Ant International

Ant International
TypePrivate
IndustryFinancial technology
Founded2023
Headquarters
Singapore
Key people
  • Peng Yang (CEO)
  • Douglas Feagin (President)
  • Leiming Chen (Chief Sustainability Officer)
Websitewww.ant-intl.com

Ant International is a Singapore-based financial technology company that provides digital payment, digitization, and financial services across international markets, including Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Ant International owns WorldFirst, which operates the World Pay payment service. World Pay is the official way for businesses outside of China to engage in e-commerce procurement on 1688.com.

History

Ant International was founded in 2023 as part of Ant Group’s initiative to expand its services beyond the Chinese mainland. It initially operated as the global business arm of Ant Group, focusing on digital payments and financial services in international markets.

In March 2024, Ant Group announced a restructuring of some of its operations into independently managed business units. As a result of this reorganization, Ant International became an independently operated company. Following its establishment, the company introduced several digital finance platforms and expanded its services globally.

In July 2026, Ant International raised US$1.2 billion in an equity funding round in which Ant Group and Alibaba Group participated. The company said the capital would support its global expansion in merchant payments, account management and other financial services for enterprises.

Subsidiaries

WorldFirst

WorldFirst was founded in 2004 in the United Kingdom with the aim of simplifying foreign-exchange processes for SMEs. Between 2007 and 2008, the company launched its online platform and expanded through e-commerce and corporate FX services.

WorldFirst began international expansion in 2009 with the opening of its first overseas office in Sydney, followed by additional offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands, Japan, and Korea between 2013 and 2016.

In 2019, WorldFirst became a part of Ant Group (formerly Ant Financial) and expanded its services across Asia and other emerging markets.

In 2024, Ant Group announced a reorganization of its operations, where WorldFirst moved into its international group.

In 2025, WorldFirst expanded into Thailand, and further secured a license from Bank Negara Malaysia to operate in Malaysia.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wency Chen,"Ant International issues first sustainability report after spin-off amid IPO speculation". South China Morning Post. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  2. ↑ "Pay 1688 Suppliers". WorldFirst AU. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "Ant Group's global unit pulls in US$3 billion in revenue ahead of spin-off". South China Morning Post. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "Ant Group Expands Singapore Presence and Launches Ant International Foundation". thedigitalbanker.com. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Ann Cao,"Ant Group expands Alipay into two business units in latest restructuring move". South China Morning Post. 24 December 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  6. ↑ "Ant International Launches First Sustainability Report and Framework". Fintech News Singapore. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Liu Ran and Denise Jia,"Ant International's First Sustainability Report Reveals Extent of Global Expansion and Fuels IPO Speculation". caixinglobal.com. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "Ant International raises $1.2 billion in global expansion push". Reuters. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "World First: The former car-plate seller who is racing ahead in forex". standard.co.uk. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  10. ↑ "WorldFirst Expands Cross-Border Financial Solutions to Southeast Asia, Boosting SME Growth in E-commerce". sme.asia. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "WorldFirst transactions soar on SME global trade". theasset.com. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Ant International's WorldFirst gets approval to provide payment services in Malaysia". technode.global. 8 August 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Ant Group's Global Unit Posts US$3 Billion Revenue Ahead of Planned Spinoff". fintechnews.sg. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  14. ↑ "Ant Group Expands Singapore Presence and Launches Ant International Foundation". thedigitalbanker.com. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "Ant International's WorldFirst Reports 300% Transaction Growth in Emerging MarketsWorldFirst enters Thailand to strengthen SME cross-border payments". thedigitalbanker.com. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.