Crowd Credit to pump $50m into Southeast Asia via Helicap tie-up

Takeshi Shibuya, representative director, president, & CEO of Bankers Holding Co (left) and David Z Wang, co-founder & CEO of Helicap Securities / Photo credit: Helicap

Japanese lending platform Crowd Credit has partnered with Singapore-based fintech firm Helicap to channel US$50 million from Japanese investors to Southeast Asian firms.

Through the collaboration, Helicap will connect potential Southeast Asian borrowers with Crowd Credit and help nurture the latter’s relationship with financial institutions in the region. Crowd Credit will also link investment opportunities in Japan to Helicap.

“This partnership will allow us to further expand our investor base and provide Japanese investors with access to a hugely growing market with stable returns,” said Helicap co-founder and CEO David Wang.

Previously, Helicap linked up with Credit Saison to deploy US$10 million in impact debt financing into Southeast Asia. However, the partnership was made with the international arm of the Japanese financial services group, Wang clarified.

In an email, Wang added that his company may also raise equity funding soon. He told Tech in Asia that the new funding will likely happen within the next six months.

Since its inception in 2018, Helicap has raised over US$300 million from investors through its bases in Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Dubai, and Singapore. The company said that it has achieved stable returns and maintained a zero default track record using a unique credit screening system and loan structure.

Meanwhile, Crowd Credit provides private lending opportunities to individual investors, concentrating on Japan. It also offers debt capital in several sectors, including non-bank financial institutions and renewable energy firms via its online crowdfunding platform in Japan.

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