SINGAPORE -- As technology investments surge across markets, channel finance is entering a pivotal phase—one that offers significant opportunity but also demanding evolution.

The global IT industry continues to be one of the most dynamic and resilient engines of economic growth. Yet, increasing deal complexity, fragmented processes, and legacy credit structures are prompting the need for more adaptive finance solutions solving for gaps between technology channel partners and how they access capital.

Investments in artificial intelligence, a market projected to reach US$1.81 trillion by 2030 (Grand View Research), highlight these gaps, says Kyung “KC” Choi.

“The influx of large-scale GPU server deals supporting the deployment of AI infrastructure represents high-value transactions that demand more agile, scalable and tailored finance solutions. Traditional funding architecture struggles to accommodate the size, speed, and complexity of these deployments, globally and at scale.”

Choi, the new Vice President of Origination for the Asia-Pacific/Japan (APJ) regions at the WeFi Technology Group, is very familiar with complex channel deals. His background includes building channel finance business at GE Capital and Wells Fargo, covering both structured and traditional finance with a strong emphasis on channel and vendor financing models that enable growth, scalability, liquidity, and strategic alignment across regions.

He has worked closely with OEMs, distributors, and reseller partners to design and implement tailored financial programmes that unlock value, whether it is a working capital solution, a risk mitigation strategy, or a growth play. He has also led regional go-to-market initiatives across the Asia-Pacific region, aligning finance offerings with commercial strategy and market dynamics.

In his new role, Choi focuses on the prospects and pitfalls of tailoring finance solutions for increasingly diverse and global markets. It requires a deep understanding of local commercial practices and regulatory environments, including the tax landscape, risk appetite, and partner/borrower maturity.

“For instance, in some countries, relationships, legacy practices, and procurement cycles play a big role, while in some high-growth countries, access to working capital and agility is critical for fast-growing partners.”

To navigate and control such elements, it’s crucial that channel finance systems transform themselves with technology. While financial services have been dealing with the drawbacks of rigid legacy systems, limited adaptability, and manual processes, it has become critical to deliver scalable, intelligent finance solutions that respond to specific market needs.

“Technology helps us unlock value by enabling the agility and flexibility needed to navigate the nuances of different markets. Each market has its own commercial norms, regulatory constraints, and risk profiles, making a universal approach obsolete. Today’s advanced platforms let us tailor financing structures and operational processes, streamline decision-making, and scale solutions in a way that aligns with local market conditions while supporting global consistency,” says Choi.

This vision determines how he transforms channel finance systems from the front, leading WeFi’s Origination office for technology manufacturers, resellers, systems providers and integrators, and financiers across markets in Japan, Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South East Asia, and China.

Digital technologies are swelling into a new wave of change. As markets grow more adept in harnessing data, automation, and artificial intelligence, they often necessitate larger, more flexible, and complex finance deals. It’s here where Choi sees the most important and lasting combination between human skills and digital capabilities.

“The transformation of channel deals is about redefining how partners, distributors and vendors access and leverage capital as an enabler of growth, globally.”