Neil Parekh Outlines GFTN Capital’s Global Growth Strategy at Singapore FinTech Festival

SINGAPORE, November 19, 2025 – At the Singapore FinTech Festival 2025, where global fintech leaders and policymakers converged to discuss the future of financial innovation, GFTN Capital stood out with two major announcements that signal a new era for the organisation. As the growth-equity arm of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a not-for-profit established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to connect regulators, financial institutions, and technology innovators, GFTN Capital has moved decisively into its next phase: becoming a global capital partner for the world’s most promising fintechs.

In an exclusive conversation with AsiaBizToday, Neil Parekh, Deputy Chairman of GFTN, explained why the creation of GFTN Capital was a natural evolution. When GFTN was formed last year, its leadership spent time consulting founders who had long been part of the FinTech Festival ecosystem. The feedback was clear: support at the growth stage — between early-stage venture capital and late-stage private equity — was still lacking. “Founders wanted us to be on their capital stack,” Parekh reflected. “They wanted support in scaling, expanding internationally, and navigating complex regulatory environments. That’s how GFTN Capital was born.”

Neil Parekh

Filling a Critical Gap in the Innovation Pipeline

This year at SFF, GFTN Capital unveiled its first major investment vehicle: the US$200 million GFTN Capital–SBI Holdings Global Innovation Fund, launched in partnership with Japan’s SBI Holdings and its investment arm, SBI Ven Capital. SBI, an early backer of companies such as Ripple and R3, brings deep expertise in emerging technologies and financial infrastructure. Parekh described the partnership as a “natural alignment” between two organisations that share a common philosophy on how the fintech industry should evolve. “We wanted a partner that understood the value of the ecosystem and the transformation underway,” he said. “SBI shared that vision completely.”

Unlike early-stage venture capital, the fund will focus on growth-stage fintechs working on AI, digital assets, tokenisation, cybersecurity, next-generation payments, and responsible or inclusive finance. Parekh emphasised that these are the segments where promising companies often struggle to find the right kind of capital. “This is not a startup fund. It’s not private equity. It fills the specific gap founders told us is most painful.”

The festival also saw a second major announcement: a strategic alliance between GFTN Capital and global nonprofit Accion to support fintechs delivering inclusive financial solutions to underserved communities. The collaboration includes plans to co-host the Responsible Finance Forum 2026 in Singapore. Parekh praised Accion’s industry-leading frameworks for measuring financial inclusion impact, noting that GFTN Capital intends to embed those standards into its own investment approach. “Accion has made impact measurement a science,” he said. “Their expertise will help ensure our capital is both commercially sound and socially meaningful.”

While GFTN operates across 130 markets, its natural strength lies in Asia Pacific, and Parekh expects the region — including India and the GCC — to be central to the first fund’s activity. At the same time, he stresses that GFTN Capital is designed to be global from day one, with the flexibility to pursue compelling opportunities wherever they emerge. Because the organisation operates within a regulated framework, expansion will be deliberate and disciplined, guided by where its ecosystem and partners can meaningfully add value.

Growth Opportunities

When discussing where fintech innovation is headed, Parekh refrained from naming winners but pointed to cybersecurity as one of the most compelling sectors of the coming decade. “We’re only in the second inning of a nine-inning game,” he said. He also underscored the transformative impact of AI across payments, wealthtech, regtech and digital assets, but reiterated that the real differentiator lies not in choosing sectors but in backing founders with vision, conviction and the ability to execute.

One of the most notable aspects of the SBI partnership is its structure. This is not a brand-plus-capital arrangement but a genuinely equal partnership. “It’s equal in every sense — sourcing deals, evaluating them, governance, and fundraising,” Parekh noted. Both organisations bring powerful LP networks, and both will shape the fund’s strategy and performance.

Singapore’s regulatory environment remains a central anchor for GFTN’s work. Parekh praised MAS for its “rock solid” stability and clarity. “In a world where regulations flip overnight, Singapore is consistent. That matters deeply when you’re making long-term investment decisions.” This consistency, paired with GFTN’s ability to operate at the intersection of policy, technology and capital, creates a unique vantage point from which to identify and support emerging opportunities worldwide.

Asked what message he has for founders at SFF, Parekh was unequivocal: GFTN Capital intends to be a long-term partner, not a transient investor. “We’ve watched many of these founders grow for nearly a decade,” he said. “The gap is in the middle, and we want to help them fulfil their potential.”

Reflecting on valuation cycles and market volatility, Parekh emphasised that discipline is essential. “What looks cheap can be a trap. What looks expensive may be misunderstood. We rely on deep sector knowledge, conviction and humility — always listening, never assuming we know everything.”

By SFF 2026, Parekh expects GFTN Capital to be substantially further along — with regulatory processes completed, investments underway, and a more developed portfolio to showcase. “These are regulated businesses, and licensing takes time,” he said. “But by next year, we expect to share significantly more progress.”

For now, the two announcements — the global innovation fund with SBI Holdings and the inclusive finance partnership with Accion — represent a milestone in GFTN Capital’s journey from ecosystem convener to capital provider. As the global fintech landscape evolves across AI, tokenisation, cybersecurity and digital inclusion, GFTN Capital aims to ensure that purpose-driven founders have the capital, partnerships and regulatory insight they need to build an interconnected, resilient and inclusive financial future.