TC006431)
WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (incl. 2025 Form NAR1 70005105261 & 2025 Form NR1 70004910636)
1989650), the Customs and Excise Department MSO Register (Licence No.: 14-02-01352), and Ant International corporate disclosures.
Serving over one million global e-commerce merchants (Amazon, Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, AliExpress) and B2B exporters, WorldFirst operates in Hong Kong through its wholly-owned statutory entity WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (incorporated 1 November 2013, CR No. 1989650, BRN 62267371, HK Customs MSO Licence No. 14-02-01352)[1][2]. Because the company registered only an English legal name under Section 81 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), corporate audit confirmations and legal agreements in Hong Kong must cite WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED rather than its Greater China brand name.
Following its ~US$700 million acquisition by Ant Group in February 2019, WorldFirst became a flagship pillar of Singapore-headquartered Ant International alongside Alipay+, Antom, and Bettr, co-locating within the Alibaba/Ant corporate cluster at Tower One, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong[1][4].
Chapter 1: From London FX Pioneer to Ant International Flagship — The Causeway Bay Times Square Ecosystem
Founded in London in 2004 by former Citibank executives Jonathan Quin and Nick Robinson, WorldFirst incorporated its Hong Kong subsidiary WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (CR No. 1989650) on 1 November 2013 and obtained HK Customs MSO Licence 14-02-01352 in February 2014[1][2]. After Ant Group's 100% acquisition in February 2019, WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED consolidated its operations into Block 1 (Tower One), Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, operating in the same landmark building as Alibaba Group's Hong Kong commercial entities (verified via 86hc.com Building Intelligence)[1]:
| Statutory Entity & Dossier Link | CR No. / BRN | Times Square Block 1 Floor | HK Regulatory Licence | Role in Alibaba / Ant Ecosystem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (English Name Only · Live) | CR: 1989650BRN: 62267371 | Room 2209, 22/F (Confirmed via 2025-08-28 NR1) | HK Customs MSO:14-02-01352 | Ant International's APAC cross-border e-commerce (World Account) and B2B trade clearing hub. |
| OneTouch International Limited ( 一達通國際有限公司) | CR: 2352440BRN: 65914781 | 26/F (Block 1, Times Square) | HK Customs MSO:23-11-03187 | Alibaba.com cross-border trade services & settlement subsidiary (2026 Form NAR1: 70005602470). |
| ALIBABA.COM HONG KONG LIMITED ( 阿里巴巴香港有限公司) | CR: 0689778BRN: 30409137 | 26/F (Co-located with Taobao China 0842504) | Group B2B E-Commerce Hub | Alibaba's global B2B marketplace entity in Hong Kong, creating direct commercial synergy with WorldFirst on 22/F. |
Chapter 2: 2025 ICRIS Filing Forensics — Decoding the "7000"-Prefix e-Filings & Board Restructuring
An audit of all 28 official ICRIS filings of WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (CR 1989650) reveals a series of board governance updates and registered office confirmations between March and November 2025 under the Companies Registry's 7000-prefix e-filing barcode series[1]:
| Filing Date | Form Code | Official Statutory Document & Governance Significance | ICRIS Barcode | Pages / Inspect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-06 | NAR1 | Annual Return 2025 (Form NAR1 · 13 Pages) Comprehensive disclosure of Ant International shareholding, issued share capital, and active board of directors | 70005105261 | 13p · Inspect |
| 2025-10-17 | ND4 | Notice of Resignation of Company Secretary and Director (Form ND4) | 70005038668 | 1p · Inspect |
| 2025-08-28 | NR1 | Notice of Change of Registered Office Address (Form NR1) Updates statutory office to Room 2209, 22/F, Block 1, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay | 70004910636 | 1p · Inspect |
| 2025-08-28 | ND2B | Notice of Change of Company Secretary and Director Details (Dual Filings) Filed on the same day as Form NR1 (3 pages under 70004910665 & 7 pages under 70004910693) | 7000491066570004910693 | 3p/7p · Inspect |
| 2025-05-28 | ND2A | Notice of Change of Company Secretary and Director (Form ND2A) | 70004662205 | 3p · Inspect |
| 2025-03-19 | ND2B | Notice of Change of Company Secretary and Director Details (Form ND2B) | 70004464504 | 3p · Inspect |
| 2025-03-05 | ND2A | Notice of Change of Company Secretary and Director (Form ND2A) | 70004424485 | 3p · Inspect |
Chapter 3: Product Architecture — World Account (E-Commerce) vs. WorldFirst B2B & 1688/Alipay Direct Payouts
Backed by Ant International and partnering with tier-1 clearing banks (Citibank, J.P. Morgan, Barclays, Standard Chartered), WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED bridges international currency collection with instant RMB settlement via Alipay and 1688.com supply chain sourcing[4]:
| Feature Dimension | World Account (E-Commerce Collection) (Built for Global Marketplace & DTC Sellers) | WorldFirst B2B Account (Built for Physical Goods Exporters & HK Trading Corps) |
|---|---|---|
| Target Use Case | Automated store payouts from 130+ global marketplaces (Amazon, AliExpress, Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, Walmart) and Shopify stores. | Invoice-backed B2B trade wire transfers via SWIFT or local clearing rails (ACH, SEPA, Faster Payments, FPS). |
| Local Currency Accounts | Instant generation of local receiving accounts in 40+ currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, HKD, CAD, AUD, JPY, SGD, CNH, MXN, PLN) for multi-store isolation. | Dedicated corporate-named virtual IBANs and global accounts with 24/7 free instant book transfers between WorldFirst counterparties. |
| 1688.com & Alipay Direct Settlement | Unique Ant Ecosystem Integration: Enables merchants to pay Mainland Chinese manufacturers directly on 1688.com using cross-border RMB settlement or withdraw compliant export proceeds directly to verified Alipay and Mainland bank accounts. | |
| World Card (Virtual Mastercard/Visa) | Multi-currency virtual corporate cards for direct settlement of Amazon Ads, Meta/Google marketing spend, overseas warehousing, and cloud subscriptions without double FX conversion. | |
Chapter 4: Judicial Litigation Audit & Hong Kong Corporate KYC Renewal Checklist
A search of the 86hc.com Hong Kong Court Litigation & Winding-Up Roll confirms that WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (CR 1989650) maintains zero winding-up petitions. Historical civil docket entries (11 records, predominantly third-party discovery/tracing summonses) reflect standard Norwich Pharmacal third-party tracing actions where external fraud victims sought bank/MSO records—standard across major clearing institutions[3].
HK Corporate KYC Renewal Tip: To prevent temporary payout holds under HK Customs Cap. 615 ongoing monitoring rules, Hong Kong companies holding a WorldFirst account must proactively upload their renewed Business Registration Certificate (BRC) and latest Annual Return (Form NAR1) within 30 days of their incorporation anniversary. For Hong Kong statutory audits, CPA confirmation letters must be addressed to WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (CR No. 1989650, Room 2209, 22/F, Block 1, Times Square, Causeway Bay).
Chapter 5: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on WorldFirst Hong Kong
Q1: What is WorldFirst's statutory legal name, CR number, and MSO licence number in Hong Kong?
WorldFirst operates in Hong Kong as WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (English statutory name only), incorporated on 1 November 2013 with Company Number (CR No.) 1989650 and Business Registration Number (BRN) 62267371. It holds Hong Kong Customs MSO Licence No. 14-02-01352.
Q2: What is the current registered office address of WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED?
Per Form NR1 filed on 28 August 2025 (Barcode: 70004910636) and the 2025 Form NAR1 filed on 6 November 2025 (Barcode: 70005105261), its statutory registered office and MSO premises are at Room 2209, 22/F, Block 1, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
Q3: How is WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED connected to Ant International and Alibaba Group?
Acquired by Ant Group in February 2019, WorldFirst is the flagship SME cross-border trade and e-commerce payment arm of Ant International. In Hong Kong, it operates in Block 1, Times Square alongside Alibaba Group's OneTouch International Limited (CR 2352440, 26/F) and Alibaba.com Hong Kong Limited (CR 0689778, 26/F).
Chapter 6: Official Statutory Registries & Verification References
- Hong Kong Companies Registry (ICRIS): Statutory Register and 28 Official Filings for WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED (CR No.
1989650, BRN62267371, incl. 2025 Form NAR170005105261, 2025 Form ND470005038668, 2025 Form NR170004910636, Form ND2B70004910665&70004910693, Form ND2A70004662205&70004424485). Portal: www.e-services.cr.gov.hk ↗. - Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (MSSB): Register of Money Service Operators under Cap. 615 — Licensee:
WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED, Licence No.:14-02-01352, Premises:SUITE 09, 22/F, TOWER ONE, TIMES SQUARE, 1 MATHESON STREET, CAUSEWAY BAY, HONG KONG. Directory: HK Customs MSO Register. - 86hc.com Hong Kong Court Litigation & Winding-Up Roll: Judicial verification for
WORLD FIRST ASIA LIMITED(CR1989650). Portal: 86hc.com Litigation Search. - Ant International & WorldFirst Official Regulatory Disclosures: Global licensing, client fund safeguarding, and World Account / B2B terms. Website: www.worldfirst.com ↗.