Ant International raises $1.2bn to scale global payments and AI

By Milan Rojan

Ant International has raised approximately $1.2 billion in a Series A equity financing round to accelerate the expansion of its cross-border payments business and AI-powered financial technology solutions for enterprises and SMEs.

The funding round included participation from existing shareholders, including Ant Group and Alibaba Group, alongside several international investment institutions. The company said the capital will be used to support global growth and further investment in merchant payments, account management and inclusive financial services.

Operating independently since 2024, Ant International has expanded its presence across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Through its ecosystem of banking, card scheme, mobile payment and technology partners, the company connects more than 150 million merchants with over 2 billion user accounts worldwide.

The company’s operations are built around four business units—Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst and Bettr—which provide cross-border payment, treasury management, merchant acquiring and financial technology services. The latest funding is expected to strengthen these platforms while supporting the development of AI-enabled payment infrastructure and agentic commerce capabilities for businesses operating across multiple markets.

Ant International said the investment will also help enhance payment interoperability, enabling merchants to access a broader network of payment methods while improving operational efficiency through digital financial tools.

The company has increasingly focused on embedding AI into merchant payment, treasury and credit technology, aiming to simplify cross-border commerce and financial management for businesses of different sizes. It also continues to expand collaborations with financial institutions and payment providers to extend access to digital financial services globally.

The Series A financing marks one of the largest fundraising rounds in the global FinTech sector this year and reinforces investor confidence in the growing demand for digital payment infrastructure and AI-driven financial services supporting international trade and cross-border commerce.