Validus Secures $50 Million in Debt Financing from HSBC
Validus, a Singapore-based digital lending platform for small and medium businesses, has secured $50 million in debt financing from HSBC under the ASEAN Growth Fund strategy.
Supporting Financial Inclusion in Indonesia
The company will use the proceeds to support the financial inclusion of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia, addressing the challenges they face in accessing financial resources.
The Importance of Financial Inclusion in Indonesia
With 64.2 million MSMEs contributing 61% of Indonesia’s GDP, according to Indonesia’s Ministry for Economic Affairs, the potential for growth is immense. These MSMEs employ about 119.6 million people, which is 97% of the total workforce in the country. However, only about 17.5 million MSME players are tapping into the online ecosystem and e-commerce. Indonesian MSMEs face significant challenges in accessing financing, mainly due to commercial banks’ stringent operational, reporting, and collateral requirements, as per a 2017 report by the World Bank. Despite government initiatives, only around 20% of bank loans go to MSMEs, the World Bank report said.
About Validus
Vikas Nahata (executive chairman) and Nikhilesh Goel (CEO) co-founded the business in Singapore in 2015. They developed a supply chain-focused lending model that utilized non-traditional data access through partnerships with traditional banks and international institutions. The company has since expanded to include Indonesia (Batumbu), Thailand (Siam Validus), and Vietnam (Validus Vietnam).
Key Differentiators
“Traditional banks across the SEA region still rely on legacy credit evaluation methods for small businesses, and they are overly reliant on historical financials and real estate-backed collateral,” Goel said. “For a region experiencing GDP growth of 5-6% per annum, small businesses need access to stable and accessible working capital to grow their businesses and contribute to job creation and nation building. This is where Validus plays a major role as the largest digital SME financing provider across ASEAN.”
Market Presence and Growth
Its users are MSMEs, who primarily borrow for their short-term working capital needs, Goel told TechCrunch, while lenders include major international institutions (Citi, HSBC, FMO, Credit Saison, OikoCredit) and leading local banks (CIMB Niaga, Bank Mandiri) across Indonesia and Thailand. Goel mentioned that one of its differentiators is over 100 unique partnerships throughout the Southeast Asia region.
“Validus is the largest SME financing marketplace across the Southeast Asia region by outstanding loan book or monthly loan disbursals where we are currently averaging $150 million of new loan disbursals per month,” Goel said.
Financial Performance
In the past three years, the startup has experienced growth in both revenue and net profits.
“Over the last three years, we have grown our consolidated Group revenues at a 69% CAGR and more importantly, our Indonesia business, which is our largest market amongst the four countries we operate in — has been net profit positive since 2022 and a source of positive cash flow for the Group,” Goel told TechCrunch. “Our EBITDA margins are over 50% and at a consolidated Group level we are aiming to be cash flow positive by early next year.”
Conclusion
Validus has secured $50 million in debt financing from HSBC to support the financial inclusion of MSMEs in Indonesia. With its unique lending model and extensive partnerships, the company is well-positioned to continue its growth and expansion in the Southeast Asia region.
FAQs
Q: What is Validus?
A: Validus is a Singapore-based digital lending platform for small and medium businesses.
Q: Who are the founders of Validus?
A: The founders of Validus are Vikas Nahata (executive chairman) and Nikhilesh Goel (CEO).
Q: What is the purpose of the $50 million debt financing from HSBC?
A: The purpose of the $50 million debt financing from HSBC is to support the financial inclusion of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia.
Q: What is the current loan disbursal capacity of Validus?
A: Validus currently averages $150 million of new loan disbursals per month.
Q: What is the EBITDA margin of Validus?
A: The EBITDA margin of Validus is over 50%.
Q: When does Validus expect to be cash flow positive?
A: Validus aims to be cash flow positive by early next year.
