PayPal World – enabling global growth for merchants BOX 3 Ant International – full suite of digital payments, finance and marketing solutions for SMEs to thrive BOX 4 Alipay+, Ant International’s unified wallet gateway, is a great example of how they facilitate global connectivity and interoperability by linking over 37 e-wallet/banking app partners (together serving 1.8 billion mobile payments users) to over 100 million merchants globally (90% are SMEs). By enabling seamless cross-border payments and mobile innovations, local SMEs have a better chance of tapping into the global travel spend in their countries and regions. SMEs can scale their businesses and market access through Antom’s comprehensive payment gateway solutions of more than 300 payment channels to grow their business both online and offline. Antom Payment Orchestration, a unified payment management platform, and Antom Copilot, an AI-powered 24/7 business assistant, streamline payment integration and reduce time- to-market for new payment options by 90%. Together, they lower technical and operational barriers for merchants and SMEs, support increased transaction success and provide seamless access to advanced payment features, enabling scalable international growth through efficient global payment management. Merchants can also use the unified global account provided by WorldFirst, which improves cash flow, lowers costs and ensures same-day processing. Serving mostly microbusinesses, many in their first year and from emerging markets, WorldFirst enables sellers to efficiently receive marketplace payments and manage sales proceeds from more than 130 platforms from global buyers across 200 markets and 100 currencies. Inclusive financial services and credit are extended to these merchants through tailored, AI-driven credit technologies and lending solutions that address the unique needs of local markets. Innovation-led technology, together with open collaboration and partnership models, is helping to scale access to financial services and support the development of a more inclusive global economy. Source: Ant International.Platforms like PayPal World demonstrate how global payments systems can greatly expand reach for merchants by connecting digital wallets. These new payment systems can also be integrated with treasury, logistics and business services, aiming to lower barriers for smaller firms, especially in emerging markets. Digital twins Businesses navigating complex supplier networks face key challenges and often access information too late, due to: –Compartmentalized procurement and planning processes that diminish flexibility –An overreliance on suppliers, coupled with complex supplier networks –A lack of transparency and predictive capabilities within their supply chain A supply chain digital twin allows organizations to combat these challenges by creating a continuously updated model of operations. This model fuses an enterprise’s internal data with external signals like shipping volumes or port utilization, allowing AI to forecast, stress-test and optimize decisions end-to- end within a business’s supply chain.8By partnering with payment systems and digital wallets worldwide, PayPal World makes cross-border transactions effortless, inclusive and trusted, with built-in risk, fraud and compliance management. Through a single integration, merchants can reach over 1 billion consumers across local wallets, eliminating the need to manage multiple systems or navigate complex regulations. This connectivity helps businesses of all sizes expand internationally while maintaining control over payments and cash flow. For SMEs, PayPal World levels the playing field by simplifying access to global markets, giving merchants the infrastructure to scale sustainably and compete globally. A craft jeweller in Mexico using MercadoPago can sell seamlessly to international buyers, while an SME in India can use a unified payments interface (UPI) to accept QR payments securely from a US traveller using PayPal. Source: PayPal. Advanced simulation and scenario planning abilities EBITDA improvements and reductions in inventory levelsAI-based forecasts A 20–30% improvement in forecast accuracy to maximize value Smart alerts Automated advance warnings of potential disruptions to manage risk 360-degree transparency on procurement spending Cost reductions of 3–6% through holistic portfolio optimization even in mature procurement organizationsAutomated decision-making Overall cycle planning times reduced by 85% Smart resource allocation Fewer project delays and lower cost overruns Accelerated deployment within and across supply chain participants Accelerated deployment and value delivery in almost any client infrastructure The TradeTech Paradox: Connectivity Amid Fragmentation 14

The TradeTech Paradox Connectivity Amid Fragmentation 2026