Keenai expands Southeast Asia wealthtech push

Keenai, the wealthtech platform for accredited investors (AI) built in partnership with Lighthouse Canton, has appointed Varun Mittal as Singapore country head to drive regional growth, partnerships and client acquisition ahead of its 19 August launch.

In the role, Mittal will lead Keenai's introduction to Singapore and across the region, overseeing distribution, partnerships and client acquisition as the platform opens to a broader base of accredited investors. The appointment lands as Keenai brings every major asset class, from bonds and hedge funds to structured notes, into a single account, backed by Lighthouse Canton's institutional infrastructure.

Mittal brings more than two decades building and scaling financial services businesses across Southeast Asia. He was most recently chief digital and innovation officer at Singlife, where he drove product and distribution innovation and helped the insurer take the largest share of Singapore's digital life insurance segment. Earlier, he was the first marketing and sales hire at helloPay, the region's first pan ASEAN digital wallet, growing it to more than 20 million users and a 160+ person team across six countries before its acquisition by Ant Financial. He also led EY's global emerging-markets fintech practice across 130 countries.

Mittal is also the founder of Fintech Nation, a Singapore-based ecosystem platform spanning a book series, an investment fund and a mentorship initiative, and a co-founder of the Singapore FinTech Association. He is a two-time bestselling author, having co-written "Singapore: The Fintech Nation" and "The Fintech Nation: Excellence Unlocked in Singapore", charting the rise of Singapore's fintech ecosystem.

Shilpi Chowdhary, founder and group chief executive officer of Lighthouse Canton and Keenai Global, said, "Varun has built and scaled platforms that changed how people in this region bank, pay and invest. That is exactly the experience Keenai needs as we open Southeast Asia's next chapter."

Mittal added, "Accredited Investors across Asia have been underserved by fragmented platforms and legacy infrastructure. Keenai changes that by giving them one account with full access to the world's investment opportunities. The comprehensive shelf we have built is purpose-designed for their needs, and I am excited to build the team and partnerships that will make this the go-to platform for wealth in the region."

Re-disseminated by Wealth and Society