Tech giant Sea opens new digital finance headquarters in Singapore

Sea was founded in May 2009 by Mr Forrest Li, who is also the chief executive and chairman of the company.

Originally focused on online gaming under the name Garena, Sea now also runs e-commerce platform Shopee and owns MariBank, one of the five digital banks in Singapore.

“We chose the name Monee because it is simple, cute, and just like Sea, easy to write and pronounce,” said Mr Li.

“By carrying the same sound as ‘money’, its name instantly connects to what the business is about,” he said, adding that Monee seeks to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology in the area of finance.

The name also “echoes” sister brand Shopee, said Sea.

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng attended the opening of Monee’s office, which was also a 16th anniversary celebration for Sea.