Standard Chartered and A*STAR Launch Three-year Partnership To Advance AI-led Innovation For Financial Services

Singapore, 21 April 2026 - Standard Chartered ("the Bank") and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore’s lead public sector research and development (R&D) agency, have announced a three-year partnership to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation across the financial industry.

The strategic collaboration builds on prior successful projects between the Bank’s innovation, fintech investment and ventures arm, SC Ventures, and A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing (A*STAR IHPC), leveraging A*STAR IHPC’s strength in applied AI research to advance innovation in banking and financial services.

Under the new partnership, the Bank and A*STAR IHPC will jointly commit a total investment of S$15 million towards the establishment of an AI for Banking Innovation Lab, comprising technology scientists and researchers from the two organisations. The agreement will enable the Bank to engage with A*STAR IHPC’s deep pool of AI expertise in high-performance and applied AI research, supported by a dedicated multidisciplinary team of research scientists. Significantly, the collaboration enables close, on-site engagement between A*STAR IHPC researchers and the Bank’s internal data and AI teams on ongoing projects, supporting the development of applied, client-centric AI applications.

Teams from A*STAR IHPC and Standard Chartered will explore a range of themes including portfolio optimisation, fraud detection and natural language processing. A project already underway is developing a natural-language interface for querying structured databases, enabling relationship managers to access insights without writing code, speeding up analysis and boosting productivity. In parallel, an early-stage effort in the lab is exploring new data-driven approaches to strengthen asset valuation and forecasting. Together, these initiatives apply advanced AI and machine learning to enhance operations and client experience, with successful projects potentially progressing into prototype promising spin-offs and driving next-generation financial services.

"This partnership with A*STAR represents a significant step forward in our collaboration, as we advance the intersection of AI research and financial innovation," said Patrick Lee, CEO, Singapore, ASEAN & South Asia, Standard Chartered. "Digital-first banking models have reshaped client expectations across all segments, underscoring the need to enable seamless connectivity with growth opportunities, while equipping our workforce with future-ready skills. By deepening the connection between research and real-world applications, we are investing in safe, responsible and scalable AI applications to deliver enhanced cross-border capabilities and affluent banking experiences for our clients and drive sustainable growth."

Dr Su Yi, Executive Director, A*STAR IHPC, said, "This partnership reflects our shared goal to bridge advanced AI research and real-world banking impact. By working closely with Standard Chartered’s teams, we aim to translate AI innovation into deployable, responsible solutions with potential for broader application over time."

Alex Manson, CEO, SC Ventures, said, "As we move from banks adopting AI use cases to AI-native organisations, the A*STAR-SCB partnership will leverage SC Ventures’ AI Lab to create new business models running on AI, fundamentally a different way of delivering financial services."

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Standard Chartered

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SC Ventures

SC Ventures is a business unit that provides a platform and catalyst for Standard Chartered to promote innovation, invest in disruptive financial technology and explore alternative business models. For more information, please visit www.scventures.io and follow SC Ventures on LinkedIn.

About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis.