Ajaib Secures $270M Funding Led by Japan's SBI Holdings

Southeast Asia's technology sector is making headlines as Ajaib, a prominent fintech firm co-founded by Thai entrepreneurs, successfully closes a major funding round of $270 million USD. Backed by Japan's financial powerhouse SBI Holdings, this milestone marks the largest fundraising effort by an Indonesian technology company in over four years and ranks among the region's largest investment deals since 2022.

This fresh capital injection propels Ajaib firmly into the upper echelon of high-value tech companies in Southeast Asia. It also highlights the remarkable entrepreneurial journey of Thai co-founders Yada Piyajomkwan and Mantana Lertchaikul, who helped build the regional unicorn. Both leaders graduated from Thailand's Thammasat University before pursuing MBA degrees in the United States and gaining valuable experience at McKinsey & Company, where their professional paths ultimately crossed.

The venture originated from a shared vision to democratize investment opportunities for the younger generation in Southeast Asia, starting in Indonesia. Within two and a half years, Ajaib scaled rapidly to reach a $1 billion valuation, serving millions of active users across equities, mutual funds, and digital assets. Furthermore, the company made global waves in 2022 by appointing Thai superstar Lisa BLACKPINK as its inaugural brand ambassador.

"At Ajaib, product creation starts with the customer. We spend the majority of our time listening and understanding what customers truly need before writing a single line of code."

Yada Piyajomkwan

Mantana Lertchaikul, co-founder of the firm, shared her professional philosophy regarding impactful work, emphasizing the importance of challenging oneself to create enduring value for current and future generations. Meanwhile, strategic investor SBI Holdings—a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed firm with over a decade of global digital asset experience—joins previous high-profile backers such as DST Global and Ribbit Capital, known for investing in giants like Stripe, Robinhood, Coinbase, and Revolut.