Jefferson Chen Selected as Endeavor Entrepreneur, Ready to Drive AI Role in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid digital economic growth, driven by a surge in online financial transactions and the penetration of digital financing services. However, behind this expansion, global fraud risks in digital payments are projected to exceed US$40 billion annually. In the Asia-Pacific region, more than 80% of financial institutions now rely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect and prevent fraud in real-time to protect user security and confidence.
Recognising these challenges, Jefferson Chen, co-founder, group chairman, and CEO of Advance Intelligence Group, established an AI-based company focused on digital identity solutions, fraud prevention, and credit decisioning for financial institutions and fintech companies. Various industry studies demonstrate that AI-based systems can increase fraud detection rates to 90–95% whilst reducing false positives by 30–60%, enabling financial institutions to approve more legitimate users without compromising security. Operationally, automation of onboarding processes and transaction monitoring has been shown to reduce manual review requirements by 40–70% and cut fraud management team operational costs by 30–50%. Through AI technology, the company helps institutions expand credit access more safely, precisely, and inclusively.
Founded in 2016, Advance Intelligence Group now operates in over 80 global markets through two main business lines: ADVANCE.AI (B2B) and Atome Financial (B2C). Collectively, the company serves over 58 million users and supports over 1,000 corporate clients across various sectors, including banking, fintech, and e-commerce. Atome Financial leverages the same data infrastructure and risk management to provide various consumer credit services such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), digital credit cards, personal loans, and savings products.
For his contribution to building digital trust infrastructure in the region, Endeavor Indonesia has officially announced that Jefferson Chen has been selected as Endeavor’s 111th Entrepreneur from Indonesia through the International Selection Panel (ISP) held in Singapore in early February 2026. This recognition places Jefferson within a global network of high-impact entrepreneurs deemed capable of driving economic transformation in emerging markets.
Endeavor is known for its rigorous selection process involving global investors and founders. In the final selection stage, Jefferson was chosen after going through a global selection process alongside 15 companies from various countries and receiving six “YES” votes from international panellists, including global investors and founders such as Matt Harris (Partner, Bain Capital Ventures), Rajat Bhargava (CEO & Co-founder, JumpCloud), and Tiger Fang (CEO & Co-founder, Kargo).
Jefferson Chen stated, “Trust is the foundation of the digital economy. Without systems capable of managing risk accurately and in real-time, the existing growth will not be sustainable. Through Advance Intelligence Group, we are building AI-based infrastructure that enables financial institutions to expand credit access safely and inclusively. Joining the Endeavor network is an important step to strengthen global collaboration and accelerate innovation from Southeast Asia to international markets.”
As part of the Endeavor network, Jefferson will gain access to world-class mentorship from global founders, operators, and investors. He is also expected to serve as a peer mentor to other entrepreneurs, particularly in building AI-based technology companies from Southeast Asia that can compete globally.
Monika Rudijono, Managing Director of Endeavor Indonesia, stated, “We are very proud to welcome Advance Intelligence Group as part of the Endeavor community. With AI technology developing globally, we believe Jefferson will not only gain access to mentorship from the Endeavor network worldwide, but can also serve as a peer to other founders in supporting their startup journeys and enabling them to scale their businesses more rapidly.”
With Jefferson’s joining as an Endeavor Entrepreneur, Advance Intelligence Group is expected to expand strategic cross-border collaborations and accelerate the development of AI solutions that support safer and more sustainable digital economic growth.