Ant International: Sustainability Outcomes Must Be Valued

Ant International has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, the second since the company began operating independently. The fintech provider now serves 1.6 million SMEs globally and provides credit access to more than 30 million underserved users.

According to the report, this marks the first year the company integrated sustainability metrics into management performance evaluation frameworks. The move could signal a shift in how fintech providers balance commercial targets with social impact goals.

Ant International connects two billion user accounts globally to more than 150 million merchants through its Alipay+ and Antom payment platforms. The ecosystem links more than 10 national QR systems and supports more than 300 payment methods across over 220 markets.

Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant Group and Ant International, says: "Accountability must be structural, not aspirational. When sustainability outcomes are valued as much as revenue growth or operational efficiency, the whole organisation is more likely to align accordingly–just like how it might work with entire economies."

Inclusion metrics in innovation

The company operates a 6Ts Sustainability Framework covering Travel, Trade, Thrive, Tech, Talent and Trust. According to the report, inclusion remains the critical objective across these areas.

Peng Yang, CEO, and President Douglas Feagin say at the report's launch: "Our success relies on our ability to innovate for small businesses and emerging markets to thrive above social and technological shifts. Doing great by doing good should be our strategic differentiator."

The company's payment network now includes all card schemes and 50 digital wallets, bank apps and buy now pay later apps. WorldFirst and Bettr, the global account and embedded finance services, integrate AI and blockchain capabilities for SME support.

According to Ant International, the inclusion metric was built into major innovation projects. These include SME payment tools, AI commerce platforms for emerging markets and EPOS SME AI solutions.

AI tools for payments

Ant International rolled out AI tools in 2025 designed for emerging markets and SMEs. The tools allow businesses to use AI without large infrastructure investments, according to the company.

Antom Copilot 2.0 completes payment integration, onboarding, risk and chargeback resolution in automated workflows. The Antom Agentic Payment Solution enables AI agents to initiate and complete card and alternative payment method transactions using a payment mandate model.

The FinAI-as-a-Service platform provides toolkits to fintech partners. Malaysia's TNG eWallet and easypaisa, Pakistan's first digital bank, use the GenAI Cockpit to build AI commerce solutions from customer service assistants to sales copilots.

Custom agentic AI assistants include Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel companion embedded in super apps. An open-source AI foreign exchange solution delivers forecasts with up to 93% prediction accuracy across volatile currency markets, according to the company.

EPOS360, an AI-powered SME operation and financing platform, has rolled out in Southeast Asia. The platform targets small business operational efficiency and access to finance.

Risk technology and compliance

Ant International invested in anti-money laundering and security technologies in 2025. The SHIELD 3-in-1 Transformer model uses seven billion parameters to identify high-risk transactions with more than 95% precision while raising payment success rates by up to 13.5%, according to the company.

The Digital Wallet Guardian Partnership shares risk technology, anti-fraud and funds protection solutions among wallet partners. The Alipay+ Privacy Enhancing Technology programme was cited by Singapore's Personal Data Protection Commission in practical guidance for industry application.

The company expanded its Risk Management Committee mechanism, which implements risk governance from corporate to ground unit level. A three-layered anti-money laundering programme uses a global baseline of minimum control standards across all markets.

Ant International uses AI-powered risk detection and security review tools to improve accuracy and efficiency. The company plans to accelerate investments in global and local compliance capabilities to meet regulatory requirements.

Grassroots digital engagement programmes

In 2025, Ant International staff started grassroots efforts from New York to West Java supporting youth, environment and community projects. The initiatives use digital expertise to create social impact, according to the company.

As Innovation Partner for Sustainability of the New York Liberty, Alipay+ supports the WNBA champion team on Liberty Sneaker Drives for underprivileged groups. The partnership includes Math Hoops projects to build youth skills and Threes for Trees projects in New York City and Brooklyn.

AlipayHK launched a main digital channel for charity fundraising after the Tai Po fire. The platform raised HK$200m (US$25.6m) from 450,000 super app users in the first three days, according to the company.

Ocean Buddy, an in-app mini programme for whale shark protection in Indonesia, launched in collaboration with DANA and Konservasi Indonesia. The programme uses gamification to connect users' digital activities to marine protection.

The 10x1000 Tech for Inclusion initiative, a joint programme with the International Finance Corporation and more than 50 global partners, has certified 9,504 people since 2018. According to the report, 55% of certified participants are women.

Leiming Chen, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant International, says: "Sustainability is increasingly becoming our primary driver of responsible innovation. We will work together to ensure that as we expand globally, our progress remains inclusive, measurable and impactful for the communities we serve."