Key Takeaways
- Event growth: from 45,000 attendees in 2018 (SFF alone) to 60,000 participants from 130 countries at the first merged SFF x SWITCH edition, featuring 900 exhibiting companies and 450 speakers.
- Strategic merger: the union of the Singapore FinTech Festival and the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology, driven by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), extends the platform beyond banking into manufacturing, biotech, and urban solutions.
- Green investments: MAS has allocated 2 billion dollars in green funds for renewable energy, grid infrastructure, and carbon capture; fintech investments in Singapore in the first nine months of 2019 surpassed 1 billion dollars, up 70% year-on-year.
The Merger That Rewrote the Rules
November 2019: the Singapore FinTech Festival, already the most attended fintech event in the world with 45,000 visitors in 2018, merges with the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology. SFF x SWITCH is born. The chief fintech officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Sopnendu Mohanty, defined the goal of the operation: to showcase technological innovations capable of benefiting society as a whole, not just the banking sector. The scope widens to advanced manufacturing, urban solutions, sustainability, and biotechnology.
The Numbers of the First Edition
The first merged edition recorded 60,000 participants from 130 countries, 900 exhibiting companies, and 450 speakers. International recognition followed: the Zug Institute for Financial Services, affiliated with the University of Lucerne, ranked Singapore ahead of Zurich, Geneva, London, Amsterdam, and Toronto among the world's leading fintech hubs.
Capital Flows and Sustainable Finance
In the first nine months of 2019, fintech investments in Singapore surpassed 1 billion Singapore dollars, up 70% from the previous year, despite a lower number of completed deals: capital concentrated on more mature projects. The central theme of the first edition was sustainable finance. MAS announced an investment of 2 billion dollars in green funds directed toward renewable energy, grid infrastructure, and carbon capture. Education Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that finance "fuels the economy and business" and "also drives action."
Innovations Unveiled
During the event, several innovations were announced: the Project Ubin blockchain prototype, developed with JP Morgan and Temasek for multi-currency payments, a fintech research platform built with Deloitte and S&P Global, and Mastercard's Fintech Express program for the Asia Pacific region. UOB launched an AI-based digital banking service on the occasion of SFF x SWITCH.
The 2026 Appointment
MAS Managing Director Ravi Menon noted that with traditional trade relationships under pressure, opportunity lies in new ways of connecting through digital means. The 2026 edition of SFF x SWITCH will take place from November 18 to 20 at the Singapore EXPO, confirming the city-state's position among the world's leading fintech hubs.
