SEA fintech funding dips 4% in H1 despite Airwallex raise

Payments firm Airwallex raised $320m in its Series H funding round.

Financial technology (fintech) funding remained one of the top performing tech sectors in Southeast Asia although the money raised registered a slight dip in H1 2026.

Fintech funding fell by 4% year-on-year (YoY) to $685m during the period, according to data from Tracxn. It is also 3% lower compared to the $706m raised in H2 2025.

Notably, payments firm Airwallex raised $320m in its Series H funding round.

Singapore-based tech firms accounted for 94% of all startup funding seen by tech companies across Southeast Asia, at $6.9b.

Bangkok tech firms garnered $116m in funding, followed by Kuala Lumpur ($104m), Taguig ($60m), and Jakarta ($38.2m).

A study by CB Insights found that Asia accounted for 20% of all fintech funding deals in Q1 2026.

An earlier survey by Money 20/20 found that 53% of fintech firms expressed a positive outlook for the growth of open banking and embedded finance in Asia.