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Freo announces strategic acquisition of IndiaLends, in a major push for growth

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BANGALORE, India, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In a major push for growth, Freo announced a strategic M&A deal under which it takes 100% ownership of IndiaLends, pending final regulatory approvals. The deal brings together Freo’s consumer financial platform and IndiaLends’ marketplace to significantly expand Freo’s scale.

Freo is on a mission to be India’s digital financial platform for 500 million middle income consumers – one they can trust across payments, credit, insurance, and investments. The acquisition brings together Freo’s financial products and regulatory licences with IndiaLends’ marketplace capabilities and distribution, driving sharper execution across products and partners.

Post acquisition, Freo will be able to serve over 50 million users in its ecosystem, with key operating metrics expected to grow significantly as the combined entity scales.

Backed by marquee investors such as Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India), Prime Venture Partners, MegaDelta, and others, the Freo platform operates under a strong regulatory framework, including a TPAP licence for UPI, NBFC licence, and an Insurance CA licence, with a strong discipline in regulatory compliance and corporate governance. Founded by IIT-ISB alumni and serial entrepreneurs, Freo brings over a decade of experience in building and operating consumer financial products at scale, with a proven and profitable business model.

“India’s digital financial services market is maturing, and relevant consolidation is a natural next step. The platforms that win the next decade will combine the right licences, the right distribution, profitable discipline, and AI embedded across the stack. With IndiaLends, Freo now has all four at scale.” – Kunal Varma, Co-Founder & CEO, Freo.

IndiaLends, founded by Gaurav Chopra, a London Business School and London School of Economics alumnus and a seasoned Capital One banker, operates as one of India’s largest digital marketplaces for loans and credit cards. Backed by ACP Partners, DSG Consumer Partners, and American Express Ventures, amongst others, the business has built deep integrations with over 80 banks, NBFCs and financial partners, enabling it to operate at scale across a wide range of credit products and use cases.

Over the years, IndiaLends has assembled a strong execution-focused team with deep experience across partnerships, technology, and operations. This team has played a key role in building a trusted marketplace that enables consumers to discover and access credit, while supporting partners through technology-led distribution, credit underwriting and business operations at scale.

“IndiaLends was started with a strong belief – that every Indian deserves access to the right credit, at the right time, from the right lender. Joining Freo amplifies it. Together we bring a full-stack platform, a vast distribution network, and decades of combined experience to the market.” – Gaurav Chopra, Founder & CEO, IndiaLends.

This deal, which is pending final regulatory approvals, brings together two businesses that operate at scale with complementary business models, full regulatory cover & deep national footprint. The combined platform enables a stronger product focus along with deep AI interventions to accelerate profitable growth. Early signs of mutual synergies are expected to begin reflecting over the next few months as integration across teams, partners and product lines deepens.

This development comes at a time when India’s digital lending ecosystem is undergoing a typical phase of maturity & consolidation, driven by tighter regulatory frameworks and a sharper focus on sustainable, profitable growth. As the market matures, there is a clear shift towards integrated platforms that can combine product, distribution, and underwriting capabilities at scale, enabling better outcomes for both consumers and businesses.

With this move, Freo brings together a powerful and defensible set of capabilities, including supply-side diversification, advanced demand-side analytics for customer profiling, AI-embedded workflows across operations, and a tightly integrated product strategy focused on the fast-growing, mobile-savvy, middle class of India.

The combined entity will soon be looking at a large capital raise to enable its next phase of profitable growth. The deal will be operationalised in a phased manner, wherein both teams would be working deeply with existing partners to further strengthen relationships and create a roadmap for profitable growth.

About Freo

Freo enables Indians to pay, save, borrow and insure, all through 1 platform. Freo serves customers across 1,200+ cities and 19,000 pin codes and is a well-regulated entity with licenses for lending, UPI and insurance sales. By focusing on regulated partnerships and customer-first design, Freo is building a trusted financial brand for the masses. Website: https://freo.money

About IndiaLends

IndiaLends is one of India’s leading digital credit marketplaces, helping individuals discover the right personal loans, credit cards, and credit-building tools tailored to their financial profiles. Powered by proprietary credit analytics and partnerships with India’s most trusted banks and NBFCs, IndiaLends makes borrowing transparent, informed and accessible – empowering consumers to take charge of their financial lives.
Website: https://indialends.com/ 

Media Contact:
Akhila Deshpande
Email: akhila@supernova-brand.com
Mobile: +91 9886173819

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2972671/Freo_IndiaLends_Logo.jpg

 

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TiTE x IHT 2026: The Definitive Hub for Taiwan’s Hardware Manufacturing Excellence

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TAICHUNG, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — When sourcing from Taiwan, location is the ultimate strategic advantage. Don’t be misled by smaller, general trade shows held in city centers like Taipei. To truly connect with the source, you must go where the products are born. TiTE x IHT (Oct 20-22, 2026) in Taichung is the undisputed largest and most vital hardware industrial expo on the island. Hosted directly in the heart of Taiwan’s precision manufacturing cluster, this event features 1,000+ booths and 500+ top-tier manufacturers, offering a scale and industrial depth that no other exhibition can replicate.

Why Global Buyers Choose the Taichung Source Over Urban Trade Shows:

The Revolutionary “Exhibition as Factory” Model: Taichung is the global epicenter for hardware, home to 70% of Taiwan’s industry output. Our unique location enables the “30-Minute Sourcing Circle.” This allows you to verify high-end samples on the show floor in the morning and audit world-class production lines by the afternoon. By eliminating the travel gap between the booth and the factory, we reduce traditional procurement cycles from weeks to hours, providing unmatched transparency for R&D, capacity assessment, and quality control.ESG & CBAM Compliance for Western Markets: As the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and global ESG mandates reshape trade, our exhibitors are already ahead of the curve. Discover CBAM-ready solutions and green manufacturing processes specifically designed to meet the strict sustainability requirements of the European and American markets. We provide more than just tools; we provide carbon-footprint-managed resilience for your brand.AI-Driven Smart Manufacturing: Address global labor shortages and rising costs with Taiwan’s latest innovations. The 2026 expo focuses on “AI Empowerment,” showcasing collaborative robotics, automated digital inspection, and data-driven supply chain management. These technologies ensure lead-time stability and high-precision consistency for premium global brand owners.Direct Sourcing & Global Matchmaking: Skip the middlemen and trading agencies. Our “Global Buyer Day” offers exclusive, pre-arranged matchmaking with the actual OEMs/ODMs. This is the primary decision-making platform for major distributors seeking resilient, direct-to-factory partnerships that guarantee the best pricing and priority production slots.

Experience the synergy of smart manufacturing and global trade. Stop at the source—where the world’s hardware is actually built. Secure your competitive edge in the true heart of the industry.

【TiTE x IHT】

Date: October 20-22, 2026Venue: TICEC, Taichung, TaiwanRegister Now: https://accu.ps/g8MZ1SHousing Subsidy: https://forms.gle/34VHVxSrEw7g8GxDAOfficial Website: https://www.hardwareexpotw.com

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SOURCE TiTE x IHT

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KIST Accelerates U.S. Expansion of Quantum Deep-Tech Startups Through SelectUSA 2026

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SEOUL, South Korea, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) President Oh Sang-rok announced that it will participate in the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026 as part of a Korean delegation, together with quantum technology startups supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups under the Deeptech Project (DIPS).

The initiative, supported by South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), is part of the government’s “Deeptech Incubator Project for Startups” (DIPS) initiative, which aims to nurture globally competitive deep-tech ventures.

KIST, which serves as the lead institution for the quantum technology sector under the program, said it will oversee the global commercialization efforts of participating firms. In particular, the “Global Bridge Program,” jointly developed with the U.S. Embassy in Korea in September 2025, is an official program designed to generate tangible overseas expansion outcomes by linking investment attraction with local market entry through diplomatic channels.

Organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the SelectUSA Investment Summit is the largest investment promotion event in the US, connecting international startups with venture capital firms, corporate investors and state-level economic development agencies.

It serves as an execution-oriented platform that extends to investment, corporate establishment, site selection, and tax incentives, and is considered a key entry gateway for deep-tech companies, including those in quantum technology.

KIST said participation in the summit is particularly significant for deep-tech sectors such as quantum technology, where access to the US innovation ecosystem is seen as key to growth.

The program is conducted in two stages. From April 30 to May 1, companies took part in a spin-off program hosted by the State of Maryland, which included visits to research institutions and tours of the regional quantum technology ecosystem.

During this period, the delegation also conducted localized activities with the Maryland state government and its economic development agencies, focusing on investment attraction, corporate collaboration, and joint R&D. In addition, on May 5, the delegation held discussions with U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary William Kimmitt on potential areas of cooperation.

The delegation will also meet officials from Fairfax County Government to explore collaboration and investment opportunities.

The main summit, currently ongoing from May 3 to May 6, features exhibitions, pitching sessions and meetings with US state representatives, with participating firms expected to engage in discussions on investment and market entry.

The delegation is structured to encompass the entire quantum industry rather than a single technology domain.

The Korean delegation comprises five startups, alongside Kyung Hee University Department of Future Science & Technology Commercialization Policy and Entrepreneurship, with approximately 20 participants forming an integrated ecosystem that combines research institutes, academia, and startups, enabling a full-cycle support system from technology validation to commercialization and global expansion.

One of the firms, OptiQ-Labs, was selected for an official pitching session on May 4, where it presented its laser-based optical modules designed for ion-trap quantum computing systems.

This highly competitive program selects only around 100 companies from more than 20,000 applicants worldwide. If selected as the winner of the pitching session, the company will receive follow-up meetings with U.S. state governments and economic development agencies, access to global investor networks, support for local entity establishment, and connections to site selection and tax incentive programs.

Other participating companies include QUAD, which develops single-photon detection technology; SLEEX, focused on underwater sensing; Elixir (StatUp AI), which works on quantum-classical hybrid algorithms for healthcare; and SQK (QMEDIC), specializing in physics-based imaging solutions.

KIST Project Director, Kang Sunjoon, said, “This program represents a critical milestone for Korean quantum startups to directly connect with global investors and industry ecosystems. Via the DIPS program, we are actively promoting the global commercialization of quantum technologies.”

Through its participation in SelectUSA, KIST has established a package-type global expansion model that integrates technology validation, investment attraction, and U.S. market entry.

The summit serves as a turning point for South Korea’s quantum sector, enabling startups to move into the next phase of validation, investment, and overseas expansion.

For more information, visit https://eng.kist.re.kr/.

About KIST 

KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in South Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research.

About Participating Quantum Startups

QUAD, led by Chief Executive Officer, Oh Byung-doo, develops quantum sensing technologies based on superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), offering high sensitivity and precision with applications spanning quantum communication, quantum computing, semiconductor inspection, and defense.

SLEEX is developing an advanced perception technology that combines quantum LiDAR and electric field sensing to overcome limitations of existing underwater sensors, particularly by eliminating blind zones within the 0–2 meter range, with strong potential in autonomous navigation, maritime security, and defense, with Lee Jeho at the helm as Chief Executive Officer.  (https://www.thesleex.com)

Elixir, headed by Chief Executive Officer Jang Jung-kwon, develops a drug discovery and biomarker analysis platform based on quantum-classical hybrid algorithms, targeting the precision medicine market through the integration of bioinformatics and quantum machine learning. (statupai.com)

SQK develops medical imaging AI based on quantum-physics constraints, addressing the hallucination issues of conventional AI by ensuring physical consistency in CT and MRI reconstruction. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Kim Yoon-hak, SQK is improving reliability and reducing the need for re-scans in clinical settings. (www.sqkcloud.com)

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SOURCE The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)

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Former Visa Asia Pacific Executive David Tay Joins YeahPay as Global Vice President

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SINGAPORE, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — YeahPay, the international payment brand under YEAHKA (9923.HK), has appointed David Tay, a former senior executive at Visa Asia Pacific, as Global Vice President, tasking him with overseeing the strategic direction and product ecosystem development of YEAHKA’s overseas payment business. The appointment comes as global digital trade enters a new phase defined by ecosystem integration, with payment infrastructure undergoing a generational shift in acceleration.

David Tay, a Singaporean national, is a rising leader in the payments industry. During his career at Visa, David played a key role in driving business growth across multiple Southeast Asian markets, demonstrating early promise in commercial insight and innovation. He subsequently moved into Visa’s Innovation division, where he rose to serve as Head of Innovation, leading Visa Pacific’s product innovation and new business.

In that capacity, David led the commercialization of cutting-edge payment paradigms including Visa Flex Credential and Pay by Palm. He was also involved in the evaluation and governance of strategic partners across the region, accumulating deep expertise in collaborating with banks, fintechs, and large-scale enterprise merchants.

David’s track record spans the full go-to-market lifecycle, from concept to pilot to scale, as well as deep capabilities in cross-institutional partnerships and ecosystem development. His appointment comes at an inflection point for YEAHKA’s international expansion. According to YEAHKA’s 2025 annual report, its overseas business delivered full-year Gross Payment Volume (GPV) surpassing RMB 5 billion, representing a 323.3% year-on-year surge from RMB 1.1 billion in 2024.

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SOURCE Yeahka

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