Fashion
Tencent-backed fintech Airwallex to invest in the Netherlands
By
Reuters
Published
January 5, 2026
Australian payment firm Airwallex said on Monday it will invest around 200 million euros ($233.64 million) over the next five years in its Netherlands operations, marking a major European expansion as it shifts from its Asia-Pacific base.
The Melbourne-founded fintech plans to increase its Amsterdam headcount by 60% to around 70 full-time employees by the end of 2026. Airwallex operates a global payments platform that enables businesses to send and receive international payments, hold multi-currency accounts, and process online transactions.
Founded in 2015, Airwallex secured a $13 million Series A round led by Chinese internet giant Tencent in 2017. The company recently raised $330 million in a Series G round, bringing its valuation to over $6 billion, and surpassed $1 billion in annual recurring revenue.
The investment comes as Airwallex says it will prioritise growth in Europe and the Americas after a decade focused on Australia and Asia-Pacific markets. The company received a licence in the Netherlands in May 2021, giving it access to the European Economic Area.
Airwallex served more than 150,000 customers as of October 2025, including Shein, Bolt, TikTok and Canva. The company now competes with established European payment processors including Netherlands-based Adyen and Mollie, as well as Dutch digital bank Bunq.
© Thomson Reuters 2026 All rights reserved.
Through acquisitions of strategic physical retail locations like Swindon, Frasers Group supports key brand partners’ outlet strategies – including Nike, adidas, BOSS – and aims to serve consumers across the UK with the best value and product offerings.
Swindon Designer Outlet, which opened in 1997, totals 250,000 sq. ft and attracts over 3 million visitors annually. This announcement follows just a month after the Group’s strategic acquisition of Braehead Shopping Centre and highlights Frasers Group’s steadfast approach to expanding its property portfolio.
Frasers Group has acquired Swindon Designer Outlet as part of its strategy to build a leading global brand ecosystem.
The 250,000 square feet centre draws over 3 million annual visitors and supports key outlet partners such as Nike, Adidas and Boss.
CEO Michael Murray said the move strengthens the group’s property strategy and expands opportunities for its brands and partners.
Michael Murray, CEO of Frasers Group, comments: “Physical retail is central to our Elevation Strategy and investing in Swindon – one of the UK’s top five outlets by footfall – strengthens our position as both retailer and landlord. This acquisition reinforces our property strategy and unlocks new opportunities for our brands and our partners.”
Frasers Group was advised by James Keany, Executive Director, Head of National Agency at CBRE on this acquisition.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
By
Reuters
Published
January 8, 2026
China’s Anta Sports Products has offered to buy 29% of struggling German sportswear firm Puma from France’s Pinault family, three people with knowledge of the talks said.
Anta made the offer a few weeks ago and has secured financing for the acquisition should a deal go ahead, said two of the sources. However, the situation had stalled, one added.
Artemis had been expecting any offer for its Puma stake to exceed 40 euros a share, a fourth person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. All four sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is private.
Artemis is run by Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman of Kering , which includes fashion house Gucci among its brands. The Pinault family acquired its Puma stake from Kering when it transformed the conglomerate into a pure luxury player in 2018.
Artemis and Puma declined to comment. Anta did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Puma’s market capitalisation was 3.3 billion euros ($3.85 billion) at Wednesday’s close, down around 50% from the same date last year as the brand faced a steep decline in sales.
Puma’s new CEO Arthur Hoeld set out his turnaround strategy in October after sneaker releases like the Speedcat failed to generate the hype executives hoped for, while sales have fallen as shoppers opted for rivals such as Adidas, On and Hoka.
Hong Kong-listed Anta, which has a track record of acquiring and revamping Western sports and lifestyle brands, had been exploring a bid for Puma, a source close to the matter said in November. In 2019, it led a consortium to buy Amer Sports, owner of racquet maker Wilson and mountain sports specialist Salomon.
A senior source close to Artemis said in September the Pinault family would not sell their Puma stake at the then current market valuation but conceded the stake was “non-strategic.” Puma shares have since risen by 15%.
Artemis, which controls Kering as well as auction house Christie’s and Hollywood talent agency CAA, has been under investor scrutiny due to the debt it built up as Pinault sought to diversify away from Gucci during a slide in luxury sales.
© Thomson Reuters 2026 All rights reserved.
Domestic reforms, including the income tax cut announced in the FY26 budget, GST rationalisation and recently concluded trade agreements with Oman, the UK and New Zealand, would help cushion external headwinds, Ind-Ra said.
India Ratings and Research has projected India’s GDP growth to slow to 6.9 per cent in FY27 from an estimated 7.4 per cent in FY26, citing global trade weakness, US tariffs and weather risks.
Domestic reforms, tax cuts and GST rationalisation are seen supporting consumption and investment, while inflation is projected to remain within the RBI’s target, allowing limited further rate cuts.
Consumption is expected to remain the key demand driver, with private final consumption expenditure projected to grow 7.6 per cent in FY27, supported by low inflation, improving real wages and tax relief. Investment growth is forecast at 7.8 per cent, led mainly by sustained government capital expenditure, while private capex may be uneven across sectors.
Ind-Ra noted that while US tariffs on Indian goods remain elevated, their overall impact on growth is now lower than earlier estimates. The International Monetary Fund expects global GDP growth of 3.2 per cent in 2025, marginally below previous forecasts.
Inflation is projected to stay benign, with CPI averaging 3.8 per cent in FY27, within the Reserve Bank of India’s target range. Ind-Ra expects limited further policy easing, with rate cuts unlikely to exceed 25 basis points.
On fiscal metrics, the agency expects the Union government’s debt-to-GDP ratio to decline to 55.5 per cent in FY27, while the current account deficit is projected to widen slightly to 1.5 per cent of GDP, amid higher imports and export volatility driven by US trade policies.
“Major headwinds include: i) the El Niño pattern from mid-2026, ii) a weak currency due to weak capital flows, iii) sluggish global trade growth, iv) strong growth in FY26 (base effect), and v) slower growth of net production taxes due to GST rationalisation. Another emerging headwind is artificial intelligence,” said Dr. Devendra Kumar Pant, chief economist and head public finance, Ind-Ra.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
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