Introduction
Olea Global Pte Ltd — a Singapore-based digital trade finance platform — has successfully closed a USD 30 million Series A funding round led by BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria), with participation from key investors including XDC Network, theDOCK, and SC Ventures, Standard Chartered Bank’s venture arm.
The fresh capital will be deployed to accelerate innovation in technology, scale the firm’s global footprint, and expand its suite of digital solutions — including AI-driven analytics, Web3 readiness, and embedded finance capabilities — to meet rising demand in high-growth trade corridors around the world.
This Series A round marks a major validation of Olea’s vision to modernise global trade finance — one of the largest and least digitised credit markets — by making liquidity and risk management more efficient, transparent, and accessible through institutional-grade technology.
Strategic Importance of the Funding Round
BBVA’s leadership as the round’s anchor investor underscores the increasingly strategic role that digital platforms like Olea play in the future of global trade finance. The participation of financial and blockchain-focused investors highlights confidence in Olea’s approach, which combines financial expertise with scalable technology to address long-standing market inefficiencies.
Established in 2022 as a joint initiative involving Standard Chartered and China’s Linklogis, Olea has built a platform that connects suppliers and buyers with institutional capital across global trade corridors. Through its infrastructure, Olea has so far supported more than USD 3 billion in financing for over 1,000 clients operating in more than 70 trade corridors — demonstrating early traction and operational scale.
Aside from BBVA, strategic backers such as XDC Network — a layer-1 blockchain platform — and theDOCK, a maritime logistics investment firm, bring complementary expertise that aligns with Olea’s vision of integrating blockchain-enabled workflows, stablecoin-backed flows, and smart risk analytics into trade finance operations.
Where the Capital Will Be Deployed
Olea plans to use the Series A proceeds to drive innovation and geographic expansion along several fronts:
1. AI and Data Analytics:
Investing in advanced analytics tools to improve credit assessment, pricing precision, and risk modelling, helping institutional funders make more informed decisions and enhancing liquidity access for underserved markets.
2. Web3 and Digital Asset Readiness:
Building infrastructure to support emerging Web3 and tokenisation use cases — including tokenised trade assets and stablecoin settlement rails — which could reduce friction, enhance transparency, and open new liquidity channels in supply chain finance.
3. Embedded Finance Solutions:
Developing products tailored to the evolving needs of corporates, such as embedded credit offerings, dynamic discounting tools, and payment solutions that integrate seamlessly into business workflows.
4. Global Market Expansion:
Scaling operations and local origination capabilities in high-growth markets across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States — regions that account for significant volumes of cross-border trade and supply chain activity.
Strategic Implications for BBVA and the Trade Finance Ecosystem
For BBVA, leading the investment reinforces its commitment to innovation within global trade finance and expands its strategic footprint in digital solutions that enhance liquidity and execution efficiency for multinational clients. The partnership with Olea enables BBVA to bring next-generation, data-driven trade finance tools to its corporate and institutional customer base, especially in markets where trade flows are rapidly evolving.
By embedding Olea’s platform into its service suite, BBVA enhances its ability to offer integrated solutions that span risk analytics, financing, and transaction execution — meeting the growing demands of corporates operating across increasingly complex global supply chains.
The collaboration also helps both parties navigate the transition toward digitised trade finance ecosystems, where traditional paper-based processes are replaced by real-time, data-rich digital workflows that unlock new operational efficiencies and reduce settlement friction.
Conclusion
Olea’s USD 30 million Series A funding round, led by BBVA and supported by strategic investors, represents an important inflection point in the evolution of trade finance technology. Backed by institutional capital and innovative partners, Olea is poised to accelerate its mission to make trade finance more efficient, inclusive, and scalable — leveraging AI, blockchain, and embedded finance to link global liquidity with real-economy trade needs.
As global trade volumes continue to recover and evolve, platforms like Olea that bridge capital, data, and technology are likely to play an increasingly central role in powering the future of cross-border commerce.