Asia FinTech Alliance (AFA) on Aug. 11 released the Top 30 shortlist for the first AFA Awards, with six Taiwan companies selected from seven nominees recommended by the Taiwan FinTech Association (TFTA).
According to a TFTA press release, the Taiwan nominees posted a selection rate of more than 85%. ABMedia had previously reported that nominations had opened for the inaugural cross-border fintech awards and that the ceremony would be held in Taipei on Sept. 1.
Six Taiwan firms shortlisted across three award categories
The six shortlisted companies from Taiwan cover financial infrastructure, cybersecurity, cross-border payments and blockchain finance. They are spread across three AFA Awards categories.
- Financial Infrastructure Award: BaaS Innovation
- Regulatory Excellence Award: Gogolook (Whoscall), OwlTing and XREX
- Market Expansion Award: CyCraft and Eastern Union
Tsai Yu-ling, TFTA honorary chair and AFA chairperson, said Taiwan nominated seven companies and six advanced to the Top 30, which she said showed the strength of the local industry. She also said all participating companies had to go through nomination and screening in their own markets before competing with firms from 16 Asian economies.
Top 30 round will narrow to 10 finalists
The AFA Awards were jointly launched by representative fintech associations from 16 Asian economies. The program is not aimed at early-stage startups. Instead, it looks for more mature companies that already have cross-border experience and the potential to scale, described in the release as the "next Asian cross-border fintech unicorns."
The first edition received 88 nominations across five award categories. After the Top 30 announcement, the competition will move into a second stage to select 10 finalists.
The second-round judging panel includes representatives from Asian financial and capital markets, including China Development Industrial Bank Capital, United Overseas Bank (UOB) Malaysia, Carlyle Group, SBI Investment of Japan, Gobi Partners and KB Investment, which is part of South Korea's KB Financial Group.
Final and awards ceremony set for Taipei
The final round and awards ceremony will be held in Taipei on Sept. 1, 2026. The 10 finalists and the judging panel will attend in person, with the companies presenting on site before the final winners in the five award categories are chosen.