Filinvest-led Investree aims to plug credit gap for SMEs

The Gotianun-led crowdfunding portal Investree Philippines will initially target small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the immediate ecosystem of the Filinvest Group before it sets its sights on other businesses within the first quarter.

“The goal is to match or outperform the growth trajectory of the Investree business in Indonesia, which has grown to be the industry leader in this space,” the company said.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week approved Investree Philippines, the first licensed crowdfunding platform in the country since the implementing rules and regulations were released in 2019.

Investree is a fintech joint venture between Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) and Investree Singapore.

Investree Philippines said it hopes to provide financing solutions to SMEs in the Philippines by connecting them and other startups with institutional investors through its marketplace platform.

“We are proud to bring in the first licensed crowdfunding platform in the country and to contribute towards the further development of SMEs through Investree Philippines, especially now that we are working to reignite the economy,” Josephine Gotianun-Yap, president and CEO of FDC, said.

“Aligned with Filinvest’s thrust of serving the underserved, we hope that this platform can open doors for more businesses and serve as a meaningful launchpad for growing their enterprise. We believe that Investree is a good channel for SMEs to tap in their drive towards reestablishing and growing their businesses and contributing to the country’s economic recovery and growth,”

“Together with FDC, I am confident that Investree Philippines will be able to help increase financial inclusion in the Philippines. FDC’s robust ecosystem and their knowledge of the local market will help the process of connecting lenders and SMEs become more seamless. Working alongside them, we now have an operations and business model that ensures optimal service to support the growth of SMEs in the region,” Investree co-founder and regional CEO, Adrian Gunadi, said.

The local portal, www.investree.ph, went live immediately after receiving the green light from SEC, the company said.

“Businesses can already signify their interest online and someone from the operations team will get in touch with them,” the company said.

The SMEs have large financial requirements to be considered as microfinance but are too small to be served by corporate banking models given issues, such as lack of collateral and credit history, thus creating the financial credit gap for the middle segment.

Investree was established in 2015 with a mission to support the growth of Indonesia’s underserved SMEs ecosystem. As a pioneer in fintech lending in Indonesia, Investree connects lenders who are open to lending their money with borrowers who need financing support to grow their businesses.

The company has recently expanded its regional reach in Thailand and the Philippines.