9fin, the AI-native platform for global debt markets, formally launched its Asia-Pacific operations on April 23, 2026, targeting banks, asset managers, advisory firms, and law firms across the region with a unified platform covering bonds, loans, and private credit. The launch is backed by a USD 170 million Series C raise closed in March 2026 at a USD 1.3 billion valuation, which the London-headquartered company is directing toward AI capability development, proprietary data expansion, and international market entry.
Key Facts At A Glance
- 9fin formally launched its APAC platform on April 23, 2026, operating from an initial base in Hong Kong with teams also being built in Singapore and India.
- The APAC platform covers more than 1,800 issuers and 16,000 instruments, with issuance history dating to 2003 following the company’s March 2025 acquisition of Bond Radar.
- The USD 170 million Series C, closed March 31, 2026, was led by HarbourVest with participation from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Highland Europe, Spark Capital, Redalpine, and Seedcamp.
- The round valued 9fin at USD 1.3 billion, bringing total capital raised to more than USD 250 million.
- More than 300 institutions globally use 9fin’s platform, including KKR, Apollo, BNP Paribas, and Kirkland & Ellis.
- 9fin was co-founded by Steven Hunter, a former J.P. Morgan banker, and Hussam El-Sheikh, a former Deutsche Bank engineer, in 2016.
- APAC follows prior expansions across the United States, Europe, and Latin America; CEEMEA markets are next.
The Platform And What It Does
9fin’s core product aggregates real-time credit intelligence, deal data, and AI-powered analytical tools into a single interface designed for professionals in leveraged finance, private credit, and distressed debt markets. The APAC platform includes coverage of more than 1,800 issuers and 16,000 instruments, with issuance history dating back to 2003, depth added following 9fin’s acquisition of Bond Radar in March 2025.
The platform extracts and structures information from sources that have historically required manual review, including earnings call transcripts, bond prospectuses, credit documentation, legal filings, and data room materials. By combining deal intelligence from local sources with an extensive global credit database and AI tools, the platform gives users a comprehensive view across fragmented markets.
The company describes its positioning as a direct response to infrastructure gaps in the credit intelligence market. Global debt markets are among the most data-intensive environments in finance, yet much of the relevant information has remained locked in unstructured formats, accessible only through time-intensive manual research. 9fin’s approach is to use AI trained on proprietary datasets to surface that information in near real time and embed it into professional workflows, reducing hours of research to minutes.
Why APAC, And Why Now
The launch comes as the competition between public and private markets intensifies across the region, making it more important for banks, asset managers, advisors, and law firms to have unified visibility across the full credit landscape. While bond issuance has dropped amid geopolitical disruption, private credit activity remains robust as borrowers seek alternative financing options.
Steven Hunter, CEO and co-founder, framed the timing in terms of regional complexity: “APAC is a complex region and is becoming even more so as private markets expand and geopolitical volatility increases. The region needs a faster, smarter platform covering the full picture across bonds, loans, private credit and distressed.”
The APAC market presents distinct structural challenges for credit professionals. Unlike more consolidated markets in the US and Europe, APAC’s debt landscape spans multiple currencies, regulatory regimes, local-language documentation, and domestic market conventions that differ substantially across jurisdictions. Southeast Asian markets, including Singapore and Hong Kong as regional hubs, have become increasingly relevant to private credit flows as institutional investors seek yield diversification outside their home markets.
Capital Raised And Strategic Use Of Proceeds
9fin raised USD 170 million in Series C funding at a USD 1.3 billion valuation, led by HarbourVest, with participation from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and earlier investors Redalpine, Highland Europe, Spark Capital, and Seedcamp. The funding is directed toward accelerating AI capability development, expanding proprietary data assets, and supporting international market entry. The company has raised more than USD 250 million in total since its founding in 2016.
The involvement of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board as both an investor and a pre-existing client is a notable feature of the capital structure. CPP Investments was already a 9fin client before joining the Series C round, an arrangement that reflects how embedded the platform has become at the institutional level. The company has delivered multiple consecutive years of 100 percent annual recurring revenue growth alongside the capital raise.