FinVolution and NUS Unveil Research on Financial Inclusion at Global Summit in Singapore

FinVolution Group presented new research at the Second Global Summit on High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation in Singapore, focusing on credit portability for migrant workers. For fintech professionals, this move signals a shift toward using digital financial identities to solve the long-standing problem of "credit invisibility" that affects millions of cross-border workers in emerging markets.

What was announced

During the summit held on September 3, 2026, FinVolution Group and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School unveiled findings from a joint project examining financial inclusion among Filipino overseas domestic helpers. The research, conducted by a team of four MSc in Strategic Analysis and Innovation students under the guidance of Associate Professor Yip Hon Mun, addresses the specific challenges faced by a predominantly female workforce that often possesses stable income but lacks a transferable credit history.

The project explores how digital finance can help these workers establish a "portable" financial identity. Currently, many domestic helpers find that their credit history does not follow them when they move between jobs or return to the Philippines, hindering their access to essential services. The study suggests that establishing a consistent credit profile could unlock longer-term financial opportunities, including housing loans, vehicle financing, education, and family protection. Furthermore, the research posits that credit can serve as a foundation for entrepreneurship once these workers return to their home countries.

The initiative integrates international frameworks, specifically the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles and the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). It emphasizes a model of responsible financial innovation that prioritizes affordability, data protection, and financial literacy. This marks FinVolution’s second consecutive appearance at the summit, following the inaugural event in Indonesia in 2025, as the company continues to align its digital finance capabilities with the theme of "Connectivity for a Better World."

"Fintech is not only about making financial services more accessible and convenient. It is also about helping people who have historically had limited access to financial services build financial capabilities and unlock new opportunities. For women, youth, and other underserved groups, companies need to design products around real needs while embedding responsible finance principles throughout the product and business lifecycle — from affordability and transparency to data protection and financial literacy. Only then can fintech truly serve as a bridge between people and opportunity."

Jiayuan Xu, Chief Financial Officer of FinVolution.

The companies involved

FinVolution Group (NYSE: FINV) is a prominent fintech firm that has established a significant presence in the digital finance sector, particularly within emerging markets. The company focuses on leveraging technology to connect underserved individual borrowers and small business owners with financial institutions. In recent years, it has transitioned from its origins in the Chinese market to a broader international footprint, seeking to balance commercial growth with social impact through inclusive finance initiatives.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is one of the world’s leading academic institutions, with its Business School frequently collaborating with industry leaders to produce actionable research on sustainability and innovation. The UN Global Compact (UNGC) is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, encouraging businesses to align their strategies with universal principles on human rights, labor, and the environment. The UNGC Singapore Network, which co-hosted the summit, serves as a local platform for these global goals, facilitating partnerships between government bodies, academia, and the private sector to drive sustainable development across the region.

What FF News has reported before

FinVolution has been steadily increasing its international activity, as seen in our previous report on how FinVolution Group Expands Global Footprint with Launch of "Daira" in Pakistan. This expansion into the Pakistani market in late 2024 underscored the company's strategy of entering high-potential emerging economies. The broader Singaporean and Southeast Asian fintech ecosystem has also seen significant technological advancement; for instance, UOB and CQT Pioneer Quantum Computing for Advanced Derivatives Valuation highlighted the region's focus on high-end financial tech. Additionally, regional expansion remains a key trend in the area, as evidenced by our coverage of how bolttech Appoints Rohith Murthy as General Manager for Malaysia Expansion.

What this means

The industry is reaching a tipping point where "local" credit scoring is no longer sufficient for a globalized workforce. By championing portable credit histories, fintechs are directly challenging the traditional banking sector’s inability to serve migrant populations. This announcement puts pressure on regional incumbents to modernize their data-sharing practices or risk losing a massive, reliable demographic to digital-first platforms. The move toward "responsible finance" is not just a marketing pivot; it is a necessary evolution to satisfy ESG-conscious investors. However, the sector still faces significant hurdles regarding cross-border data protection laws and the standardization of credit metrics between different regulatory jurisdictions.