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WeBank Awarded with SME Financier of the Year in the Global SME Finance Forum 2024

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SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Managed by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and supported by the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, the Global SME Forum 2024 was held in São Paulo, Brazil from September 16 to 18. Leading financial institutions, fintech enterprises, and SME industry experts worldwide joined this annual event to explore the digital-sustainable transitions of SME finance in the age of AI.

WeBank attended the Forum as the only Chinese financial institution invited. At the roundtable sessions on “Navigating the SME Finance Lifecycle from Inception to Maturity” and “Digital Banks: Powering SME Growth,” Vincent Zheng, Deputy General Manager of the Corporate Digital Marketing Department at WeBank, addressed the current progress of SME finance in China and WeBank’s digital practices in the area.

At the Forum, the Global SME Finance Awards 2024 announced winners of the year. WeBank won the platinum prize of “SME Financier of the Year – Commercial Bank – Global” and “SME Financier of the Year – Asia” for its digital practices in SME finance. With the win of “SME Financier of the Year – Asia,” WeBank became the first financial institution to receive the highest recognition under the category in two consecutive years.

From digital credit to full-process service for MSMEs

At the main stage event of “Navigating the SME Finance Lifecycle from Inception to Maturity,” SME business executives and representatives of investment institutions from China, Arabia, Cambodia, Nigeria, the United States, and Brazil discussed about local SME financial services, delivering encouraging insights to financial practitioners from emerging financial markets.

In China, there are over 53 million micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), making the nation one of the markets with the most MSME entities. The past decade saw a significant improvement in the coverage, accessibility, and satisfaction of MSME financial services thanks to the development of financial inclusion in China.

“With the rapid advance of data infrastructure in China over the past few years, the interactive mechanisms of bank-tax and bank-business enabled WeBank to integrate the authenticated and authorized third-party credibility data from tax, industry and commerce, credit, justice, electricity, and social security into our risk control systems and business practices. Our online unsecured corporate working capital loan product ‘Weiyedai’ launched in 2017 has now received applications from over five million MSMEs. Meanwhile, the number of applying enterprises accounts for about 7% of the total number of operating enterprises where we provide services, ” said Zheng.

WeBank now has a digital product portfolio and specialized financial services to support MSMEs through a full lifecycle including credit, account management, payment, settlement, trade finance, insurance, and wealth management. ‘Weiyedai’ also offers supply chain financial services to upstream and downstream enterprises from the supply chains of key industries. For sci-tech enterprises, WeBank integrates a customized service system to comprehensively fulfil their demand for digital operation and sustainable innovation.

AI empowers digital banks to better serve MSMEs

Powered by digitization, digital banking is now a key player in the finance sector. Along with the World Bank Group and fellow fintech enterprises, executives of digital banks from China, Brazil, Cambodia, Nigeria, South Africa, and other emerging markets joined the Forum for a dedicated session on the role of digital banks in empowering SMEs.

WeBank, as the first digital bank in China, utilizes digital tools in big data risk control, accurate reach, and enterprise service to apply digital and intelligent solutions to the full process of MSME financial services. The practice serves as an example of digital inclusive finance with bearable costs, controllable risks, and sustainable business growth.

“WeBank continues to integrate innovative digital solutions into its products and services. For instance, WeBank built a financial large language model to improve the understanding of MSME customers. With a better understanding of these customers, we could optimize the experience and performance of customer service, banking risk control, digital marketing, and operation, in addition to MSME-oriented services such as digital venture capital,” as Zheng noted.

About WeBank

Launched in 2014, WeBank Co., Ltd. (“WeBank”) is the first digital bank in China. WeBank provides convenient financial services to micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and the public, and continuously improves the quality of services in response to customers’ specific needs. WeBank now ranks 255 in the Top 1000 World Banks by The Banker.

WeBank focuses on innovation and technology. WeBank has maintained its proportion of technical personnel above 50% since its establishment, while its research and development expenses accounted for around 10% of its revenue. WeBank is now at the top of the industry in core technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud computing and big data.

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SOURCE WeBank Co. Ltd.

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eSign.AI Named Sole Electronic Signature Technology Provider for Hong Kong Government’s CorpID Project, Building the Foundation for Digital Signing Infrastructure in Hong Kong

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May 8, 2026

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HONG KONG, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Hong Kong’s Digital Corporate Identity Platform (CorpID) counts down to its phased launch, eSign.AI has been appointed as the sole electronic signature vendor in the project, responsible for delivering core digital signing capabilities including digital signatures, certificate management, and signature verification services. CorpID is led by Nexify, a seasoned government systems integrator, as the prime contractor. The platform is expected to launch in phases starting late 2026, with multiple CorpID-based e-government services going live in mid-2027.

CorpID: Government-Grade Digital Identity Infrastructure for Hong Kong Enterprises

The Digital Corporate Identity Platform (CorpID) is an enterprise-level digital services platform launched by the Hong Kong SAR Government, developed under the oversight of the Digital Policy Office (DPO). It is designed to serve as the business equivalent of “iAM Smart,” providing a unified digital identity foundation for Hong Kong enterprises. CorpID’s core mission is to build an integrated digital government infrastructure — offering unified identity authentication, digital signing, form pre-filling, and e-licence storage — replacing paper-heavy, cumbersome traditional processes and enabling smart city development through seamless data connectivity.

The platform is open to companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and businesses registered under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310), including sole proprietorships and partnerships. The DPO requires all enterprise-related e-government services to support CorpID within 18 months of launch, and will continue expanding ecosystem coverage through sandbox initiatives, cross-industry identity standard interoperability, and fully online registration processes.

eSign.AI: The Digital Signing Engine Behind CorpID

eSign.AI is an AI-native electronic signature and contract automation platform built for enterprises worldwide, offering a complete signing framework from simple electronic signatures to the highest-level compliant digital signatures — meeting diverse regulatory requirements across industries and jurisdictions.

On the identity verification front, eSign.AI has completed integration with iAM Smart, enabling individual identity verification through Hong Kong’s citizen digital identity system, and providing legally valid digital certificate services for both enterprises and individuals.

Looking ahead, the eSign.AI SaaS platform will be deeply integrated with CorpID, providing enterprise and individual identity verification for Hong Kong businesses, and supporting both electronic and digital signing that complies with Hong Kong’s Electronic Transactions Ordinance — connecting the full digital contracting lifecycle for government and enterprise alike.

Getting Ahead of the AI Era: From eSignGlobal to eSign.AI

The electronic signature industry is undergoing a structural shift from “tooling” to “intelligence.” Market data underscores this acceleration: the AI-powered contract analysis tools market has grown from USD 3.32 billion in 2025 to USD 4.3 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 29.6%. Signing is just one node in the contract lifecycle — document generation, workflow orchestration, compliance tracking, and post-execution management are all being transformed by AI, and the industry window is closing fast.

In April 2026, the company officially rebranded from eSignGlobal to eSign.AI, completing its strategic transformation from an e-signature tool provider to an AI-native contract automation platform. As the company’s spokesperson noted, this rebrand is not cosmetic — it is an acknowledgment of where the product actually is. Customers were already using eSign.AI to automate workflows that go far beyond the signature itself.

eSign Automation Skill was launched alongside the rebrand — an AI-powered signing automation framework for enterprise workflows that enables complete contract signing through natural language interaction, with no manual intervention required. Whether it is single-party approval, multi-party sequential signing, or large-scale parallel execution, an AI Agent can orchestrate the entire workflow in a single call. All signature initiations and status queries return structured JSON outputs, directly parseable by leading large language models and intelligent workflow systems.

eSign Automation is now available in the OpenClaw ecosystem and supports integration via Claude MCP, ChatGPT, and other leading AI platforms.

By combining AI automation capabilities with CorpID’s government-grade digital identity infrastructure, eSign.AI delivers a complete solution for Hong Kong enterprises — from identity verification to intelligent signing to full workflow automation.

About eSign.AI

eSign.AI (formerly eSignGlobal) is an AI-native electronic signature and contract automation platform built for enterprises worldwide. The platform serves over 100 countries and regions, covering core industries including financial services, manufacturing, real estate, human resources, and healthcare — with 1,500+ scenario applications and 3,000+ ecosystem partners. eSign.AI holds ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 27018 certifications and supports major regulatory frameworks including the U.S. ESIGN Act / UETA, EU eIDAS, HIPAA, GDPR, and 21 CFR Part 11. Infrastructure is anchored by independent data centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Frankfurt, Germany.

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SOURCE eSignGlobal

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The 9th AskGamblers Awards Finalists Announced as Voting Starts

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May 8, 2026

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The highly anticipated 9th AskGamblers Awards has officially moved into the voting phase. Following a rigorous selection process, the finalists across 5 premier categories have been revealed: Best Casino, Best New Casino, Best New Slot, Best Sportsbook, Best Provider. Players are invited to cast their votes until 11 June.

BELGRADE, Serbia, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The voting stage of the 9th annual AskGamblers Awards has officially begun. The list of finalists is announced, and the first votes are already coming in. 

Players will have a chance to vote for their favourites until 11 June, when the winners will be announced at the gala ceremony in Belgrade. There’s a total of 5 categories where popular votes are taken into consideration:

Best CasinoBest New CasinoBest SportsbookBest New SlotBest Game Provider

There aren’t any big changes to the voting process compared to last year. The votes from the prominent members of AskGamblers Forum will be counted in as well, while some award winners will be announced directly by the AskGamblers teams. 

These include: Best Crypto Casino, Best Partner, and Best Manager categories, while the AskGamblers Superstar Award is expected to be handed to the operator that illustrates the brand values best.

Dijana Radunović, General Manager at AskGamblers, is excited for voting to start: “We’re seeing some familiar contestants, but there are a lot of new names, so it will be exciting to see who comes up on top.”

“We invite players to vote for their favourites! This is a chance for you to speak your mind and support operators and games that shape this industry,” Radunović added.

Before the AskGamblers Awards Ceremony that takes place on 11 June, Charity Night is scheduled for 10 June.

About AskGamblers

AskGamblers.com strives to provide current, objective, and accurate information and guide its users towards a safe gaming experience. The way we deliver our services, from the online casino, sportsbook, slot, and bonus reviews to our trusted Complaint Service, is best described by our motto: ‘Get the truth. Then play.’

For more information about AskGamblers and AskGamblers Awards, please contact dijana.radunovic@g2m.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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SUNMI Wins 2026 Red Dot Design Awards with Five Products, Leading Global Commercial Industrial Design

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May 8, 2026

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SINGAPORE, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The winners of the 2026 German Red Dot Design Award were officially announced. Five of SUNMI Technology’s flagship products won awards: the CPad Business Tablet, CPad PAY, FLEX 3 Interactive Display, the V3 handheld POS Terminal and L3 Industrial PDA. These products stood out with three core design concepts: integration, versatility and human-centricity.

Known as “The Oscars” of global industrial design, the Red Dot Award has strict evaluation criteria covering aesthetics, ergonomics, scenario adaptability and sustainability. SUNMI adheres to original commercial scenario customization, rejecting crudely modified consumer devices. All winning products are originally developed for real commercial scenarios such as cash register, food delivery, industrial inspection and store operations, covering the entire commercial track with high scenario adaptability. Meanwhile, it practices ESG concepts, adopting eco-friendly materials and modular structures to extend equipment service life, reduce consumable consumption, and implement low-carbon and long-term design, which perfectly meets the Red Dot’s sustainability evaluation criteria.

Simplify Complexity: With highly integrated design, SUNMI eliminates the “patchwork feeling” of cluttered devices and tangled cables in traditional commercial scenarios, streamlining store operations and saving space.All-in-One Versatility: Beyond a single tool function, SUNMI’s products achieve flexible transformation through modular and multi-form designs to proactively adapt to changing business needs. The CPad series with modular accessories and FLEX 3’s Lego-style modular design enable multi-scenario application and long-term reuse.Human-Centric Design: Every detail is human-oriented, focusing on real pain points to enhance scenario experience. The L3 Industrial PDA reduces high-frequency work fatigue through scientific weight distribution; the V3 Smart POS Terminal balances large-screen visibility and grip comfort; CPad PAY integrates full-link functions to simplify workflows.

These honors stem from SUNMI’s long-term commitment to a sustainable society, original commercial R&D and ESG. In the future, SUNMI will uphold its core concepts, expand the boundaries of commercial industrial design, and empower global businesses with user-oriented, eco-friendly and high-value products.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sunmi-wins-2026-red-dot-design-awards-with-five-products-leading-global-commercial-industrial-design-302766777.html

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