MDI Ventures, a corporate VC firm backed by Telkom Indonesia, has announced the launch of an angel investment network. 

Called eMerge, the network aims to educate and attract high-net-worth individuals to invest in Indonesia’s early-stage tech startups. It allows angel investors to invest via a syndication model, under a special purpose vehicle (SPV), or co-invest with MDI and other pre-seed and seed-stage VCs.

The network has announced its first investment in GOX, an Indonesian gaming live streaming platform and community.

GOX taps into an industry plagued with limited monetisation features and the inefficiency of audience-streamer interactions.

“Comparing Indonesia’s streaming industry to more mature markets like China and the United States, which have 4 million and 3 million streamers respectively, the Indonesian market is heavily underpenetrated,” said Jack Lontoh, a co-founder of GOX. 

GOX will utilise the new funds to improve the user experience, hence, boost its long-term revenue growth. The firm plans to work on new product development and grow its network of streamers. 

Further details of the deals are not disclosed.

Also read: The pros and cons of signing on an angel investor for your startup

As per a press statement, more than 60 angel investors have joined eMerge’s member network. Beyond simply writing cheques, eMerge claims that its members can help portfolio companies grow and succeed with angel backgrounds ranging from startup founders to conglomerate owners. 

MDI Ventures has shared more than 30 deals with the network. The firm is on track to ink several deals with participation from angel investors and other venture capital firms. 

“The creation of eMerge has completed the MDI investment thesis as an end-to-end investment ecosystem for startups,” said Sarah Usman, partner of eMerge.

Launched in 2016, MDI Ventures is a CVC with US$830 million in assets under management. It provides startups with a range of opportunities to get plugged into Telkom Group’s businesses in telecoms, multimedia, property, financial services, and a network of other state-owned enterprises.

In August, Arise, a joint venture by MDI Ventures and Finch Capital, has announced the first close of its US$40-million debut fund, aiming to invest in 25 tech startups in the post-seed to pre-Series A stages in Southeast Asia for the next three years.

Earlier this month, blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider Binance also established a joint venture with a consortium of investors led by MDI Ventures to develop a new digital asset exchange in Indonesia.

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Indonesian agritech startup Agriaku has raised an undisclosed seed funding round led by Arise, a fund that was the result of a collaboration between MDI Ventures and Finch Capital. Wright Partners and MDI Ventures also participated in the funding round.

The startup plans to use the new funding to increase the number of farmers on board their platform as part of the effort to penetrate Indonesia’s agriculture market.

Founded in May by Irvan Kolonas (a serial agriculture entrepreneur and CEO at Vasham, a company that builds financial and operational solutions for agriculture industry players) and Danny Handoko (Ex-CEO and Co-Founder of hospitality startup Airy Indonesia), AgriAku aims to solve problems that exist in the agriculture value chain from principals, supply chain, retailers, and farmers.

In a press statement, the startup said that despite agriculture being the largest GDP contributor in Indonesia, its upstream market is fragmented and sufficient. “The problems primarily revolve around the multi-layered nature of the supply chain, causing a lack of data insights for decision-making and limited knowledge and financing capabilities for farmers,” it wrote.

Agriaku builds a marketplace that connects agricultural supply stores with manufacturers or first-level distributors. The company said that this model allows farmers to procure a full catalogue of SKUs of agri-inputs with ease and at a nominally competitive price point.

Also Read: The 27 Indonesian startups that have taken the ecosystem to next level this year

Moving forward, Agriaku said it will continue to expand its offerings to become a one-stop solution for agricultural services, catering to the needs of the different stakeholders in the agricultural industry.

The company said that it is “amplifying the playbook of” DeHaat, an India-based agritech startup that has recently scored a US$115 million Series D funding round from Lightrock, Sequoia Capital India, and Temasek Holdings, among others.

“We believe that our approach of empowering local toko tani (agricultural supply shop) as our last mile agents to distribute a full stack of product and services for smallholder farmers in Indonesia has the potential to disrupt an industry that so far has been resistant to change,” said Irvan Kolonas, President and Co-Founder of Agriaku.

Since its inception, Agriaku said that it has empowered more than 6,000 small agribusinesses and thousands of smallholders farmers in Indonesia.

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M_Service JSC, the owner of the Vietnamese payment app MoMo, has scored US$200 million Series E funding led by Mizuho, a global bank based in Japan. 

Mizuho invested US$170 million in return for a 7.5 per cent stake, according to a Nikkei Asia report. APAC-focused Ward Ferry Management and existing investors Goodwater Capital (a consumer tech-focused venture capital firm) and Kora Management (a global investment firm targeting emerging markets) also contributed.

As per a Bloomberg report, this round brings the fintech firm’s valuation to over US$2 billion, joining the likes of local tech firms VNPay, VNG, and Sky Mavis (the owner of Axie Infinity) in the coveted unicorn club. 

In January, MoMo announced the close of an undisclosed Series D round (Bloomberg revealed that it was more than US$100 million), co-led by Warburg Princus, which had led MoMo’s Series C round in 2019, and Goodwater Capital.

MoMo will channel the fresh funds to increase the reach of its offerings to 31 million customers, starting with a bill payment service. It also intends to expand in rural areas in Vietnam and support digital transformations in local MSME merchants. 

A portion of the capital will be used to bolster MoMo’s tech investments as well as mergers and acquisitions in future. 

In June, MoMo acquired local startup Pique, which uses AI to turn visitors into customers. It plans to capitalise on Pique’s 25 million user database to improve its product offerings further.

Also read: The 27 Vietnam startups that have grabbed our attention this year

Founded in 2007, Momo offers mobile payments and e-wallet services for iOS and Android devices. Its range of products include cash transfers, mobile phone recharges, personal loans and services, such as software license and online game cards.

The e-wallet has been evolving into a super-app marketplace that includes insurance, credit products, and digital vouchers, among other things. It also plans to launch investment products next year.

MoMo claims to have a partnership with over 50 banks and financial institutions. It has also partnered with 50,000 corporate brands across consumer finance, insurance, money transfers, utility payments, entertainment, e-commerce, shopping, transportation, and F&B. 

The firm claims the wallet has over 140,000 payment acceptance locations across all industry sectors. 

Vietnam’s digital payments vertical, especially contactless payments, has witnessed spectacular growth following the onslaught of COVID-19. According to a report by Statista, in 2020, Vietnam has one of the highest rates of cashless payment acceptance in Southeast Asia. 

Although cash-on-delivery has been the most popular mode of purchase in Vietnam, the trend is seeing a significant shift thanks to the pandemic-induced behavioural change. The growing e-wallet category has played a crucial role in the expansion of Vietnamese digital payments, accounting for an increasing transaction value that is expected to reach over US$48 billion by 2025.

Other major apps operating in the contactless payments space in Vietnam are VNG’s Zalo, Gojek, Payoo, Moca, and SenPay.

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International travel is making a comeback. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is optimistic that global passenger numbers would recover to 52 per cent of pre-COVID levels by the end of this year, citing more vaccination and testing as the key drivers.

Countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, have reopened their borders to vaccinated travellers after more than a year of lockdowns due to COVID-19.

This poses a critical question to airport leaders: Are their facilities ready to welcome passengers back safely?

To earn back public trust and protect the wellbeing of employees and passengers alike, airports need updated facilities that provide highly connected and data-driven environments. Studies show airports are ready to do just that; airports globally spent US$3.5 billion on IT in 2020 and are projected to budget the same or more in 2021.

Singapore’s Changi Airport has tested on-arrival testing and biosafety systems to maintain the airport’s position as a safe, well-connected and trusted airport.

By integrating digital solutions, airport leaders can maximise non-aeronautical revenue opportunities, streamline the passenger experience and deliver safety and security at every touchpoint.

Airports benefit from proactive digital security solutions in several ways, apart from gaining a heightened awareness of potential threats. Solutions such as biometrics allow airports to strengthen their security processes, as well as slow the spread of viruses by minimising face-to-face human interaction between passengers and employees.

Also Read: COVID-19, the environment, and the tech ecosystem: what opportunity is available out there for us?

Proactive security can help create a more enjoyable experience for passengers by processing them more quickly and efficiently, thus giving passengers more time to shop, dine and explore the terminals.

With technologies such as advanced access control and a connected dashboard, airports can boost sustainability practices such as integrating building management systems to calibrate, optimize and forecast energy usage based on foot traffic and occupancy.

Analytics help airports prepare for the unexpected

Technological advancements in passenger screening systems are driving demand in airports across the Asia Pacific such as India and China. These include powerful body scanners, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, blockchain technology, facial and biometric recognition.

Changi Airport in Singapore is tapping data analytics and the Internet of Things to gain a more accurate, real-item perspective of its operations.

Likewise, Malaysia Airports is using contactless technology to help enhance passenger safety in response to the current global pandemic.

Data is a key component of any modern airport’s operations. There will be concerns around cybersecurity, especially as the public return to air travel after a long hiatus, resulting in a large influx of passenger data.

With the right cybersecurity program, however, these vulnerabilities can be identified and eliminated. 83 per cent of airports plan to implement a significant cybersecurity program, of which cyber-analysis is a key component.

A trusted partner can work with airport leaders to identify gaps in their system and create a cybersecurity program aligned to their needs, allowing them to integrate new technologies to address the concern of a cyberattack.

Airports have been using risk algorithms to stay prepared for unexpected emergencies. Leveraging digital twin technology, airport security managers can create a live digital replica environment by applying internal and external facility data.

This enables security leaders to run highly accurate models and algorithms to account for the biggest risks facing their airports and help guide them when designing their security systems. Digital twin technology can even help airports locate the source of costly, panic-inducing false alarms.

Also read: Here are the 5 predictions for Southeast Asia’s travel industry trends post-COVID-19

Analytics can help airport leaders understand and best serve their customers. With analytics, security managers can predict and understand passenger behaviours in the airport, and pattern recognition tools can automatically recognise and flag suspicious passenger activity to security personnel before the situation becomes dangerous.

Additionally, by understanding the factors that most influence passengers’ shopping, dining and enjoyment, airports can redesign concourse layout for greater customer satisfaction and revenue generation while maintaining best-in-class security.

Integrate for streamlined emergency response

A surge in passengers can complicate airports’ emergency response processes; more passengers, unfortunately, create greater potential for accidents and violence and also amount to more individuals that require evacuation.

However, just as airports can implement proactive solutions to predict and analyze security threats, they can also install creative and integrated incident identification and response systems for comprehensive, real-time emergency response.

Whether the emergency involves fire, intrusion or simply suspicious behaviour, security systems can be automated and connected to enable a streamlined and automated response.

By integrating security solutions onto a single network, multiple systems can communicate with each other for maximum efficiency. Mass notification systems (MNS), including text alerts, digital screens and kiosks, can be integrated with alarms to deliver evacuation guidance to passengers and employees.

MNS can also instantly alert local first responders, providing them with detailed information about the situation so they can formulate a plan to best protect employees and travellers.

Also Read: Sleeping beast ready to awaken: The rush for regtech in a COVID-19 world

Surveillance cameras can also be integrated with alarms to automatically lock and unlock entrances and exits based on the response required for the incident, preventing individuals from moving towards the danger.

In an emergency situation, every second counts. Through integration, airports’ emergency response processes are streamlined and automated, removing human error as a risk factor and ensuring an orderly evacuation process that can save lives.

Data-powered security is cleared for takeoff

In the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, passengers returning to airports in the coming months will naturally have heightened expectations for airport security and efficiency.

To assuage any concerns and earn back public trust, passengers will expect to see and experience a greater focus on their wellbeing and comfort, in addition to impenetrable security. Airports cannot afford to fall short.

By implementing the latest in advanced security solutions, airport leaders can create an enhanced environment that is data-powered and optimised for traveller wellness.

From touchless access control to digital twin analytics, airports across Southeast Asia can welcome back travellers with a safe, healthy and enjoyable passenger experience.

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By mid of 2019, economists were predicting more retrenchments and fewer job vacancies in Singapore. The city-state hardly got some time to recover from the slowing GDP growth that year when COVID-19 hit. Today, not just Singapore, but the entire world is faced with an unpredictable job market amidst global economic shutdowns due to the prolonged pandemic.  The coronavirus outbreak triggered mass layoffs in big and small companies all over the world. 

The importance of passive income has always been well known but in the past two years, it has become even more clear that we all need additional sources of income as a safety net and for emergencies. 

There are multiple ways of earning passive income but as we approach the digital decade in the 4.0 era, digital currency has started to see an increase in adoption with cryptocurrencies emerging as remarkably resilient assets during global economic meltdowns.

We spoke to Sten Ivan, head of growth at crypto interest-earning platform Hodlnaut to explore more on this. 

Earning passive income with cryptocurrency in Asia: Scope and challenges

Sten believes that with the increase in adoption of crypto-related activities evidenced by financial giants such as PayPal and Mastercard, it shows that the use of digital currencies is slowly becoming more acceptable and will soon be mainstream. Moreover, DeFi and the blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies have an abundance of use cases besides just being a mode of payment. This means that there are tons of opportunities for growth we have yet to see in the space.

“Inflation is also a very common aspect when it comes to fiat money. But with cryptocurrency, the chances of inflation are minimal — and even none. With a fixed supply of Bitcoin in circulation, users who hold Bitcoin would not need to worry about an increase in the supply of the currency, which in turn, will not devalue the asset. All these aspects make cryptocurrency a viable choice for users to earn passive income in,” he adds.

Also read: How electric mobility startups are tackling climate change in Asia

Cryptocurrency as an ideal avenue for passive income makes even more sense for Asia where trends like a rising middle class and increasing smartphone and internet usage are driving digital trends. 

According to a study by Messari crypto researcher Mira Christanto, six out of the top ten cryptocurrency unicorns are located in Asia. Plus, around 98 per cent of ethereum-based futures and 94 per cent of bitcoin futures volumes stem from the region. 

However, there are several common fears associated with cryptocurrency that might lead to hesitation and doubt. In a survey done by Encrybit The Future of Exchange, 40 per cent of respondents considered security to be the most problematic while 33 per cent considered lack of customer support as the main challenge. Extreme price swings and market volatility are also common challenges faced by crypto traders.

Changing the crypto game for a better, brighter future

Singapore-based crypto lending platform Hodlnaut is stepping up to help provide financial services for individual investors allowing them to safely earn interest on their cryptocurrencies by lending to vetted corporate borrowers, who would otherwise struggle to access crypto loans. 

“Here at Hodlnaut, we always take a security-first approach. We have put in place various security protocols to ensure that users’ funds are safe with us. This includes a two-factor authentication procedure for users before they can deposit,” Sten shares.

To ensure that funds are kept safe, Hodlnaut does not use hot wallets, which are vulnerable to online attacks. “Instead, we use Fireblocks’ multi-party computation wallet infrastructure where each user will be assigned a unique address generated by Fireblocks. On the backend, Hodlnaut will either transfer the cryptocurrencies to our self-custodied cold wallets or lend them to vetted borrowers,” Sten adds.

Also read: How Grove HR is powering the next generation of Tech unicorns

Plus, the platform runs on a secure cloud infrastructure on Amazon Web Services (AWS), and all traffic is encrypted with SSL encryption. “We encrypt and anonymise as much data as possible on our servers. We also use industry-standard algorithms for password hashing and procedures,” shares Sten.

Furthermore, users can withdraw funds to only whitelisted addresses, preventing any potential hacks and scams. Hodlnaut also provides an optional Nexus Mutual Custody Cover. Though it is not mandatory, Hodlnaut has put in place this option to provide users with an alternative to safeguard their funds.

Hodlnaut is also certified by the Singapore Fintech Association, a credential recognised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Plus, it is even actively pursuing a license application with the MAS and is currently operating under an exemption. 

Maximised benefits and high-interest rates

Hodlnaut offers some of the highest interest rates of up to 12.73%. “This means that users will be able to benefit a lot more when they deposit with us since they will be able to earn higher returns,” explains Sten.

In the Encrybit survey, 37 per cent of respondents considered high trading fees to be the most problematic. Hodlnaut has recently launched a new initiative to waive off any single withdrawal fee per calendar month. As such, users no longer need to pay for the withdrawal fees so long as they withdraw only once a month. This allows them to earn maximised returns since they do not have to pay for the additional withdrawal fee. 

Hodlnaut also has a Preferred Interest Payout feature that allows users to earn in the currency of their choice. The feature allows for more flexibility over users’ crypto assets and boosts their annual percentage yield (APY) when they choose to earn in stablecoins since the current APY for stables is much higher (12.73%) compared to BTC or ETH (7.46%). 

Also read: UKISS Hugware: Singapore-designed hardware wallet securing digital assets with hassle-free recovery

Furthermore, with Hodlnaut’s Nexus Mutual Custody Cover, users are able to access custody cover easily, quickly, and conveniently. Users who purchase custody cover will have their assets protected against the following risks:

• The custodian gets hacked and the user loses more than 10% of their funds
• Withdrawals from the custodian are halted for more than 90 day

The feature covers any token or combination of tokens users have in their Hodlnaut account. In case of a claim, users will receive the equivalent of their funds in ETH or DAI up to the covered amount. 

Crypto traders can now make money on the go with Hodlnaut mobile apps

Before the launch of their iOS and Android applications, crypto traders would have to log in to Hodlnaut’s website via their computers, tablets, or smartphones. To provide users with more options and better accessibility, Hodlnaut has launched iOS and Android mobile apps making it a whole lot easier for users to access their accounts, manage their portfolios, and earn on the go. This is also in line with mobile usage trends in the region. Reports suggest that most Asian countries have already transformed themselves into mobile-first nations, with smartphone penetration outpacing traditional desktop devices. In Korea, consumers have 57 apps installed on average. Chinese users prefer apps over desktops too.

“Traders can now access features such as Token Swap and Preferred Interest Payout to help them boost their portfolios — and eventually, returns — even when they are out and about. No matter where they are, our users can now earn through our mobile app at (literally) the touch of their fingertips,” says Sten.

Start working towards achieving financial freedom with cryptocurrency today. For more information on how Hodlnaut can help you achieve this goal, visit https://www.hodlnaut.com/  and sign up here: https://app.hodlnaut.com/signup 

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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by Hodlnaut

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CapBay, a Malaysian multi-bank supply chain finance and P2P financing platform, has secured RM30 million (US$7 million) investment from Kenanga Capital Islamic (KCI), a subsidiary of Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (KIBB).

The investment will help CapBay grow its Shariah-compliant supply chain finance arm CapBay Islamic.

“The injection of funds will help accelerate the growth of Malaysian SMEs. With the launch of our Islamic receivables and working capital financing solutions, we believe that this will add another dimension to our efforts in supporting the SMEs in the country,” said Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff, chairman of CapBay.

Also Read: CapBay bags US$20M Series A to scale its multi-bank supply chain finance, P2P financing platform

Founded in 2017, CapBay enables SMEs to obtain flexible and cost-effective financing through a digital platform. To date, it claims to have financed more than 14,000 transactions worth over RM1.4 billion (US$330 million), serving over 800 SMEs.

It has partnered with several large corporates, banks and institutional investors to offer the solution.

In January, CapBay announced a US$20 million in Series A round from Singapore-based KK Fund and several Malaysian angel investors.

Last year, CapBay acquired a 49 per cent stake in KCI to create an Islamic supply chain finance fintech. KCI benefits from predicting risk in each transaction beyond just financial statement analysis and utilises machine learning to assess thousands of data points such as historical relationships, payments, contract quality and other patterns. This data-driven approach helps invigorate the Islamic supply chain finance solution for the underbanked.

“We have been collaborating with CapBay to develop an Islamic fintech to serve a wide range of SMEs through a digital platform that enables a faster and more convenient process,” said Chay Wai Leong, group MD of KIBB.

As the SME financing market continues to grow rapidly, the demand for a Shariah-compliant option has increased. According to the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia, it predicted that half of Malaysia’s banking assets to be Islamic by 2030 as the industry’s growth outpaces conventional banking.

Also Read: Kenanga Investors launches frontier fund to connect retail investors with hard-to-reach early-stage startups

“The adoption rate of Islamic financing in Malaysia is growing: this is a clear reflection of the demand for Shariah-compliant products in the country. We noticed many of our clients seeking an Islamic alternative to our products, and we are catering to this growing demand,” added Mohd Shariff.

A report by Fintech News Malaysia shows that out of 233 fintech firms operating in Malaysia, CapBay is part of the small 4 per cent that are Islamic fintech companies.

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Malaysia’s Iris Capital Partners today announced the launch of arguably the country’s first privately led venture debt fund worth RM160 million (US$37.8 million).

The new vehicle, dubbed Iris Fund, aims to finance high-impact startups in Malaysia and the ASEAN region, regardless of sectors or funding stages.

As per a statement, Iris Fund will empower local startups to scale beyond the local market and support Asian companies to expand into the Malaysian market. 

Alongside Iris Capital Partners, South Korea’s Hanwha Asset Management Co. will also co-manage the fund, marking the group’s maiden venture debt partnership in Malaysia.

“We do look for companies with comprehensive business plans and projections that have clear strategies for long-term growth prospects,” said Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad, chairman of the Iris Fund.

Also read: Finance your startup: 10 types of investors you should know

Launched in 2020, Iris Capital Partners was established under Malaysia’s Dana Penjana Nasional programme, a government-backed startup investment fund worth RM600 million (~US$141.9 million). Applying the Fund of Funds (FOF) mechanism, Iris Capital brings in funds that will be matched on a 1:1 basis between government-backed Penjana Kapital and many other institutional and high net worth investors.

“This fund aims to offer more accessible financing to startups and SMEs while allowing founders to control their dilution better,” said Kimo Kim, partner of Iris Fund.

The primary beneficiaries of venture debt funds are early-stage startups with validated business models and clear market growth opportunities. This financing option often minimises shareholding dilution, enhances financial liquidity, and supports fundraising rounds throughout the region. 

Startups, therefore, maintain more autonomy over their assets while still being able to access financing that will bolster their exponential growth over shorter periods.

In September, Iris Fund made its maiden investment by joining the US$22 million Series A round of Growthwell Foods, an alternative meat and seafood protein provider for F&B businesses in Singapore and ten other countries in the APAC region.

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Singapore-based digital trade finance network Contour has announced that Japan’s TIS INTEC Group has invested in the company. 

Other details of the deal haven’t been undisclosed. However, a DealStreetAsia report said several regional and global trade banks, including Citi Ventures and Bangkok Bank, also participated in the Series A extension round, pegging the amount at US$4.9 million.

Also read: How to create a new normal for trade finance with blockchain

This round follows Contour’s previous US$13.41 million Series A round with participation from Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Taiwan’s CTBC, the UK’s HSBC, Bangkok Bank, France’s BNP Paribas and Sweden’s SEB.

In a statement issued on December 13, Contour said the Series A+ financing would support its further adoption of a network covering 13 banks in 25 countries. The startup also has plans to grow its Singapore-based innovation lab to provide other trade finance product offerings beyond the current digitised Letter of Credit (LC) service.

Contour intends to double its in-house development team next year to assist this expansion, besides growing the global talent pool.

“With this investment, we move ever-closer to realise our vision of becoming the new global standard for trade finance by simplifying and removing barriers in the trade ecosystem, making the industry economically, environmentally and socially sustainable,” said Contour CEO Carl Wegner. 

Founded in 2020, Contour applies enterprise blockchain technology to unite buyers, suppliers and banks on a decentralised digital trade finance platform.

Also read: Banks and fintech: An arranged marriage built on trust, but does it last long?

Acquiring LCs is often perceived as time-consuming due to heavy paperwork, high administrative costs, inefficiencies, and barriers to financing. Contour’s primary purpose is to simplify and digitise the management of the LC processes. It helps reduce the paper-based documents involved in trade transactions, significantly shortening the settlement time.

Japan is reportedly one of Contour’s critical markets to strengthen its foothold due to its large trade volumes in sectors, such as commodities, large equipment and automotive — all of which rely heavily on trade finance products.

 

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SMEs are a driving force in SEA’s economic development. Across each country in the region, these businesses account for an average of 97 per cent of all enterprises, employ 69 per cent of the total workforce, and contribute to 41 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

Even though they play such a vital role in fuelling the economy’s growth, 51 per cent of SMEs (equal to 36 million businesses) are underserved by financial institutions in SEA, resulting in a US$320 billion funding gap in terms of their financial needs, which has yet to be filled. 

This became an even greater concern during the pandemic as sustaining their cash flow was the biggest challenge SMEs faced to keep their business afloat. 

As SMEs look for ways to keep the lights on, 90 per cent of SME owners use their savings to fund their business needs rather than to look for financing through traditional means.

A study on Malaysian SMEs found that 64 per cent of those who tried applying for bank loans during the country’s Recovery Movement Control Order between June to August 2020 ended up getting rejected. 

Government filling in the gap

Governments across the region have launched many initiatives to help bridge this financial gap for SMEs. Enterprise Singapore, a government agency, worked with financial institutions to approve US$13 billion worth of loans for 21,000 enterprises amid the pandemic, representing eight per cent of all SMEs in the country.

Thailand’s Central Bank granted US$4 billion worth of loans to financial institutions, which supported 73,000 SMEs out of the total 3 million in the country. The Malaysian Ministry of Finance approved a US$3 billion soft loan scheme which would benefit more than two per cent of Malaysian SMEs. 

Even though governments are launching initiatives to provide financial support, most businesses remain unattended as there is only a handful of SMEs that the government can reach through these schemes.

This led to more than half of owners expressing that they will likely explore alternative financing options within the next three years. 

In this two-part article, we will explore a few common equities and debt financing options to help bridge the gap for SMEs. 

Also Read: Digital transformation for SMEs, Part 3: Data analytics in the enterprise

Equity crowdfunding

Equity crowdfunding (ECF) is a form of financing that allows SMEs to raise capital by offering equity in their business to the public. As this is a highly regulated space, companies would work with a licensed ECF provider who facilitates the fundraising campaign to ensure the compliance and safety of all parties involved. 

ECF provides individual investors with the opportunity to partake in the share offering of private companies and become a shareholder (or indirect shareholder through nominee arrangement) by investing in the overall fundraising amount.

To start a campaign, business owners must first decide how much capital they want to raise and determine the valuation of their businesses. 

Benefits	Drawbacks
Access to the pool of individual and institutional investors on the ECF platform  Greater control over the terms of the deal (e.g. how much equity to sell)  Less dilution for business owners compared to other equity financing options	SMEs can only receive the raised capital if the final amount meets the target at the end of the campaign  Have to make available business information such as financials and business plans publicly so that investors can make an informed decision

The global market size for equity crowdfunding financing is expected to grow by US$196 billion between 2021 to 2025. Asia will be the biggest contributor, attributing to 62 per cent of the total growth, due to increasing demand from investors.

On top of that, regulators across SEA have increased ECF adoption among SMEs. The Malaysian government allocated US$12 million in 2020 and US$19 million in 2021 for grants to encourage SMEs to raise capital through ECF (and Peer-to-Peer, which we will delve deeper into the next article). 

The result – 2020 saw a 199 per cent increase in total capital raised from 2019, reaching US$30 million in one year. The first half of 2021 experienced a 151 per cent jump compared to the whole of 2020, with the total amount raised hitting US$75 million.  

Indonesia’s Financial Service Authority (OJK) first introduced ECF rules back in 2018, with only three platforms permitted to operate by the end of the following year. 

New regulations were released when the pandemic hit, which expanded the type of businesses allowed to raise capital through this form of financing. 

In addition, more licenses were handed out, increasing the number of ECF providers to 7. This helped to develop the ECF market in the country as the funds raised in 2021 reached US$25 million by November, a 90 per cent increase since the start of the year. 

Other countries in SEA have more recently opened up to this form of financing, with the Philippines approving the country’s first ECF platform earlier in 2021 as they look to support underserved SMEs. 

Also Read: Digital transformation for SMEs, Part 2: Understanding its maturity cycle

Vietnam is also looking to develop an ECF platform as its Prime Minister announced plans to boost the development of SMEs in the country. 

 

Venture Capital

This form of financing commonly consists of direct investment by institutional investors, known as Venture Capital (VC). These investors focus on high growth SMEs in industries with promising exit opportunities and return potential. 

Each VC will have its strategies in terms of the industry it invests in, investment size and stage of financing round (e.g. early stage, growth stage, late-stage). SMEs of high growth can opt for VC investment as a financing option.

In SEA, most VC funds started to be tech-focused. However, we are seeing more funds gearing towards high growth non-tech companies as an investment focus. 

Benefits	Drawbacks
SMEs can potentially raise more significant amounts of capital through VC than ECF.  Existing VC investors may help with future fundraising rounds  Access to VC’s business network and community  Potential expertise contribution and portfolio collaboration from VCs	Process of fundraising from VCs may be lengthy depending on the fund’s profile and the number of investors involved in around  Greater dilution for business owners with the possibility of losing majority control after multiple fundraising rounds

 Global VC investments have been on the rise, as it is on track to hit an all-time high, with the total amount invested reaching US$580 billion in 2021, which is nearly 50 per cent more than the previous year.  

SEA’s VC investments are still relatively small compared to the rest of the world, reaching US$4.4 billion in 2021 across this region. The number of deals completed in SEA reached a record high of 393 in 2021, which was 20 per cent higher than the same period in the previous year showing good signs of growth.  

VCs play an important role as their investments into businesses not only help them grow but spur a country’s economic growth, job opportunities, and innovation. Governments across the region recognise this value and want to stimulate more opportunities for businesses to raise capital through this form of financing. 

Also Read: Is omnichannel commerce a fairy tale for SMEs in Singapore?

The Malaysian government launched an initiative called ‘Dana Penjana Nasional’ in 2020 – a US$142 million matching grant into VCs investing in local SMEs. More recently, the Indonesian president announced plans to launch a new VC, backed by state-owned enterprises, to focus on SMEs with Indonesian founders in the country.

In SEA as a whole, total VC investment has grown substantially, with US$52 billion being invested in the past 10 years and out of that, US$8.2 billion was from 2020 alone. 

An example of VC financing success is Indonesia’s Gojek which started as a small business in 2010, connecting consumers and motorcycle taxis through their call centre. 

The company then experienced accelerated growth as they began to raise funds from VCs across multiple rounds, reaching a US$1.3 billion valuations six years from launching. They later merged with another VC-backed business,

Tokopedia, to form one of the largest tech companies in Indonesia, contributes two per cent of the country’s US$1 trillion GDP.  

There may be a consensus that VCs only invest in technology companies, that is not always the case. Technology companies most commonly have qualities that enable scalability, which meets VCs’ investment parameters. 

Kopi Kenangan started as a single brick and mortar store grew rapidly with the financial support they received from VCs. The business secured its first round of funding just one year of launching, raising USD 8 million from Alpha JWC Ventures. 

Needing to further fuel their growth, they later received an additional US$129 million in financing from other VCs, which helped them expand to more than 500 stores in just four years after launching. 

Our next article will explore the different types of debt financing available for SMEs. 

This article is co-authored by Kevin Rozario of kipleX. 

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Fantico, a premium licensed digital collectible platform, has raised an undisclosed sum in a private financing round from Hong Kong-based tech unicorn Animoca Brands.

Individuals, including Hemant Tucker, segment head for technopreneurs and market head (South Asia & Middle East) at Bank of Singapore, also joined the round.

The capital will be used to build a platform for creators, designers, developers and enthusiasts to launch its own metaverse, besides creating NFT assets and accessing several pre-populated world elements.

Fantico is a digital collectible platform catering to celebrated movies, artists, musicians, and sports for the Indian market. A portfolio company of Singapore-based diversified media and entertainment firm Vistas Media Capital, it builds its own version of metaverse, dubbed VistaVerse.

VistaVerse consists of virtual land, blockchain games, curated and user-generated experiences, and an NFT marketplace. It will be launched in the coming months with premium curated experiences, including from top Indian celebrities.

Also Read: HK accelerator Brinc lands US$130M funding led by Animoca Brands to foray into Web3

The marketplace has already been launched, focusing on both crypto and non-crypto user bases with marquee items to pique the interests of both segments.

The metaverse firm will leverage the parent company’s content, such as movies, music, and gaming resources, to build an experience-first approach.

Dhruv Saxena, chief strategy officer, Vistas Media Capital, said: “We want to leverage the appeal of Web 3.0 and gamefi to make it relatable to those new to the space and build this out responsibly.”

Yat Siu, executive chairman and co-founder of Animoca Brands, commented: “Our goal is the creation of an open metaverse that is also culturally diverse and inclusive. Fantico, armed with the legacy of Vistas Media Capital and its portfolio companies, will be able to draw on a wealth of Indian culture that will enrich the broader metaverse ecosystem.”

Vistas Media Capital is a Singapore-based content media and entertainment investment holding company. Its key businesses include content production and distribution across films and series — from India (across languages) to Hollywood, animation and VFX, gaming, media-tech, OTT platform, live entertainment events and digital media marketing.

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