12 May 2025: This is Alpha Southeast Asia’s 19th Annual Financial Institution (FI) Awards. This year, we have tightened the focus of this awards series in each country by expanding the breadth and depth of this evolving awards series. The awards period cover deals and transaction volumes from May 2024 to April 2025.
For the nineteenth year running, we have continued to examine the credentials and track record of a select group of Asian financial institutions and as part of this effort, announce the outcome of our special Marquee awards including; Best SME Bank in Southeast Asia; Best Broker in Southeast Asia; Best Private Bank in Southeast Asia; as well as well as Best Transactional Banking Online Platform.
In almost every category and unlike most mainstream platforms, the winners are not necessarily the biggest banks by asset size but awarded on the basis of performance and growth over the past one year. Also, all fifty-eight awards are exclusively and categorically open to only locally incorporated banks and financial institutions or banks headquartered in Southeast Asia. Local banks that are, able to demonstrate unrivalled commitment to both, local corporate and non-banking financial institution clients as well as state-linked agencies and departments not only within their borders but in some cases, within Southeast Asia.
Some of the key surprises over the last decade include the emergence of Asian-domiciled banks at the top of the equity, debt and M&A league tables across the region as bulge bracket global investment banks were forced to recalibrate their presence in key markets across Asia in recent years.