Hong Kong’s WeLab Bank remained profitable in the first half of 2025, reporting revenue of about HK$460 million, a year-on-year increase of roughly 70 percent.
The bank said growth was supported by credit management and risk controls, alongside flexible pricing strategies.
Net interest income reached HK$430 million, also up about 70 percent compared with the same period last year.
The net interest margin rose to 10.7 percent, well above the market average, while its cost-to-income ratio improved 40.3 percent year-on-year.
The loan-to-deposit ratio stayed around 80 percent.
WeLab Bank said its credit performance held steady despite economic challenges.
While the wider market delinquency rate climbed 8.5 percent, the bank’s rate fell 3.7 percent.
It accounted for 11 percent of Hong Kong’s new unsecured personal loans during the period and reported nearly 340 percent year-on-year growth in assets under management.
Looking ahead, the bank said it plans to expand its use of artificial intelligence (AI) in partnership with Google.
Upcoming initiatives include new financial products in lending, foreign exchange and wealth management, as well as AI-driven tools to improve efficiency, decision-making and employee innovation.
Earlier this year, WeLab also partnered with Google on its first fully AI-generated advertisement in Hong Kong and said it will continue exploring new applications of AI across operations, product design and marketing.
Tat Lee, Chief Executive of WeLab Bank, said,
“In the first half of 2025, we continued to sustain profitability, delivering strong revenue growth, a net interest margin significantly above market levels, and a delinquency rate far below the industry average — all driven by our strength in credit risk management.
As an AI-first digital bank, WeLab Bank is committed to delivering hyper-personalised and impactful customer experiences with Generative AI and AI Agents.”
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by fledermausstudio via Freepik