Participated · Series B · Jul 2017

Hyphen Group operates an online comparison platform for banking and insurance products focused on helping consumers across Asia make informed personal‑finance decisions. The company reports more than 8 million monthly users and partnerships with over 270 financial service providers. Founded in 2014 and rebranded from CompareAsia Group last year, Hyphen serves customers from Hong Kong and Singapore. Leadership is in transition after CEO Sam Allen resigned but will remain as a shareholder and advisor; interim CEOs Derek Fong and Kenneth Chan will work with president Prashant Aggarwal and CFO/COO Shaun Kraft. The firm endured several rounds of layoffs in 2022 after anticipated investment deals failed to close, and was reported to have explored a SPAC that could have implied a roughly $1 billion valuation. The recent capital raise and leadership changes appear aimed at stabilizing operations and supporting the comparison‑platform business across its markets. CompareAsiaGroup is a Hong Kong-based financial services marketplace that lets consumers comparison shop for bank accounts, personal loans, insurance, credit cards and other financial products. The platform claims 60 million users across Asian markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The company recently opened an R&D center in Singapore to develop additional tech tools. Its partnership with Experian will give it access to Experian One, a cloud-based credit scoring and risk assessment platform, and is intended to enable the launch of new open banking services in Hong Kong that can be adapted for other markets. CompareAsiaGroup has raised more than $90 million to date since its founding in 2014 and recently secured a $20 million B1 round led by Experian. The funding and access to Experian’s technology are expected to support further product development and regional fintech service expansion. CompareAsiaGroup runs localized online marketplaces that let consumers search and compare credit cards, loans and insurance across seven Asian markets using machine learning and AI to match products to users' needs and risk profiles. The company operates under different local brands (MoneyHero, HaloMoney, CompareHero, MoneyMax, SingSaver, Money101 and MoneyGuru) and claims more than 28 million people used its sites last year. It monetizes via revenue-sharing with about 100 partner brands and financial institutions, including American Express, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citibank. CompareAsiaGroup assesses risk profiles using multiple data sources in each country (beyond credit bureaus) to adapt to low credit-card penetration in some markets. Launched in 2014, the company plans to use new funding to improve user experience across its sites and grow its team. Its product positioning emphasizes impartial, transparent recommendations to build consumer trust and retention. CompareAsiaGroup operates online platforms that let users compare banking, insurance and telecommunications products across markets in Asia. Headquartered in Hong Kong, it currently serves eight markets including Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and plans to launch a Vietnamese platform soon. The company reports it serves over 21 million users annually and says it aims to raise financial literacy, provide more choice for customers, and be a long-term partner to banks, insurers, telcos and utilities in Asia. Last year CompareAsiaGroup raised US$40 million in a Series A led by Goldman Sachs with participation from Mark Pincus, Route 66 Ventures and Nova Founders Capital. It is now the subject of a proposed US$25 million investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group’s private equity arm. IFC says the investment aligns with its goals to address access gaps to financial services via fintech, improve financial literacy, and increase competitive pressure to lower costs in the market. CompareAsiaGroup operates comparison websites in eight Asian countries that let consumers compare credit cards, loans, insurance, and other financial products for free. The platform displays institutions that fit users’ requirements and partners with brands, charging partners when users sign up through its sites. It currently works with about 60 brands, including HSBC, Citibank, and Standard Chartered, and helps financial institutions reach customers without opening branches or hiring sales agents. The company plans to add more product categories, improve its platform technology, and expand within its existing markets before launching in new countries. Management says the firm will use its flexible IT infrastructure to enter additional markets in the future. Total funding to date supports these product and geographic expansion plans.