In 2015, Mr Tse made a visionary decision to step aside from his flourishing legal career and embarked on a new venture by establishing a fintech company in Chongqing in the Mainland, despite the sector not yet being widely popular at the time. Drawing from his previous experience in banking and finance law, he witnessed the challenges faced by small and micro-sized enterprises in securing financing. This inspired him to create a fintech company focusing on assisting these enterprises, marking a successful transition to his second career.

Mr Tse’s company, whose name translates to “rain droplets”, embodies the concept of “inclusive financing” advocated by the United Nations, which emphasises equal access to financial services. The company’s mission is to benefit small and micro-sized enterprises, much like rain nourishing the ground, and it utilises advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and big data, to provide 24-hour online services.

XYD’s contributions have been widely recognised by the industry. In 2020, it received the much coveted “Product Innovation of the Year Platinum Award” from the Global SME Finance Forum, organised by International Finance Corporation under the World Bank Group, which is fondly dubbed the Nobel Prize in inclusive financing.

“Despite some major market and regulatory challenges in the fintech sector in recent years in the Mainland, it is immensely satisfying to witness the company’s continued growth,” said Mr Tse.

In addition to aiding small and micro-sized enterprises, Mr Tse is committed to contributing to society through education. He was invited to join the CityUHK Council to advise on the development of the University. As CityUHK continues to rise in the global rankings and attract distinguished faculty, Mr Tse believes that offering distinctive flagship programmes is crucial to attract outstanding students.

As the donor of the Joseph L B Tse Scholarships and XYD Scholarships for students in the School of Law and the School of Data Science, respectively, Mr Tse regularly meets with students, providing financial support and sharing his experiences and insights into the industries. He believes that a single opportunity (such as an exchange programme) can sometimes be life-changing for students.

Mr Tse encourages young students to stay curious about the world, engage in lifelong learning, and take bold risks once they feel ready to do so. He encourages them not to be afraid of making mistakes but to learn from them.

Mr Tse strongly believes in the importance of nurturing long-term student development, and he recognises that establishing an endowment fund is an excellent approach to achieve this target. In his generosity, he has graciously pledged to establish a personally endowed student fund. Moreover, Mr Tse is committed to promoting CityUHK’s endowment campaign both within and outside the university community.

Mr Joseph Tse Lap-bun

• Founder and Chairman, XYD Financial Services Holdings Limited
• Former Partner and Senior Partner for Greater China, Allen & Overy
• Council Member, CityUHK
• Chairman, School Advisory Committee, School of Data Science, CityUHK
• Donor, Joseph L B Tse Scholarships and XYD Scholarships
• Principal Member, CityUHK Foundation 

This article is extracted from CityUHK Today.