Asia

July 6, 2015 @ 12:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

MYBank, a new online only bank, is poised to challenge China’s state owned banks with its 100% digital, branchless banking operation that will serve customers 24 hours a day. This is one of China’s first privately owned internet banks as China pushes forward in the… Read More

June 27, 2015 @ 10:56 am By JD Alois  |  

One of China’s largest direct sales platforms JD.com (Nasdaq:JD), and US based ZestFinance, a have formed an agreement to launch a joint venture called JD-ZestFinance Gaia.  This new partnership is designed to support the development of consumer credit in China.  The combined initiative will incorporate ZestFinance’s… Read More

June 26, 2015 @ 10:30 am By Midori Yoshimura  |  

  As the CEO and founder of PhoenixICT, a leading crowdfunding hub, HongSin Kwek is among the organizers of Crowdfunding Asia, the first conference of its type focused on the Asian markets. Crowdfunding Asia held its first event in Singapore in 2014, and this year’s upcoming events include conferences… Read More

June 25, 2015 @ 11:31 am By JD Alois  |  

Amran Hassan, Head of Innovation at Maybank, Shares Insight into Maybank’s Innovative Approach Malaysia has been a leader in Asia in advocating, and legalizing, investment crowdfunding. Securities Commission (SC) Malaysia, the regulatory body that oversees the securities markets, has been a champion of new forms… Read More

June 24, 2015 @ 11:32 pm By Midori Yoshimura  |  

China’s crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending markets have frequently featured in the news, as China seeks to decrease fraud in its rapidly expanding Internet finance world. Now, Beijing’s financial supervision agencies are using big data to crack down on illegal fundraising, with an online pre-warning platform already… Read More

June 24, 2015 @ 11:25 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Earlier this year, Singapore Exchange (SGX) announced that it was planning to launch its very own equity crowdfunding platform as a vehicle to help raise capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It was set to partner with Singapore’s Clearbridge Accelerator, a venture capital and incubation firms specializing in… Read More

June 22, 2015 @ 10:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

Fundrise, a trailblazer in the real estate crowdfunding space, is looking to expand and China is high on the list.  It is a natural step for the platform as the largest investor in Fundrise is Renren, a publicly traded social media platform based in Beijing…. Read More

June 19, 2015 @ 12:55 am By Midori Yoshimura  |  

Update on a $150 million fundraising round in progress: Chinese online lender Dianrong.com is raising funds in a round that values the startup at about $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, notes BloombergBusiness. Investors include Standard Chartered Plc, a British multinational banking and financial services… Read More

June 17, 2015 @ 10:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

Djenee, a new company that has developed a “personal on-demand digital concierge service”, raised almost S$500,000 on the first day of equity crowdfunding on FundedByMe according to a company statement.  The platform called this funding round a “new standard for equity crowdfunding in Asia”. Djenee… Read More

June 15, 2015 @ 11:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

Leading peer to peer lending site LendInvest has received a £22 million investment from Chinese internet firm Beijing Kunlun. This is according to an article in the FT but was also referenced in a Board Meeting release from earlier this week. Christian Faes, co-founder and… Read More

June 14, 2015 @ 10:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

With new rules pending, the peer to peer lending market is jostling for position.  CreditEase, the first P2P lender in China, recently cemented an agreement with China Guanfa Bank as part of a push to assure investors their money is safe. According to a report… Read More

June 12, 2015 @ 1:20 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Yesterday, the Malaysian Securities Commission (MSC) has approved of six equity crowdfunding (ECF) platforms to start their operations by the end of the year. Today updates and further comments were shared by key innovators regarding the approval. “It is timely to further widen access through innovation in financial… Read More

June 12, 2015 @ 12:49 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

  Asian Crowdfunder launched its Malaysian platform with three projects, while also indicating the platform is in the process of starting in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, according to Digital News Asia.  Cofounded by Frank Holle of Quant Asset Management Pte Ltd, Graham Paling of Mongoose Publishing and Kenneth… Read More

June 11, 2015 @ 10:42 am By JD Alois  |  

Malaysia has been at the forefront of advocating on behalf of internet finance in Southeast Asia.  This week the Securities Commission Malaysia took another step in providing greater access to capital for innovative firms by announcing six approved equity crowdfunding platforms. Revealed during the Synergy and… Read More

June 11, 2015 @ 10:01 am By JD Alois  |  

FundedByMe has received regulatory approval from the Securities Commission Malaysia to operate an equity crowdfunding platform in the Southeast Asian country.  FundedByMe, a diversified crowdfunding platform, has already set up an operation in Singapore. The company has partnered with Alix Global Sdn Bhd and is one… Read More

June 11, 2015 @ 8:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Eureeca, a Dubai based equity crowdfunding platform, has received regulatory approval from Securities Commission Malaysia to provide crowdfunding services. Company representatives stated their intent to set up operations in Kuala Lumpur and to use this location as a hub to expand services throughout the Southeast… Read More

June 10, 2015 @ 1:32 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

An initial public offering may be the ultimate goal for many internet start-ups, but not for Chinese peer-to-peer lender Renrendai, reported Kwong Man-ki of the South China Morning Post. “We will go for an IPO eventually, but we don’t have a timeframe. We’ll probably do… Read More

June 8, 2015 @ 10:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

The freewheeling world of peer to peer lending may come to an end later this month in the worlds largest P2P lending market. China is expected to release a regulatory regime that will tighten control of internet finance – a sector that has grown incredibly… Read More

June 6, 2015 @ 1:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

China is the largest peer to peer lending market in the world with one estimate placing total loans at over $53 billion for all of 2014. Last week we reported that loan originations were near $10 billion – for just the month of May.  The space… Read More

June 3, 2015 @ 8:42 am By Erin Hobey  |  

  Real estate crowdfunding portal iFunding  raised $2M in capital on its equity crowdfunding round on Crowdfunder.  Pre-money valuation stands at $20 million. iFunding will use the additional capital to expand operations, boost technology and grow sales.  The company generated nearly $1M in commitments in just 48 hours according… Read More