Waton Financial Limited Announces Partnership with Panda AI and Tsinghua-Linked X-Tech to Develop Advanced AI-Powered Trading Agents

HONG KONG, March 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Waton Financial Limited (NASDAQ:WTF), a provider of securities brokerage and financial technology services ("Waton" or the "Company"), today announced that its subsidiary, Waton Securities International Limited ("WSI"), a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of the Company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Pandaai Quantum Global Pte. Limited (an affiliate of Panda AI) and X-Tech (Beijing) Co., Ltd. ("X-Tech"), a company linked to Tsinghua University's ("Tsinghua") Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (IIIS) ("Tsinghua IIIS"). The partnership establishes the "AI and Fintech Joint Lab" to research and develop AI agents that can handle trading on their own, with the aim of enhancing investment decision-making capabilities for users.

This partnership combines WSI's skills in finance and technology with Panda AI's new approaches in AI inspired by quantum ideas and X-Tech's research background. The lab is led by Professor Li Jian from IIIS Tsinghua, who serves as the main person in charge of the project. As an expert in AI for quantitative investment, Professor Li Jian brings his deep knowledge in machine learning and quantitative trading strategies to guide the partnership work. His research group at Tsinghua focuses on the foundation of AI and using AI to improve financial decisions, and he has shared his insights through many published papers and a popular online column on quantitative investment. This direct involvement is intended to ensure that the lab's efforts are grounded in expertise, in order to turn advanced ideas into practical trading tools.

Licensed for securities trading, WSI will provide its experience in trading systems and financial operations to the partnership, supporting the lab in creating tools designed for everyday investors to use.

"This partnership with Tsinghua-affiliated X-Tech and Panda AI is an important step forward for our company," said ZHOU Kai, Chairman of the board of directors of the Company. "With Professor Li Jian at the helm—drawing on his strong track record in AI and trading research—we aim to create reliable AI agents that trade independently. We anticipate that this partnership will strengthen our technology offerings and help both individual and professional investors in the growing field of AI-driven finance."

Tsinghua's IIIS, founded by Turing Award winner, Professor Andrew Yao, is a leading center for research in areas including AI, quantum computing, and interdisciplinary science. Under faculty members like Professor Li Jian, the institute has trained over 1,000 students and earned awards such as Sloan Fellowships and recognition at major conferences. X-Tech is a technology enterprise founded through intellectual property incubation by professors and students from IIIS. The lab will focus on building trading agents that analyze data and make choices in real time, which aligns with Waton's product development efforts, including its TraderWTF platform. The goal is to connect real assets with AI and blockchain for trading anytime, anywhere.

About Waton Financial Limited

Waton Financial Limited is a holding company registered in the British Virgin Islands, conducting business primarily through its wholly-owned subsidiaries in Hong Kong. Waton offers comprehensive financial services, including securities brokerage, asset management, and software licensing to retail and institutional investors. Driven by technology and a customer-centric philosophy, Waton is committed to delivering innovative and reliable financial solutions. For more information, visit www.wtf.us;

Forward-Looking Statements

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