ServiceNow invests US$40 million in BUSINESSNEXT to expand AI banking workflows across APAC

ServiceNow has announced a US$40 million investment in BUSINESSNEXT, marking a joint effort by both companies to connect customer-facing banking systems with the internal operations supporting lending, service, and complaint resolution.

Through this planned integration, BUSINESSNEXT’s customer relationship management and digital lending platforms will combine with ServiceNow’s Financial Services Operations software. Together, the two firms are targeting financial institutions across the Asia Pacific region that are applying artificial intelligence to customer engagement and operational processes, while simultaneously managing the compliance requirements of a regulated industry.

While BUSINESSNEXT manages customer acquisition, engagement, and customer data, ServiceNow powers middle and back-office processes such as case management, complaints handling, and workflows executed by AI agents. Connecting these distinct functions is intended to facilitate seamless information flow between front-end customer channels and the operational teams responsible for completing related internal work.

Connecting customer activity with banking operations

Before reaching a final resolution, a lending application or customer request can pass through several disparate systems. When information collected via customer-facing platforms requires review by case managers, complaints teams, or other operational departments, managing these underlying systems independently often creates friction and delays.

To address this challenge, BUSINESSNEXT and ServiceNow plan to establish a common operating layer across these end-to-end processes. Within this framework, ServiceNow’s AI Control Tower will play a central role by coordinating artificial intelligence workflows and applying governance controls across the integrated environment.

Both companies describe the arrangement as a structured approach to reduce fragmentation between customer engagement, lending activities, and internal banking operations. Although any tangible benefits will ultimately depend on how effectively the two platforms are integrated and adopted within existing financial services infrastructure, the proposed framework gives the partnership a defined operational focus.

ServiceNow linked its investment decision to BUSINESSNEXT’s deep experience with leading banks and insurers in India, alongside its own operational AI capabilities.

“BUSINESSNEXT’s success with leading Indian banks and insurers, combined with ServiceNow’s operational AI capabilities, gives financial services enterprises in APAC a credible, proven path to AI-driven transformation,” said Adrian Johnston, president for Asia Pacific at ServiceNow.

Existing deployments support the APAC plan

According to BUSINESSNEXT, its platform currently supports more than one million users across over 75,000 branches and serves more than one billion end customers globally. Deployed across physical branches, contact centres, and digital customer channels, its systems encompass customer management, lending automation, AI-assisted decision-making, and automated workflows handled by software agents.

Having spent more than 15 years developing software for financial institutions, BUSINESSNEXT plans to expand the regional deployment of its AI-based financial services products. ServiceNow’s investment is expected to support joint sales initiatives and accelerate platform adoption across Asia Pacific.

Chief executive and co-founder Nishant Singh also connected the funding to the development of BUSINESSNEXT’s Private AI solutions tailored for banking and financial services. While the announcement does not define these planned products in granular detail, it presents them as bespoke systems designed around the specific requirements of financial institutions.