Inside WeLab’s Plan to Reach 500M Users ft: Simon Loong, CEO, Founder

Описание: Fintech News Network’s Vincent Fong sits down with Simon Loong, Founder and Group CEO of WeLab Group, one of Asia’s most successful fintech scale-ups.

From a Hong Kong-based startup to a multi-market digital bank serving 70 million users and managing over US$15 billion in loans, Simon shares the real strategy behind WeLab Bank’s breakeven milestone, their ambitious plan to reach 500 million users by 2032, and why he believes AI agents will transform banking as we know it.

We go deep into:
• How WeLab became the 3rd largest personal lender in Hong Kong
• Why most digital banks never turn a profit — and how WeLab beat the odds
• Their expansion playbook across Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines & Vietnam
• What DeepSeek AI and HKIC’s investment means for WeLab’s AI strategy
• Simon’s reflections on building a homegrown fintech with regional ambitions

Whether you’re in fintech, banking, or just love a good founder story — this one’s for you.

00:00 – Intro: WeLab’s journey from startup to regional fintech
01:00 – Simon on evolving from hands-on founder to group CEO
04:30 – Breaking even in 4 years: The strategy explained
06:00 – Lending + wealth management: WeLab’s revenue engine
10:30 – 500M user goal
12:00 – AI roadmap: DeepSeek, HKIC, and the rise of AI agents
17:30 – Thailand digital banking license: What’s next?
20:00 – WeLab’s legacy in Hong Kong
24:00 – Expansion into Southeast Asia
26:00 – What’s next for WeLab

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