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1 Billion People, Trillions in Growth: Why LATAM & SEA Are The Next Economic Powerhouses by Leading Digital Finance Revolution

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Developed by Valor Capital and Credit Saison, study points to a massive $1.67 trillion financing gap for SMEs and MSMEs in both regions, which can be unlocked by digital finance, cross-border collaboration and blockchain.

SAO PAULO and SINGAPORE, April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Latin America and Southeast Asia, home to over one billion people, are emerging as global economic powerhouses — driven by investments in infrastructure, middle-class expansion, and digital transformation. This is according to a report by Valor Capital Group and Credit Saison, which highlights that despite their readiness for growth, both regions continue to face financial inefficiencies and regulatory barriers.

The first-of-its-kind comparative study calls for increased investments in digital finance, cross-border collaboration, and blockchain to unlock their full potential, emphasizing how these regions are reshaping global trade and finance. While economic expansion is evident, countries in LATAM and SEA remain financially fragmented — limiting access to credit and hindering commercial integration.

“Latin America and Southeast Asia are no longer just emerging markets; they are defining the future of digital finance, trade, and economic collaboration,” says Bruno Batavia, Director of Emerging Tech at Valor Capital. According to him, unlocking their full potential will require regulatory modernization, regional partnerships, and financial innovation to be central to the agenda. “The next decade will be crucial in determining whether these regions can overcome their historical financial limitations and emerge as fully integrated players in the global economy.”

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of these economies, but 87% of their financing needs in Latin America remain unmet, resulting in a $1.4 trillion financing gap. In Southeast Asia, 51% of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) face difficulties accessing financial services, creating a $272 billion deficit. Traditional banking systems, still reliant on outdated credit assessment models and manual processes, are unable to keep up with growing demand, stifling the growth of millions of businesses.

“This report serves as a critical blueprint for stakeholders seeking to harness the immense potential these regions offer. Credit Saison has been in Brazil since 2023, and has been present in Southeast Asia for over ten years, with the unique ability to deploy investments via private credit and venture capital to support the growth of fintechs and founders in both debt and equity. Through our experiences as an operator in global markets with steep Japanese heritage, partnerships and knowledge exchange are critical to navigating and adapting to local nuances and forming successful strategies in the market. For Credit Saison, it’s always about winning together with our partners. We look forward to deepening our engagement in both regions to collaboratively unlock pathways to sustainable growth,”  said Qin En Looi, Partner at Saison Capital, the corporate venture capital arm of Credit Saison.

Cross-border payments represent another significant challenge. Remittance fees in both regions average 6.1% — more than double the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 3%. This translates to an annual cost of $7 billion for consumers, reducing disposable income and limiting financial mobility. Additionally, international payments can take up to five business days to settle, undermining the efficiency of global trade networks.

Venture Capital and Fintechs Driving Change

In response to these challenges, innovation in the fintech sector and the rise of venture capital investments are transforming the financial landscape. Southeast Asia created 151 new venture capital funds in 2021, while Latin America peaked at 69 funds in 2019, indicating strong investor confidence. The total number of funding rounds nearly doubled in Southeast Asia, while in Latin America, the total volume of investments grew 8.7 times, underscoring the rapid evolution of the financial ecosystem.

This influx of capital has led to significant acquisitions in the fintech sector, expanding the region’s appeal to global investors. Notable examples include Visa’s $1 billion acquisition of Brazilian fintech Pismo, TikTok’s $1.5 billion investment in Indonesia’s Tokopedia, and PropertyGuru’s $1.1 billion acquisition in Southeast Asia. These transactions highlight the increasing volume of investments in financial infrastructure.

“In Brazil, although we lead in fintech innovation, we have one of the world’s most complex currency exchange systems, requiring over 100 transaction codes for financial operations, which creates operational inefficiencies. In Mexico, the lack of local debt funds forces fintech startups to rely on equity financing, which hinders their scalability,” explains Bruno Batavia, Director of Emerging Tech at Valor Capital.

About Valor Capital Group

Founded in 2011 and with a presence in New York, Silicon Valley, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Mexico City, Valor Capital is a pioneering Venture Capital and Growth Equity fund manager with a “cross-border” strategy, aiming to act as a bridge between the technology markets of the United States and Latin America. Its funds invest in transformative businesses, from early-stage startups to expansion-stage companies. Valor is committed to the success of its portfolio companies, offering capital, operational support, and global connections. Learn more at valorcapitalgroup.com.

About Credit Saison Brazil

Established in 2023, Credit Saison Brazil (CSBR) is a financial company with a mission to bring people, partners and technology together, creating resilient and innovative financial solutions for positive impact.

CSBR provides a comprehensive offering of both credit and equity investment opportunities to support the innovators and builders of Brazil, and is committed to being a transformative partner in creating opportunities and enabling dreams.

The company is part of Credit Saison Co. Ltd. from Japan, and Saison International as its international headquarters in Singapore with core businesses in lending and corporate venture capital. Founded in 1951, Credit Saison Co. Ltd is one of Japan’s largest non-bank financial companies with over 70 years of history and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Company has evolved from a credit-card issuer to a diversified financial services provider across payments, leasing, finance, real estate and entertainment.

Over 1,500 employees work across the company’s markets (ex-Japan) of Brazil, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

About Saison Capital

Saison Capital (saisoncapital.com) is an early-stage venture capital fund (pre-seed to Series B) with a focus on emerging markets. The firm backs ambitious founders at the pre-seed or seed stage and focuses on web3, fintech and commerce.

Operating from the Asia Pacific region but deploying capital on a global scale, Saison Capital harnesses Credit Saison’s extensive financial services operating background and resources across key markets, including Singapore, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Japan, Brazil and Mexico. Saison Capital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Credit Saison.

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SOURCE Saison International

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3M announces collaboration with GSEO to advance Expanded Beam Optical manufacturing and development

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ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 3M (NYSE: MMM) today announced a collaboration with Genius Electronic Optical Co., Ltd. (GSEO, Taiwan: 3406), an optical technology company, to advance technology development and manufacturing for 3M’s Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) solutions. In support of these efforts, 3M expects to make a strategic investment to acquire approximately 4.7% of GSEO’s common shares as part of the company’s private placement of newly issued shares, subject to customary closing conditions.

The collaboration brings together 3M’s EBO technology leadership, optical interconnect expertise, materials science, manufacturing scale and customer relationships with GSEO’s precision optics manufacturing capabilities and production scale. Together, the companies aim to support EBO commercialization and long-term capacity expansion to meet growing demand from hyperscale data centers and other advanced connectivity applications.

“3M is investing in capabilities and partnerships that can accelerate innovation for our customers,” said William Brown, 3M Chairman and CEO. “By selecting GSEO as a manufacturing partner and investing in the company, we are strengthening the path to scale next-generation optical connectivity solutions for high-performance data center infrastructure.”

GSEO’s existing precision optics manufacturing capabilities and technical development experience are expected to support manufacturing readiness for 3M’s EBO ferrules, co-packaged optics solutions and related optical interconnect applications. The collaboration is part of 3M’s broader EBO ecosystem strategy, which includes continued work with customers and partners across the optical interconnect market.

“GSEO is pleased to expand its relationship with 3M as we work together to advance optical interconnect solutions for next-generation data center infrastructure,” said Micro Kuo, GSEO CEO and President. “This collaboration brings together complementary technology and manufacturing strengths to support continued innovation and help meet the performance demands of high-growth connectivity markets.”

3M expects the strategic investment to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this release are considered “forward-looking statements” under the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and are intended to enjoy the protection of those laws. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this release and are typically identified by the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “goal,” “guidance,” “impact,” “initial,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and other words that are similar to, or have the opposite meanings of, those words. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, 3M assumes no duty to update those statements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of those statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events and trends that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of 3M’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

About 3M
3M (NYSE: MMM) is focused on transforming industries around the world by applying science and creating innovative, customer-focused solutions. Our multi-disciplinary team is working to solve tough customer problems by leveraging diverse technology platforms, differentiated capabilities, global footprint, and operational excellence. Discover how 3M is shaping the future at 3M.com/news.

Contacts
3M
Investor Contact:
Diane Farrow, 612-202-2449
Media Contact:
3MNews@mmm.com 

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Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers Announces Second Annual Operation Fur-Ever Home Pet Adoption Event at Lafreniere Park

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NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers is excited to announce the return of its second annual Operation Fur-Ever Home, a free community pet adoption event taking place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Lafreniere Park in Metairie, Louisiana.

The free, family-friendly event will give attendees the opportunity to meet adoptable pets from local animal shelters, learn about responsible pet ownership, and potentially welcome a new furry companion into their homes. Those who preregister for the event will also be entered for a chance to win a Soundcore speaker and a free pet adoption.

“Last year’s event was everything we hoped it would be, and we are incredibly excited to bring Operation Fur-Ever Home back for a second year,” said David Vicknair, founding partner of Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers. “There is something special about watching a family meet a pet that could become part of their lives for years to come. We wanted to create another opportunity to make those connections while supporting the organizations that work tirelessly to care for animals in our community.”

Building on the success of the first event, this year’s event continues the firm’s commitment to supporting local animal shelters and creating meaningful opportunities for families throughout Southeast Louisiana.

“Giving back to our community has always been an important part of who we are as a firm,” said Vicknair. “Whether we are helping students prepare for school, recognizing deserving teachers, or supporting local animal shelters, our goal is to make a positive difference in the communities we serve.”

Operation Fur-Ever Home is free and open to the public. Families, animal lovers, and anyone interested in adopting a pet are encouraged to attend and preregister.

About Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers

Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers is a New Orleans-based personal injury firm committed to providing exceptional legal representation while also investing in the communities it serves. Their experienced team of dedicated attorneys specializes in car accidents, personal injury, and wrongful death cases in New Orleans. With diverse personal and professional backgrounds, they craft legal strategies tailored to each client’s specific case and needs.

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SOURCE Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers

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Can we produce low-cost omega-3s without relying on fish?

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GOLD COAST, Australia, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Southern Cross University researchers are aiming to halve the cost of producing omega-3 supplements to make these essential nutrients more accessible to pregnant women and infants in low-income countries, backed by the University’s first-ever grant from The Gates Foundation.

The research takes a novel approach: rather than relying on fish oil, the team is going closer to the original source of omega-3. Fish don’t produce omega-3 themselves – they accumulate it from marine microorganisms lower in the food chain.

Led by Professor Dirk Erler from Southern Cross University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, the team is investigating how these naturally omega-3-producing microorganisms can be grown more cheaply through precision fermentation, including the use of agricultural and food-processing by-products as a source of fermentation sugar.

Omega-3 is an important nutrient during pregnancy and early life, supporting brain and nervous system development in babies. But the cost of supplements remains a significant barrier to access in many low-income countries.

“The main barrier for the uptake of omega-3s as supplements in pregnant women is the cost,” Professor Erler said.

“The whole objective of our project is to reduce that cost and make omega-3 supplements more available.”

The research team at Southern Cross University, which includes biomedical scientist Dr Nedeljka Rosic, Dr Shane McIntosh, postdoctoral researcher Dr Jasmine Haskell and PhD researcher Michael Ingram, is focused on growing omega-3-producing marine microorganisms known as thraustochytrids – or ‘throstys’ for short.

“By growing those microorganisms on land through precision fermentation, we have an alternative way of producing omega-3s that is both reliable and highly targeted,” Professor Erler said.

Precision fermentation allows the researchers to grow thraustochytrids under controlled conditions to produce omega-3 oils. The team is investigating whether expensive feedstocks used in the process can be replaced with lower-cost agricultural and food-processing by-products, helping drive down the overall cost of production.

The approach could also reduce reliance on wild-caught fish as a source of omega-3 oil and create a more reliable, scalable, and local supply.

For biomedical scientist Dr Nedeljka Rosic, the production challenge is ultimately about what greater access to omega-3 could mean for women and babies.

“As a biomedical scientist, my purpose is to find ways to use science to improve people’s health,” Dr Rosic said.

“This project is important because it aims to improve the health of pregnant women and children and reduce preterm births through simple dietary improvements.”

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/can-we-produce-low-cost-omega-3s-without-relying-on-fish-302893631.html

SOURCE Southern Cross University

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