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The silent crisis in global trade
In the world of global trade, businesses of all sizes face a common challenge: lengthy payment cycles and complex cross-border processes that stifle growth and operational efficiency. Take Chinese suppliers shipping goods to retail giants like Walmart or Target. After delivering their products, they typically wait 45 to 90 days to get paid. This long cash conversion cycle strains even healthy businesses, limiting their ability to scale operations or take on new projects.
Olea: Unlocking trade, empowering growth
Olea Global Pte. Ltd. (“Olea”), a leading digitized trade finance platform, is changing this reality. Fresh from a $30 million Series A funding round led by global financial powerhouse BBVA, Olea is using the power of AI and blockchain to reshape the future of global trade. This significant investment not only validates Olea’s innovative model but also fuels its global expansion and technological development, positioning the company as a key player in the evolving trade finance landscape.
At its core, Olea offers an intelligent receivables financing solution that addresses the critical issue of delayed payments head-on. The platform purchases unpaid invoices, providing immediate working capital that can be used to fund day-to-day operations. It then collects payment from the buyer when the invoice is due. This allows businesses to maintain steady cash flow, invest in growth, and break free from the constraints of long payment terms.
AI and blockchain make trade finance faster and safer
This service is powered by Olea’s advanced technology stack, which combines the latest AI and blockchain to deliver a secure, efficient, and transparent solution. Its proprietary AI system performs bank-grade risk assessments, analyzing vast datasets to evaluate creditworthiness quickly and accurately, dramatically speeding up funding decisions.
Simultaneously, Olea uses blockchain technology to convert complex paper-based trade documents into transparent, tamper-proof digital assets. This innovation transforms traditionally opaque supply chain credit into a standardized, trustworthy asset class, attracting capital from global institutional investors while reducing fraud risk and increasing operational efficiency.
Redefining global trade finance
“We are not just financing invoices, we are building the digital backbone for the next level of global trade,” says Amelia Ng, CEO of Olea. “Our mission is to unlock the hidden value trapped within complex supply chains, making it visible, verifiable, and liquid. This enables capital to flow efficiently to the businesses that drive global trade, empowering them to grow and thrive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.”
Since its launch in 2022, Olea has built an institutional-grade platform, established a network spanning 70+ trade corridors, and partnered with over 30 funders to deliver more than US$3 billion in financing globally. With the new capital, the company will accelerate AI development and global expansion, advancing toward a seamless financial ecosystem where technology dismantles the traditional barriers between capital and the real economy. Through AI and blockchain, Olea is making trade finance more accessible, efficient, and transparent for businesses worldwide
Tired of slow customer payments hurting your business cash flow?