- Israeli fintech Neema announces a strategic partnership with Alipay — one of the largest digital payments platforms in the world and the largest in China
- Neema’s customers and partners will be able to send international payments in real time to over one billion digital wallets and more than 80 million merchants across China
- The partnership joins Neema’s existing collaborations with UnionPay and WeChat, strengthening its position as a leading player in international payments in Asia
Following its strategic partnerships with UnionPay and WeChat, Israeli fintech Neema is expanding its activity in Asia and announcing a new collaboration with Alipay — one of the world’s largest digital payments platforms and the largest in China. Under the agreement, Neema’s customers and partners will be able to send international payments through a new real-time payment rail to Alipay users, encompassing over one billion digital wallets and more than 80 million merchants across China. For Neema, this partnership marks a meaningful expansion of its already significant presence in the Chinese market, as well as deepening its footprint across Asia, where it already collaborates with such giants as UnionPay and WeChat.
Neema has developed innovative cross-border payments technology serving leading financial institutions and individual customers, enabling fast international money transfers. The connection to Alipay creates an advanced payments bridge to the Chinese market — one of the most complex markets in the world from a regulatory and FX perspective — enabling real-time transactions that are smoother and more efficient than the traditional solutions available today. Payments to and from China are considered a significant challenge for businesses and individuals due to regulatory restrictions and legacy systems. Neema’s innovative infrastructure creates an effective payment rail that simplifies processes and enables smoother money flows between China and international markets.
With Alipay joining our global partnership network, we clearly see growing trust from leading industry players in the infrastructure we have built. For us, this is not just a financial and technological connection but a meaningful expansion of our ability to create efficient, reliable, real-time payment rails between China and the rest of the world. The connection to Alipay allows us to bridge complex regulatory and infrastructure gaps and to offer financial institutions and customers a solution that simplifies processes that were until now cumbersome and slow. Ultimately, this is about creating a real financial connection between markets — one that enables smoother money flows and generates meaningful value for our customers and partners.
The partnership with Alipay joins Neema’s global collaborations and strengthens its position as a significant player in international payments, with an ever-expanding presence in Asia and other key markets.
About Neema
Neema is an Israeli fintech developing innovative cross-border payments infrastructure and operating a digital account and money-transfer application. The company serves leading financial institutions and individual customers and is building a global partnership network with the world’s leading payments platforms, including UnionPay, WeChat and Alipay. Neema is ~98% owned by Direct Insurance — Financial Investments, part of the Zur Shamir group.
About Zur Shamir
Zur Shamir is a leading holding company investing in insurance, finance, income-producing real estate and global financial services. The company holds, through Direct Insurance — Financial Investments (88%), ~41% of IDI Insurance, the pioneer of direct insurance in Israel, operating for over 30 years and the largest in its field. In addition, it holds ~44% of Direct Finance, the leading company in auto loans and a growing mortgage lender; ~54% of Adgar, operating in income-producing real estate with assets totaling over NIS 5 billion. Direct Insurance also holds ~98% of Neema, which engages, inter alia, in global financial services including via a money-transfer application.
