Ant International weighs $1B raise ahead of Hong Kong IPO

Ant International Weighs $1 Billion Fundraise Ahead of Potential Hong Kong IPO

Ant Group’s international arm, Ant International, is considering raising roughly $1 billion to fuel its expansion, in a deal that could value the Singapore-based unit at $10 billion or more, according to people familiar with the matter.theedgemarkets

The fundraising discussions come as the company explores a potential initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, a move that would mark the most concrete step yet toward reviving a listing saga that began with Ant Group’s abruptly canceled $34.5 billion IPO in late 2020.bloomberg

Existing Backers in the Mix

General Atlantic and Silver Lake, both existing shareholders in Ant International, are among the prospective investors being approached for the round, though no final decisions have been made. The potential deal remains in its early stages, and terms could still change.theedgesingapore

Ant International was spun off from its parent Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba, and is now headquartered in Singapore. The unit operates three core businesses: Alipay+, a cross-border mobile payment network connecting over 150 million merchants globally; Antom, a merchant acquiring platform; and WorldFirst, a B2B financial services platform for small businesses.linkedin

Rapid Global Expansion

The company has been on an aggressive growth trajectory. In 2025, Ant International processed more than 2 billion cross-border transactions, and its Alipay+ network now spans over 100 markets across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Recent partnerships include a rollout of cross-border mobile payments in Chile and Argentina through regional processor PVS, and the launch of NFC payments at Mastercard-enabled merchants worldwide.time

Ant International has also signaled ambitions beyond payments. At a Reuters conference last year, the company said it was “seriously considering” stablecoin license applications in multiple jurisdictions.reuters

A Long Road Back to Public Markets

A successful fundraise could set the stage for a Hong Kong listing as early as this year. Ant Group had been in discussions with regulators about listing the international unit since at least early 2025, Reuters reported at the time, citing Chinese media outlet Caixin. Hong Kong has maintained its status as the world’s top IPO venue by funds raised in early 2026, providing a favorable backdrop.reuters

The path to this point has been winding. Ant Group’s original dual listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong was halted by Chinese regulators in November 2020, just days before trading was set to begin. A sweeping regulatory overhaul followed, and in 2023 Ant Group offered to buy back up to $6 billion in shares at a valuation of roughly $78.5 billion — about half its peak private valuation of $150 billion.youtube