January 10, 2023 - Nikkei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CTOS Digital Berhad (CTOS), the leading credit reporting agency in Malaysia and the holding company of Thailand's credit information provider Business Online Public Company Limited (BOL). The MoU relates to potential collaboration in several strategic areas.

The goal of the new collaboration is to promote the effective utilization of corporate data and news owned and provided by the two parties. Both parties agreed to consider developing a news monitoring service on CTOS's platforms via scoutAsia, Nikkei's Asia-focused news & data service. They will also explore the opportunity to power Nikkei products & platforms using CTOS's global business and information.

ScoutAsia was jointly developed by Nikkei and The Financial Times in 2018 with the aim of enabling customers to make better and more informed decisions. Combining quality content and technologies, scoutAsia provides AI-driven insights related to businesses in Asia. Singapore-based DataTech company Handshakes came onboard in 2019 to power the platform with its award-winning AI expertise.

Toshio Machida, a Managing Executive Officer at Nikkei Inc,. said: "Nikkei has been investing actively in reporting in Asia, developing technologies and building partnerships with best-in-class global information providers. We are thrilled to collaborate with Asia's leading credit agency and the holding company CTOS to explore new ways of providing customers with business insights."

"Data and analytics are at the core of everything that we do at CTOS. Being able to expand the types of data that we can offer our clients while simultaneously increasing the reach of our services across Asia with Nikkei is an important step forward for us in the region," commented Eric Hamburger, Group CEO of CTOS Digital Berhad.

About scoutAsia
An Asia-focused news and company data platform, scoutAsia has the ultimate aim of making Asia more accessible to foreign businesses. Combining quality content and technology, scoutAsia provides AI-driven insights on what is changing in Asian businesses.

www.scout.asia

About CTOS Digital Berhad
CTOS Digital Berhad is the holding company of CTOS Data Systems Sdn. Bhd., the leading credit reporting agency in Malaysia. It also has a 22.65% stake in Business Online Public Company Limited (BOL), the leading credit information and risk management provider in Thailand. Founded in 1990, the Group offers a broad suite of innovative digital products and credit risk management solutions and services that give it a solid platform to thrive not just in credit reporting, but also in digital credit decision-making across Southeast Asia.
www.ctosdigital.com