Ant International Launches Sustainability Framework to Empower 100 Million Merchants and Drive Inclusive Growth
In a landmark move, Ant International, the newly independent entity spun off from Ant Group, has unveiled its Sustainability Framework in its first standalone Sustainability Report. This framework underscores the company’s commitment to fostering inclusive growth and re-globalisation through innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. With operations spanning over 30 offices worldwide and serving more than 100 million merchants, Ant International is poised to redefine global commerce by bridging digital divides and empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
A New Mission and Vision for a Transformative Era
2024 marks a pivotal year for Ant International as it embarks on its journey as an independent entity headquartered in Singapore. The company’s mission—to “make it easy to do business anywhere”—reflects its dedication to creating small and beautiful changes that benefit the world. Its vision is equally ambitious: to become the most innovative and trusted digital partner driving inclusive growth for all.
At a time when global economic turbulence, de-globalisation, and widening digital divides threaten progress, Ant International’s leadership has emphasized the urgent need for tech companies to double down on their social commitments. Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant International, stressed this point in his opening message: “We must ensure innovation works for the many, not the few, to build a truly inclusive and sustainable global economy for future generations.”
Yang Peng, CEO, and Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Through our sustainability efforts and practical technological innovation, we aim to champion a new era of re-globalisation—one that is more inclusive, equitable, and far-reaching.”
The 6T Principle: Anchoring Sustainability in Action
Ant International’s Sustainability Framework is built around six core areas, collectively known as the 6T Principles: Travel, Trade, Thrive, Technology, Talent, and Trust. These principles guide the integration of social value with business objectives, ensuring that every initiative contributes to inclusive growth.
Travel: Enabling Seamless Global Connections
Through Alipay+, Ant International has facilitated affordable and inclusive payment solutions for global travelers. Alipay+ connects over 1.7 billion user accounts via partnerships with 36 e-wallets and 6 national QR schemes. Notably, 90% of offline Alipay+ merchants are SMEs, underscoring the platform’s role in supporting small businesses.
Trade: Empowering Cross-Border Commerce
WorldFirst, Ant International’s cross-border business account service, has empowered over 1.2 million SMEs to expand into more than 200 markets. In 2024 alone, WorldFirst processed payments totaling approximately USD 100 billion across 100+ currencies, enabling SMEs to thrive in the global marketplace.
Thrive: Democratizing Technology for Underserved Communities
Ant International is committed to helping underserved communities thrive through advanced AI-powered fintech solutions. For instance:
- Falcon, a Time-Series Transformer (TST) FX model, assists SMEs in managing cross-border liquidity volatility with an impressive hourly demand prediction accuracy of over 90%.
- In emerging markets, ANEXT Bank and Ant Bank (Hong Kong) extended inclusive financial services, including lending, to over 15 million users, primarily SMEs.
Technology: Driving Open Innovation
Leveraging cutting-edge technology, Ant International accelerates digital transformation for merchants and partners. Antom Copilot, an AI payment assistant, reduces payment integration time by 90%, significantly lowering costs and improving efficiency for businesses.
Talent: Nurturing Local Growth
To address the growing demand for digital skills, Ant International launched the 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion Programme. Now in its seventh year, the program has trained 7,157 talents across 110 countries, equipping them with essential fintech and digital innovation expertise.
Trust: Strengthening Digital Resilience
Building a resilient digital ecosystem is central to Ant International’s strategy. The company collaborates with regulators, international organizations, and over 1,000 financial institutions to establish robust compliance structures and enhance AI security. Initiatives like anti-deepfake technology demonstrate Ant International’s commitment to fostering trust in the digital space.
Four Business Pillars: Powering Global Commerce
Ant International’s operations revolve around four key business units:
- Global E-Wallet Gateway Service (Alipay+): Facilitating seamless cross-border payments.
- Merchant Payment Service (Antom): Providing AI-driven payment solutions for merchants.
- Cross-Border Business Account Service (WorldFirst): Supporting SMEs in global trade.
- Embedded Finance Services: Offering treasury management and credit solutions through platforms like Bettr.
These pillars align closely with the company’s focus on innovation and collaboration with both public and private sectors to drive inclusive growth.
A Commitment to Re-globalisation
Ant International views re-globalisation as an opportunity to create a more equitable and interconnected world. By leveraging its Wallet Tech capabilities, the company has accelerated sustainable digital economic growth for 31 partners across 23 markets. Its AI-powered solutions continue to empower SMEs, reduce operational costs, and enhance security.
Global Recognition and Collaboration
The soft launch of Ant International’s Sustainability Report at the Point Zero Forum in Zurich in May 2025 garnered widespread acclaim. Sing Chiong Leong, Deputy Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), lauded the initiative, while Nan Li Collins, Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative, highlighted the critical need to bridge infrastructure gaps in developing countries.
About Ant International
With headquarters in Singapore and main operations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. Through collaboration across the private and public sectors, our unified techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth through a comprehensive range of cutting-edge digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.ant-intl.com/
