25th September 2024, EQ Hotel Kuala Lumpur - Following the success of the IFN Investor Middle East, the spotlight shifts to Asia. The IFN Asia Forum 2024 has recently concluded. The event included engaging discussions on emerging market trends, wealth strategies, and innovative product development. As the industry evolves to meet changing demands and navigate new risks, leading investment managers shared expert advice on adapting to regulatory changes, identifying regional opportunities, and exploring new instruments across various asset classes.
Session 6: The Role of Shariah-Compliant Alternative Funding and Digital Assets
This session addressed several critical questions:
What services do market operators in the equity crowdfunding sector offer, and how are these evolving?
How are equity crowdfunding (ECF) and peer-to-peer (P2P) financing facilitating crucial funding for the SME sector, and how can ECF be leveraged for impact, social, and sustainable investing?
What opportunities and structures exist for early-stage Shariah-compliant venture capital, and can the success of large global venture funds be emulated regionally?
What does the development and evolution of digital assets, such as digital currencies and tokens, mean for the Islamic financial services sector in Southeast Asia?
Moderator:
Vineeta Tan, Managing Editor and Director, Islamic Finance news
Panelists:
Bikesh Lakhmichand, CEO, 1337 Ventures
Jun Jie Yoon, Founder and CEO, Capsphere SME Financing
Ang Xing Xian, Co-founder and CEO, CapBay
Valuable insights shared during our session:
Alternative fundraising grew steadily at ~30% y-o-y led by P2P financing, supporting underserved and unserved SMEs through increased awareness and collaboration.
Islamic fintech in Malaysia is expanding, driven by digital adoption, government support (such as MyCIF), and rising awareness.
Securities Commission's initiatives, like the DIGID grant and MyCIF’s expansion into ESG and Wakaf, are helping to lay a strong foundation for the future.
At Capsphere, we are dedicated to promoting Islamic digital finance and are optimistic about what lies ahead. Let’s push forward together.
Watch the video here