Singapore is putting another S$220 million behind its fintech sector, expanding government support from experimental technology projects into AI deployment, industry infrastructure and a new push to bring more workers into the sector.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore announced FSTI 4.0, the fourth iteration of its Financial Sector Technology and Innovation Scheme, on August 31. The funding will be deployed over three years across six tracks covering institutional projects, manpower, artificial intelligence adoption, infrastructure, centres of excellence and industry awards.
Bloomberg put the size of the commitment at about US$173 million. MAS’s headline commitment, however, is S$220 million.
The scheme arrives with Singapore already hosting more than 1,800 fintech companies employing close to 10,000 people across technology, data, AI, compliance, cybersecurity and business roles. Fintech investment in the country reached S$2.9 billion in 2025.
Six Funding Tracks Under FSTI 4.0
The new scheme breaks support into six tracks, with eligibility depending on the type of project.
The Institution Project track is aimed at Singapore-based financial institutions and fintech companies developing and deploying new solutions. MAS is specifically prioritizing frontier technologies including AI, distributed ledger technology and quantum technology.
The Manpower track is the clearest addition for smaller fintech employers. MAS will co-fund internship stipends and is launching a dedicated portal, fintechinternships.sg, operated by the Singapore FinTech Association to connect companies with students from Singapore’s Institutes of Higher Learning. MAS said it intends to support at least 1,000 fintech internship opportunities over the next three years.
The AI Pathfinder track moves support closer to deployment. Financial institutions will be able to adopt market-ready AI fintech products listed through PathFin.ai, MAS’s platform for connecting financial companies with AI solution providers.
An Infrastructure & Platform track will fund industry-wide systems and platforms intended to improve efficiency, productivity and innovation across the financial sector. MAS also wants projects under the track to contribute to interoperability and international financial standards.
The Centre of Excellence track remains focused on bringing innovative functions from major financial institutions and fintech companies into Singapore, particularly teams working on AI, quantum computing and digital assets.
Finally, the MAS FinTech Awards track continues support through the Singapore FinTech Festival’s awards and Global FinTech Hackcelerator. FSTI 4.0 adds a new GFH Scale-up Grant for eligible finalists to further validate products, attract private capital and expand their businesses.
What Changed From FSTI 3.0
The previous FSTI 3.0 programme committed up to S$150 million from 2023 through 2026 and included separate tracks for Centres of Excellence, Innovation Acceleration, industry-wide projects, AI and data analytics, RegTech and ESG fintech, with quantum technology later included within the framework.
FSTI 4.0 raises the commitment to S$220 million and reorganizes the programme around six broader tracks.
The Centre of Excellence and industry-infrastructure elements remain, but ESG fintech is no longer a standalone funding track. AI support has also moved beyond the earlier emphasis on AI and data analytics capability development toward adoption of market-ready products through AI Pathfinder.
The other notable change is manpower. FSTI 3.0 required applicants across tracks to contribute to talent development, while FSTI 4.0 gives talent its own funding channel and a numerical target through the 1,000-internship programme.
MAS said more than 350 fintech projects and over 30 centres of excellence have been supported since the wider FSTI programme began in 2015. Global FinTech Hackcelerator finalists have also raised more than S$3.8 billion in funding.
For fintech companies, that makes FSTI 4.0 broader than another technology grant. The programme now covers the path from hiring junior talent and developing products through deploying AI, building shared infrastructure and scaling proven businesses internationally.