 |
- The round was led by OM/VC (formerly Vectr Fintech) and MS&AD Ventures. New investors include Citi North America and Rustem Family office. Returning investors include 500 Global, Epic Angels, 1982 VC, and Big Sky Capital.
- CrediLinq operates in the embedded finance sector, enabling B2B platforms to offer financing solutions. Its AI-powered technology infrastructure integrates into online platforms through APIs and leverages the platform's real time alternative data to provide credit seamlessly to SMEs at the point of need.
- Funds will be deployed to drive market expansion, strategic acquisitions and partnerships in the US, UK and Australia; boost local presence in Singapore; hire senior commercial, product and tech talent and invest in further technology enhancements.
SINGAPORE, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CrediLinq, the AI-powered embedded finance platform that is revolutionizing access to growth capital for underserved digital-first SMEs globally, announced today the close of its USD $8.5 million Series A funding round. The round was led by OM/VC and MS&AD Ventures. New investors include Citi North America and Rustem Family office. Returning investors include 500 Global, Epic Angels, 1982 VC and Big Sky Capital.
CrediLinq will immediately accelerate geographic expansion, starting with the United States and subsequently into the United Kingdom and Australia. The company will look to partner with larger digital platforms in these markets to drive user growth, enabling digitally native businesses transacting on platforms to access capital.
In addition, CrediLinq will strengthen its leadership bench in sales, marketing, product and tech to support expansion in the target markets. A significant portion of the funds will also be invested in enhancing the company's technology stack — with continual improvement of AI-led credit algorithms that use the SME's real-time digital footprint including platform data, unstructured data, bureau information and the like, to reduce non-performing loans (NPLs), improve 'Default On' collections, and build agentic workflows to drive efficiency.
Deep Singh, Founder and Group CEO of CrediLinq, remarked: "Today marks a pivotal moment for CrediLinq as we accelerate the growth of embedded finance globally, helping platforms empower digital native SMEs with flexible, transparent and more seamless access to capital. With this new funding, we are excited to deepen our partnerships, expand into new markets, and invest in senior talent and technology infrastructure that will support the next phase of our growth."
Vikram Kotibhaskar, Co-Founder of CrediLinq. added: "The embedded credit revolution continues to gain momentum, and CrediLinq is at the forefront of this innovation. By being integrated within platforms, our Credit-as-a-Service stack leverages API connectivity, transactional data and credit algorithms for quick decision-making at the point of need and offers easy checkout within the partner ecosystem. This results in a fast, frictionless and transparent customer experience and more ways for platforms to monetize their business. Our agentic workflows also drive efficiency and continuous monitoring to keep loan losses low. Platform partners benefit with higher stickiness, trust, and scalability that drives up GMV."
CrediLinq's solutions can be embedded across platforms that cover verticals of procurement, supply chain, e-commerce marketplaces, freelance platforms, banking, accounting, and payments. In the e-commerce space for example, CrediLinq has integrations with key marketplaces such as Amazon, Lazada and TikTok Shop.
Mark Munoz, Managing Partner at OM/VC commented: "As a long-term investor in Credilinq, we're proud to support their growth into a global leader in credit-as-a-service. Their innovative use of technologies like AI to drive positive revenue outcomes for clients is aligned with our investment philosophy. It's also encouraging to see that many of its users have reported consistent, immediate ROI from their crediting platforms, underscoring the value that Credilinq is delivering at scale."
Lee Smallwood, Global Head of Markets Innovation & Investments at Citi, said: "CrediLinq's innovative approach to embedded finance leverages AI to provide seamless credit solutions for digital-first SMEs, which complements our goal to transform financial services. Their platform's ability to integrate into diverse digital ecosystems positions them to make a significant impact globally."
Jon Soberg, Managing Partner at MS&AD Ventures, mentioned: "CrediLinq's AI-driven platform offers a scalable solution to B2B platforms that want to embed lending as a complementary, value-add offering. Their focus on embedding credit within digital workflows is exactly what today's rapidly evolving digital economy demands."
Vishal Harnal, Managing Partner at 500 Global, reflected: "We first backed CrediLinq in 2022 and are doubling down as they scale their AI-powered platform globally. Deep and his team bring exceptional domain expertise and execution, having already built a trusted, scalable model for embedded finance that allows them to expand beyond Southeast Asia."
For more information about CrediLinq's embedded finance platform and Series A milestones, please visit www.credilinq.ai.
About CrediLinq
CrediLinq is a technology infrastructure company with a proprietary Credit-as-a-Service stack. Their API-centric approach enables B2B platforms and banks to build financial products for merchants, enabling the financial empowerment of underserved digital native SMEs to build, grow and scale their business.
What sets CrediLinq apart is embedding lending solutions within these platforms and harnessing the platform's real-time alternative data, to offer business owners swift access to funding through AI-driven credit decisioning and agentic workflows. This empowers SMEs to manage cash flow by accessing seamless, flexible and transparent lending options.
The company holds a Capital Markets Services License under the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), enabling it to raise and deploy institutional capital to support SME growth. CrediLinq is ISO 27001 certified for information security management and is a member of the Singapore Fintech Association.
About Citi
Citigroup (NYSE: C), a leading global bank, invests in and partners with innovative startups that are transforming financial services and other industries. Focus areas include fintech, data analytics, and enterprise solutions. For more information, visit https://www.citi.com.
About OM/VC
OMVC is an early-stage venture capital firm targeting investment opportunities in fintech, deep tech, climate tech and where they intersect. With presence in San Francisco, Honolulu, New York and Singapore, it deploys private capital across Seed to Series A companies and provides visionary founders with operating expertise, capital formation advisory and access to talent. Founded by a former entrepreneur and a regulatory innovator, OMVC aims to create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities it operates in through integrating human-centric and tech-forward approaches.
For more information, please visit: omvc.co.
About MS&AD Ventures
MS&AD Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, one of the world's largest insurance groups. MS&AD Ventures invests in early-stage startups advancing innovation across insurtech, fintech, and ESG sectors. For more information, visit https://msad.vc/.
About 500 Global
500 Global is a venture capital firm with US$2.2 billion in assets under management (as of 31 December 2024) investing in globally ambitious founders building fast-growing technology companies. The company focuses on the U.S. and global markets where innovation, capital, and ecosystems can propel startups and unlock long-term value. For more details, visit https://500.co/.
Multimedia Links
- The round was led by OM/VC (formerly Vectr Fintech) and MS&AD Ventures. New investors include Citi North America and Rustem Family office. Returning investors include 500 Global, Epic Angels, 1982 VC, and Big Sky Capital.
- CrediLinq operates in the embedded finance sector, enabling B2B platforms to offer financing solutions. Its AI-powered technology infrastructure integrates into online platforms through APIs and leverages the platform's real time alternative data to provide credit seamlessly to SMEs at the point of need.
- Funds will be deployed to drive market expansion, strategic acquisitions and partnerships in the US, UK and Australia; boost local presence in Singapore; hire senior commercial, product and tech talent and invest in further technology enhancements.
SINGAPORE, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CrediLinq, the AI-powered embedded finance platform that is revolutionizing access to growth capital for underserved digital-first SMEs globally, announced today the close of its USD $8.5 million Series A funding round. The round was led by OM/VC and MS&AD Ventures. New investors include Citi North America and Rustem Family office. Returning investors include 500 Global, Epic Angels, 1982 VC and Big Sky Capital.
CrediLinq will immediately accelerate geographic expansion, starting with the United States and subsequently into the United Kingdom and Australia. The company will look to partner with larger digital platforms in these markets to drive user growth, enabling digitally native businesses transacting on platforms to access capital.
In addition, CrediLinq will strengthen its leadership bench in sales, marketing, product and tech to support expansion in the target markets. A significant portion of the funds will also be invested in enhancing the company's technology stack — with continual improvement of AI-led credit algorithms that use the SME's real-time digital footprint including platform data, unstructured data, bureau information and the like, to reduce non-performing loans (NPLs), improve 'Default On' collections, and build agentic workflows to drive efficiency.
Deep Singh, Founder and Group CEO of CrediLinq, remarked: "Today marks a pivotal moment for CrediLinq as we accelerate the growth of embedded finance globally, helping platforms empower digital native SMEs with flexible, transparent and more seamless access to capital. With this new funding, we are excited to deepen our partnerships, expand into new markets, and invest in senior talent and technology infrastructure that will support the next phase of our growth."
Vikram Kotibhaskar, Co-Founder of CrediLinq. added: "The embedded credit revolution continues to gain momentum, and CrediLinq is at the forefront of this innovation. By being integrated within platforms, our Credit-as-a-Service stack leverages API connectivity, transactional data and credit algorithms for quick decision-making at the point of need and offers easy checkout within the partner ecosystem. This results in a fast, frictionless and transparent customer experience and more ways for platforms to monetize their business. Our agentic workflows also drive efficiency and continuous monitoring to keep loan losses low. Platform partners benefit with higher stickiness, trust, and scalability that drives up GMV."
CrediLinq's solutions can be embedded across platforms that cover verticals of procurement, supply chain, e-commerce marketplaces, freelance platforms, banking, accounting, and payments. In the e-commerce space for example, CrediLinq has integrations with key marketplaces such as Amazon, Lazada and TikTok Shop.
Mark Munoz, Managing Partner at OM/VC commented: "As a long-term investor in Credilinq, we're proud to support their growth into a global leader in credit-as-a-service. Their innovative use of technologies like AI to drive positive revenue outcomes for clients is aligned with our investment philosophy. It's also encouraging to see that many of its users have reported consistent, immediate ROI from their crediting platforms, underscoring the value that Credilinq is delivering at scale."
Lee Smallwood, Global Head of Markets Innovation & Investments at Citi, said: "CrediLinq's innovative approach to embedded finance leverages AI to provide seamless credit solutions for digital-first SMEs, which complements our goal to transform financial services. Their platform's ability to integrate into diverse digital ecosystems positions them to make a significant impact globally."
Jon Soberg, Managing Partner at MS&AD Ventures, mentioned: "CrediLinq's AI-driven platform offers a scalable solution to B2B platforms that want to embed lending as a complementary, value-add offering. Their focus on embedding credit within digital workflows is exactly what today's rapidly evolving digital economy demands."
Vishal Harnal, Managing Partner at 500 Global, reflected: "We first backed CrediLinq in 2022 and are doubling down as they scale their AI-powered platform globally. Deep and his team bring exceptional domain expertise and execution, having already built a trusted, scalable model for embedded finance that allows them to expand beyond Southeast Asia."
For more information about CrediLinq's embedded finance platform and Series A milestones, please visit www.credilinq.ai.
About CrediLinq
CrediLinq is a technology infrastructure company with a proprietary Credit-as-a-Service stack. Their API-centric approach enables B2B platforms and banks to build financial products for merchants, enabling the financial empowerment of underserved digital native SMEs to build, grow and scale their business.
What sets CrediLinq apart is embedding lending solutions within these platforms and harnessing the platform's real-time alternative data, to offer business owners swift access to funding through AI-driven credit decisioning and agentic workflows. This empowers SMEs to manage cash flow by accessing seamless, flexible and transparent lending options.
The company holds a Capital Markets Services License under the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), enabling it to raise and deploy institutional capital to support SME growth. CrediLinq is ISO 27001 certified for information security management and is a member of the Singapore Fintech Association.
About Citi
Citigroup (NYSE: C), a leading global bank, invests in and partners with innovative startups that are transforming financial services and other industries. Focus areas include fintech, data analytics, and enterprise solutions. For more information, visit https://www.citi.com.
About OM/VC
OMVC is an early-stage venture capital firm targeting investment opportunities in fintech, deep tech, climate tech and where they intersect. With presence in San Francisco, Honolulu, New York and Singapore, it deploys private capital across Seed to Series A companies and provides visionary founders with operating expertise, capital formation advisory and access to talent. Founded by a former entrepreneur and a regulatory innovator, OMVC aims to create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities it operates in through integrating human-centric and tech-forward approaches.
For more information, please visit: omvc.co.
About MS&AD Ventures
MS&AD Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, one of the world's largest insurance groups. MS&AD Ventures invests in early-stage startups advancing innovation across insurtech, fintech, and ESG sectors. For more information, visit https://msad.vc/.
About 500 Global
500 Global is a venture capital firm with US$2.2 billion in assets under management (as of 31 December 2024) investing in globally ambitious founders building fast-growing technology companies. The company focuses on the U.S. and global markets where innovation, capital, and ecosystems can propel startups and unlock long-term value. For more details, visit https://500.co/.
Multimedia Links
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Global fintech CrediLinq Raises $8.5M Series A to Accelerate the Growth of B2B Embedded Finance
Global fintech CrediLinq Raises $8.5M Series A to Accelerate the Growth of B2B Embedded Finance
- Having secured the fully driverless commercial permit in mid-November 2025, the partners have launched fully autonomous ride-hailing service via the AutoGo app.
- Initial operations cover Yas Island, with phased expansion planned for Reem, Al Maryah, and Saadiyat Islands.
- The launch marks a critical step toward the partners' goal of deploying hundreds of vehicles by 2026 and building Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet.
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) today announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a leading UAE-based autonomous mobility company, have officially launched the fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the emirate. The launch of the service, now available via the AutoGo app, marks a major milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving in the Middle East. The service has launched initially on Yas Island, where users in Abu Dhabi can now download the app to hail fully driverless rides.
The collaboration between Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo began in March 2025, when they announced the partnership to build Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet. Building on that momentum, the companies secured one of the inaugural permits for fully driverless commercial operation in Abu Dhabi in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase agreement to scale the fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026. With the service now available to the general public through the AutoGo app, the partners are actively advancing their goal of establishing the emirate's largest fully driverless fleet.
"Moving from an initial partnership agreement to launching live, fully driverless operations for the public in a span of just a few months is a remarkable milestone," said Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo. "This speed of execution highlights the technical readiness of Apollo Go, the strong operational capabilities of our partnership, and the steadfast support of local regulatory bodies."
"AutoGo's transition to live robotaxi operations marks an important milestone in Abu Dhabi's autonomous mobility journey," said Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2. "Launching the service at the start of the year reflects our focus on execution and long-term value creation. By introducing robotaxi services in real urban environments and scaling across key districts, we are moving decisively from development to deployment—delivering autonomy that is practical, safe, and ready for everyday use."
The initial operation covers Yas Island, a premier leisure and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi, now designated as a permitted zone for fully driverless operations. This service allows users to simply download the AutoGo app, request a ride, and experience a journey in a vehicle with no human driver behind the wheel.
Following the initial launch on Yas Island, the service will implement a phased geographic roll-out across Abu Dhabi. The expansion will begin with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island. Over time, the service will continue to expand across additional areas, with the long-term objective of operating across the wider Abu Dhabi emirate.
Apollo Go's rapid expansion into the UAE is backed by its industry-leading autonomous driving technology and proven real-world operational expertise. As a leading autonomous ride‑hailing service provider globally, Apollo Go has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers, of which over 140 million kilometers were completed in fully driverless mode. With a global footprint across 22 cities, Apollo Go's weekly ride count has recently surpassed 250,000, and the service has completed more than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025. Looking ahead, Apollo Go and AutoGo will scale fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing services to reach more users and advance Abu Dhabi's smart city vision.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
Media Contact
intlcomm@baidu.com
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) today announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a leading UAE-based autonomous mobility company, have officially launched the fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the emirate. The launch of the service, now available via the AutoGo app, marks a major milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving in the Middle East. The service has launched initially on Yas Island, where users in Abu Dhabi can now download the app to hail fully driverless rides.
The collaboration between Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo began in March 2025, when they announced the partnership to build Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet. Building on that momentum, the companies secured one of the inaugural permits for fully driverless commercial operation in Abu Dhabi in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase agreement to scale the fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026. With the service now available to the general public through the AutoGo app, the partners are actively advancing their goal of establishing the emirate's largest fully driverless fleet.
"Moving from an initial partnership agreement to launching live, fully driverless operations for the public in a span of just a few months is a remarkable milestone," said Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo. "This speed of execution highlights the technical readiness of Apollo Go, the strong operational capabilities of our partnership, and the steadfast support of local regulatory bodies."
"AutoGo's transition to live robotaxi operations marks an important milestone in Abu Dhabi's autonomous mobility journey," said Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2. "Launching the service at the start of the year reflects our focus on execution and long-term value creation. By introducing robotaxi services in real urban environments and scaling across key districts, we are moving decisively from development to deployment—delivering autonomy that is practical, safe, and ready for everyday use."
The initial operation covers Yas Island, a premier leisure and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi, now designated as a permitted zone for fully driverless operations. This service allows users to simply download the AutoGo app, request a ride, and experience a journey in a vehicle with no human driver behind the wheel.
Following the initial launch on Yas Island, the service will implement a phased geographic roll-out across Abu Dhabi. The expansion will begin with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island. Over time, the service will continue to expand across additional areas, with the long-term objective of operating across the wider Abu Dhabi emirate.
Apollo Go's rapid expansion into the UAE is backed by its industry-leading autonomous driving technology and proven real-world operational expertise. As a leading autonomous ride‑hailing service provider globally, Apollo Go has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers, of which over 140 million kilometers were completed in fully driverless mode. With a global footprint across 22 cities, Apollo Go's weekly ride count has recently surpassed 250,000, and the service has completed more than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025. Looking ahead, Apollo Go and AutoGo will scale fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing services to reach more users and advance Abu Dhabi's smart city vision.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
Media Contact
intlcomm@baidu.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo Commence Fully Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service on Yas Island, Announce Phased Expansion Across Abu Dhabi
