Ascentium Acquires Dezan Shira & Associates, Expanding its Footprint to 27 Markets and Strengthening Corporate Services Capabilities

SINGAPORE, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascentium, a leading global business services platform headquartered in Singapore, has completed its acquisition of Dezan Shira & Associates ("Dezan Shira"), a multi-disciplinary professional services firm with more than three decades of experience advising foreign investors across Asia.

This strategic move significantly expands Ascentium's reach and capabilities across Asia, the United States, and Europe, enabling the group to guide businesses from pre-investment market assessment through long-term operations, while further deepening its advisory expertise for international businesses operating across these regions.

Expanding cross-border capabilities

With this acquisition, Ascentium now operates in 27 markets, including new locations such as Mongolia, Poland, Germany and Italy, thereby enhancing its ability to support clients with cross-border investments and multi-jurisdictional operations. The addition of Dezan Shira's network complements Ascentium's existing footprint in Southeast Asia, positioning the group as one of the most extensive on-the-ground advisory platforms supporting foreign investment in Asia.

This expansion further enables Ascentium to serve clients on the Chinese mainland more effectively, especially foreign investors seeking to enter or scale in this dynamic market.  Added to the established network of InCorp International, an Ascentium Company, the incorporation of Dezan Shira contributes three new offices in Suzhou, Tianjin, and Zhongshan, extending Ascentium's presence across the Chinese mainland to 15 locations.

With a network spanning major commercial hubs including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Tianjin, Ascentium delivers clear answers and hands-on support to help businesses navigate regulatory complexity and build a strong, compliant presence with confidence.

Deepening advisory and intelligence capabilities

Dezan Shira brings over three decades of experience advising foreign investors in Asia, with recognised strengths in regulatory analysis, business intelligence, investment structuring, tax advisory and technology-enabled solutions. These capabilities complement Ascentium's established services in incorporation, multi-country HR and payroll, ESG and tax advisory, and fiduciary - creating an integrated platform that supports clients from market entry through long-term growth. 

Multinational enterprises, regional headquarters, and growth-oriented businesses will benefit from greater scale, deeper regulatory expertise, and a unified service platform designed to navigate complex cross-border business environments.

Asia Briefing: Business intelligence and market insights platform

The acquisition also brings Asia Briefing, Dezan Shira's business intelligence and research arm, into Ascentium's ecosystem. Through its Doing Business guides, digital publications, and daily regulatory analysis, Asia Briefing is the leading source for insights on market entry, compliance, regulatory developments, and business news across Asia.

The Asia Briefing platform strengthens the combined group's ability to pair on-the-ground advisory services with timely, region-wide intelligence to support informed decision-making.

Alberto Vettoretti, Managing Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates, said, "Joining Ascentium marks an exciting new chapter for Dezan Shira & Associates. By combining our expertise with Ascentium's global platform and execution capabilities, we can deliver even greater value to clients looking to expand and succeed in multiple markets."

Lennard Yong, Founding Management and Group CEO of Ascentium, added, "This acquisition brings us closer to a fully connected advisory platform across Asia and beyond. With Ascentium's execution strength and Dezan Shira's market intelligence and regulatory expertise, we can guide businesses through every stage of expansion, from pre-investment assessment through sustained operations, whether they are entering one new market or scaling across multiple jurisdictions."

About Ascentium

Ascentium is a leading global business services platform dedicated to helping businesses and individuals scale greater heights. Headquartered in Singapore, we drive extraordinary growth through expert people, purpose-led technology, and an unwavering commitment to service excellence.

With over 2,600 professionals across 46 cities in 23 markets globally, we deliver integrated solutions in corporate services, finance and accounting, fund administration, human resources, and fiduciary and trust services. Serving more than 63,000 client entities across diverse industries, Ascentium combines specialised expertise with innovative, technology-enabled solutions to help clients navigate complexity and unlock new opportunities for sustainable growth.

For more information, visit: ascentium.com

About Dezan Shira & Associates

Founded in 1992, Dezan Shira & Associates is a professional services firm advising foreign investors and multinational enterprises entering and operating across Asia.

The firm provides business intelligence and market entry, corporate establishment and licensing, accounting, tax advisory, payroll and HR administration, internal audit and risk advisory, as well as technology-enabled financial software and ERP solutions.

With more than 300 professionals operating from 27 offices globally, Dezan Shira & Associates maintains one of the region's most extensive integrated advisory platforms dedicated to foreign direct investment and cross-border operations.

SOURCE Ascentium