhub and Animoca Brands is designed to help generate a higher volume of blockchain investment opportunities through the platform.

The outlook for 2022 is considerably brighter than the previous 12 months, despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic. Risk management data from 2021 has revealed that there is cause for optimism across Hong Kong and that recovery is underway. The financial outlook, for example, has been boosted by ongoing economic resurgence throughout 2021 with an increase in real GDP and a reduced unemployment rate.

Financial technology is gaining huge ground all across the Asia Pacific region. Now, a recent survey reveals just how much consumers are getting behind innovation in this area. The data revealed that 35% of Hong Kong citizens said that they were open to using cryptocurrencies or central digital bank currencies as a way to make payments in the next five years. The result indicates that cryptocurrencies are about to become a much more viable payment option than they have ever been in this part of the world. 12% of those who took part in the survey indicated that cryptocurrencies were likely to become their main method of payment in the coming years.

The Archegos collapse sent shockwaves across the industry, especially when the hedge fund entered a forced liquidation of more than $20 billion. For many across the sector this was a big warning sign as the problem had been caused by Archegos building up huge stakes in some stocks through swaps. The response to the scandal was varied across the world and the Hong Kong market regulator revealed this summer that it was developing new protection against something like this ever happening again.

The future looks bright for Hong Kong listed technology stocks, as they are currently on track to leave their mainland China counterparts for dust. Investors are being attracted to easing regulatory issues as well as cheaper valuations and the result is that HK tech stocks are outperforming China equivalents at a higher level than any time in the past three years. The Hang Seng Tech Index jumped by 10% in October while the ChiNet Index saw a gain of just 1.2%. Quantitative strategists across the world have already started to pick up that China's growth stocks are now very reasonably valued.

The costs of financial crime continue to rise globally and it often falls to institutions in the banking and financial services sector to bear the brunt of the financial loss. Fraudulent transactions at financial industry organisations can have a huge impact on everything, from business continuity to reputation and share price, whether that fraud is internal or external. Not only that but fraud is on the rise thanks to the wide range of availability of near-instant payment platforms.

Nordic Asset Management is opening a new ESG hub that is designed to service the Asia Pacific region. The firm's new venture will be its first based outside of its regular Nordic headquarters and is intended to allow Nordic to get closer to clients in this part of the world. The new hub will be made up of a group of ESG analysts, all of whom are going to be hired from a pool of local talent and integrated into the Nordics-based RI asset management team.

A national digital currency has been the theme for many countries in recent months and Hong Kong has now taken the first steps towards making this a reality. The Hong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued a whitepaper on the e-HKD looking at the design options and the architecture that could be put in place to make this happen. HKMA made it clear that the whitepaper is not a decision to launch a digital currency but to look into what might be required to bring it into being.

Technology is changing the way that businesses and economies function and that applies across the board today. Wall Street banks are the latest to make moves towards a more tech-driven future by accelerating efforts to use automation to take the "grunt work" out of the hands of juniors.

Compliance is a necessity that is globally recognised and there are plenty of internationally accepted definitions of what it really means for businesses to be compliant. However, a unique set of challenges exists for those working within global organisations who also need to be aware of, and on top of, what is happening on local and regional levels within the business. This is when the issue of compliance often shifts from being less about law and regulation and much more about an enterprise's compliance culture and how this topic should be approached on an organisation-wide level.