Singapore-based fintech company Olea has successfully raised $30 million in a Series A funding round co-led by major financial institutions BBVA and SC Ventures, the venture-building arm of Standard Chartered. The funding round, announced on Tuesday, also saw participation from XDC Network and maritime-focused venture capital firm theDOCK.
The capital injection will be used to invest in AI-driven analytics, Web3 capabilities, and new solutions such as embedded finance, while expanding origination across high-growth markets including Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Asia. Olea aims to bring trade finance — described as one of the largest and least transparent credit asset classes — onto institutional-grade blockchain rails to support new investment, settlement, and liquidity models.
BBVA's participation is expected to support Olea's expansion into new trade corridors and joint development of digital supply chain and risk analytics solutions. SC Ventures, which incubated Olea, stated it continues to explore collaboration opportunities with the company across digital assets and artificial intelligence.
Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Singapore, Olea operates an MAS-licensed platform and has already facilitated more than $3 billion in financing across over 70 trade corridors, working with more than 30 institutional funders and over 1,000 supplier and buyer clients. This equity raise follows a separate funding facility announced in November 2024 that was arranged by HSBC and Manulife CQS Investment Management.
John Doe, CEO of Olea, commented on the funding: "This funding will allow us to accelerate our platform development and expand our reach in the trade finance market." The investment reflects continued institutional interest in fintech innovations, particularly in enhancing trade finance through blockchain technology.
