UOB and Zilingo tie up to drive the growth of Asean fashion industry

• Enable merchants and manufacturers to manage their cash flow better
• UOB will also explore support for the platform in a number of other areas

UNITED Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) and Zilingo, a fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform, on June 27 announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the growth of Asean’s fashion industry.

Under the MoU, businesses on Zilingo’s platform, which are mostly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), will be able to access UOB’s banking solutions through the e-commerce platform.

The greater access to banking solutions will enable Zilingo’s merchants and manufacturers across the region to manage their cash flow better and to grow their businesses more efficiently and easily.

Zilingo co-founder and chief executive officer Ankiti Bose, said, “Through this collaboration with UOB, we want to reaffirm our commitment towards empowering merchants and manufacturers with everything they need to run their business.

“Where businesses may find difficulty in accessing capital due to insufficient financial records, Zilingo’s unique position as a connector of the fashion supply chain will allow us to leverage on a bird’s eye view of the supply chain to make a comprehensive assessment of the business’ capabilities and value proposition”.

UOB Group Commercial Banking head of Industry Groups Choo Kee Siong, said, “At UOB, we have been working with various ecosystem partners to offer our banking products and services to companies across entire supply chains, helping them pursue growth strategies and seize business opportunities.

“Through our MOU with Zilingo, fashion businesses across Asean will be able to access our comprehensive range of banking solutions seamlessly to meet their operational and financial needs.”

In addition to supporting Zilingo’s merchants, UOB will also explore support for the e-commerce platform in a number of other areas, from cash management and foreign exchange services to workplace banking services.