What To Know
- In the Philippines, it now provides small business financing in collaboration with SB Finance, while in Malaysia, users can send funds to countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
- Though headquartered in Singapore, Lightnet maintains a strong operational and strategic presence in Thailand, thanks to its Thai co-founders Chatchaval Jiaravanon of the CP Group and Tridbodi Arunanondchai, its current CEO.
Bangkok Startups News: As Southeast Asia’s digital economy surges forward, Thailand’s fintech ecosystem is quietly but steadily cultivating a new generation of powerful startups. While countries like Indonesia and Singapore boast a growing roster of fintech unicorns, Thailand’s financial landscape remains dominated by entrenched banking giants and a relatively cautious investor ecosystem. These factors have long made it difficult for homegrown fintech companies to scale into billion-dollar ventures.
But cracks in that ceiling are beginning to show. This Bangkok Startups News report explores how a new breed of fintech innovators is breaking through the limitations of traditional finance, reshaping digital transactions, and gaining traction not just locally but across the region. From payment platforms and SaaS accounting tools to AI-driven wealth management and cross-border remittance apps, these five standout startups are rewriting the fintech rulebook in 2025.
1.Omise – Building Infrastructure for a Borderless Payment World
Founded in Bangkok in 2013, Omise has evolved into a regional fintech leader offering comprehensive payment gateway solutions across Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States. Designed to simplify digital transactions for both SMEs and multinational corporations, Omise processes over USD 17 billion in annual payments and supports more than 23,000 merchants globally.
What truly sets Omise apart is its focus on developer-friendly integration and its upcoming AI-powered suite set to roll out this year. Features such as the Omise AI Assistant, Smart Routing for transaction optimization, and the Generative Dashboard will allow businesses to access real-time analytics, streamline workflows, and reduce operational risk. Backed by prominent investors such as Toyota Financial Services Corporation and SCB 10X, Omise is poised to scale even further, positioning itself as one of Thailand’s top fintech exports.
2. Money – From Wallet App to Fintech Powerhouse
Launched in 2013 as part of the Ascend Group, Ascend Money has risen to become Thailand’s first and only fintech unicorn. Operating under the TrueMoney brand, the company offers a financial super-app with products including digital wallets, prepaid cards, payment gateways, and international remittance services.
TrueMoney boasts a massive regional footprint, with over 50 million users and a network of 88,000 agents spanning Southeast Asia. Its latest USD 195 million Series D round further solidified its dominance. Even more significant, Ascend Money leads a consortium recently approved by the Bank of Thailand to establish one of the nation’s first digital banks—expected to go live in 2026.
TrueMoney continues to extend its reach. In the Philippines, it now provides small business financing in collaboration with SB Finance, while in Malaysia, users can send funds to countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Its cross-border vision and super-app model make it a clear contender for regional fintech dominance.
3.FlowAccount – Simplifying Finances for Thailand’s SME Backbone
Since 2015, FlowAccount has been on a mission to digitize the accounting headaches of Thailand’s small business sector. Its cloud-based platform delivers accounting, payroll, POS, document scanning, and financial service tools tailored specifically for Thai SMEs, freelancers, and startup founders.
Used by over 130,000 business customers, FlowAccount is mobile-friendly and integrates seamlessly with platforms like Kasikorn Bank’s K-Cash Connect Plus. The payroll module supports both daily and monthly salary formats and is used by more than 10,000 users.
Backed by regional and global investors—including Beacon VC, PeakXV, SBI Investment, and 500 TukTuks—FlowAccount has become a trusted back-office partner for thousands of Thai businesses. With over 4,700 accounting firm partners, its reach continues to grow as SMEs transition to more digitized and transparent operations.
4.Lightnet – Transforming Cross-Border Payments with Blockchain
Though headquartered in Singapore, Lightnet maintains a strong operational and strategic presence in Thailand, thanks to its Thai co-founders Chatchaval Jiaravanon of the CP Group and Tridbodi Arunanondchai, its current CEO. Launched in 2018, Lightnet aims to revolutionize cross-border financial infrastructure with its blockchain-based ecosystem.
Its key offering, Liquidnet, is an advanced remittance platform for banks and money transfer operators. For consumers, the LightRemit mobile app offers instant and affordable international money transfers. With over 150,000 service channels in Thailand alone, Lightnet’s services reach 46 million Thai customers across agriculture, retail, and e-commerce sectors.
Despite a recent setback in securing a virtual banking license with WeLab in 2024, Lightnet remains ambitious. Strategic backers such as Seven Bank, Hanwha, and Raffles Family Office continue to support its mission to modernize global remittance infrastructure and expand into underserved financial markets.
5.Finnomena – AI Driven Wealth for the Digital Investor
Finnomena, founded in 2016, is Thailand’s answer to modern digital wealth management. The company provides robo-advisory services, personalized investment portfolios, and in-depth financial content to over 600,000 registered users, with assets under management exceeding USD 1 billion.
At the heart of Finnomena’s innovation is its agentic AI-driven workflow that processes market data, filters out irrelevant updates, and delivers real-time insights to investment teams. This reduces decision-making lag and ensures clients benefit from the latest intelligence.
With fresh funding from a USD 5.5 million Series B+ round in 2023, the company is expanding into new asset classes, including crowdfunding and investment tokens. Backed by notable institutions like Krungsri Finnovate, Openspace Ventures, and Government Savings Bank, Finnomena is redefining how the Thai middle class invests and grows its wealth in the digital age.
A Quiet Revolution in Thai Fintech
Thailand’s fintech ecosystem may not yet rival the unicorn factories of its regional neighbors, but that’s beginning to change. The success of companies like Omise, Ascend Money, FlowAccount, Lightnet, and Finnomena reflects a quiet but significant transformation happening behind the scenes.
These startups are not only digitizing and democratizing financial services across Thailand, but they are also challenging the traditional dominance of large banking institutions. By leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and SaaS platforms tailored for Thai businesses, they’re building systems that are agile, inclusive, and ready for regional expansion.
What binds these ventures together is their ability to focus on real, localized problems—whether it’s providing digital payroll to SMEs, creating seamless cross-border remittance tools, or delivering AI-driven financial guidance. If Thailand’s regulatory environment continues to evolve and venture capital flows more freely, these companies—and others waiting in the wings—could lead a new era of digital finance in Southeast Asia.
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