Hong Leong Bank is looking to partner with startups to create ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions contributing to long term positive impact for our Community, Environment, and the Financial Services Industry
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 20 September 2021 – Hong Leong Bank’s (“HLB” or “the Bank”) Fintech and tech startups mentorship platform, HLB Launchpad is back in its fourth edition. The Bank is calling for Fintech and tech startups to take on the challenge of co-creating and developing breakthrough ‘out-of-the box’ solutions to reimagine a more sustainable banking and financial services industry.
The 4th HLB Launchpad edition seeks to partner with startups to create ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions to build a sustainable future together.
Themed ‘Let’s Build a Sustainable Future Together’, it aligns with the Bank’s priorities in stepping up its sustainability best practices and integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) elements into every facet of its business. This year’s HLB Launchpad is open to ANY startup that has a presence in Malaysia, has a minimum viable product (“MVP”), has generated sales, has been in operation for over a year, and is interested in creating solutions that contribute to a long-term positive impact on our society and environment.
The Bank has identified over 15 problem statements this year extending over five Sustainability themes, namely Digital at the Core, Workforce Readiness, Socially Responsible Business, Environmental Management and Community Investment. The problem statements range from finding solutions to boost financial inclusivity for low-income earners, to tracking greenhouse gas emissions to create a long term positive environmental impact. Startups are welcome to address one or more of the problem statements.
Domenic Fuda, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HLB said, “At Hong Leong Bank, as we continue on our journey to build a highly digital and innovative ASEAN financial services company, we are always on the lookout for innovative ideas that will help us bring this vision to life. Aligned with our core value of being here for the long term, we are placing more emphasis on our sustainability efforts to ensure we are doing our part to empower the community with financial knowledge and resources to improve lives and livelihoods as well protect the environment within which we live. HLB Launchpad is a very important collaborative platform to ensure our strategy and product development are refreshed and evolve to capture the ever-changing needs and contribute to ensure a sustainable future for our customers, communities and the environment,” added Fuda.
HLB Launchpad 2021 will be selecting three winners, in which the winner will be awarded with a cash prize of RM50,000 and the two runners-up will receive RM25,000 each. The winners will also be entitled to mentorship sessions with HLB’s C-suite, Business Heads and Partners, as well as a 6-month pilot project with the Bank.
The Bank is also currently collaborating and mentoring the HLB Launchpad 2020 winners – Food Market Hub, Pay:Watch, and ERTH. With Food Market Hub, a F&B ecosystem provider which has streamlined the entire value chain of farm-to-restaurant, HLB is working with them on a pilot project to help businesses best leverage the digital banking ecosystem to run their business on-the-go, while with Pay:Watch, the Bank is currently piloting an initiative to provide gig workers instant access to earned wages before their pay day. As for ERTH which is an e-waste recycling startup, they are helping the Bank manage and recycle its electronic waste (“e-waste”).
Shailesh Grover, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer said, “Embracing our digital–at–the–core strategy over the past few years, has resulted in a significant pay off as it enabled us to quickly adapt to the new realities that came with the pandemic. This strategy enabled us to continuously listen to the Voice of our Customers (VOC) and reimagine the way we design newer experiences to serve and interact with them. This has also enabled us to stay ahead where we leverage our innovation and community labs to create novel digital propositions that have a singular focus – delight customers at every touchpoint.”
“A big part of us being able to achieve that is the entrepreneurial heritage that is part of our DNA combined with a strong commitment to being a Community bank. We highly value collaboration as it allows us to leverage on each other’s strengths and the HLB Launchpad is a platform that enables us to do that with ecosystem partners, fintech and tech players, all who bring revolutionary ideas to challenge the conventional ways. We welcome all startups who want to be part of co-creating effective and sustainable digital banking and finance solutions that will help shape the future of our society,” concluded Grover.
HLB Launchpad 2021 is a collaborative setup that brings together our partners – MDEC, Cradle Fund, MaGIC, Malaysian Business Angel Network (“MBAN”) and pitchIN under a common vision to cultivate a vibrant and competitive startup community that will disrupt, innovate and grow together.
Additionally, startups stand to gain immense benefits by being part of the HLB Launchpad 2021 as, among other things, they will have the opportunity to tap into:
● Hong Leong Group’s regional businesses across financial services, manufacturing, property development, hospitality & leisure and healthcare in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Cambodia.
● Jumpstart@65, a state-of-the-art community hub with facilities such as event space, co-working space and usability labs amongst others.
● A suite of banking facilities such as a business current account and micro-financing as well as digital business solutions offerings including an all-in-one POS terminal, cloud-based HR, Payroll, Accounting and digital advertising services.
based on this page: https://www.hlb.com.my/en/business-banking/group-sme-banking/digital-business-solutions.html
To register for or find out more on HLB Launchpad 2021, please visit https://www.hlb.com.my/hlblaunchpad . Applications are open until 1 October 2021.
About Hong Leong Bank Berhad
Please visit www.hlb.com.my
Services
Stakeholder mapping, analysis, engagement and communication needs to be detailed to avoid business losses or even worse, a crisis. How can you do this effectively to prevent failure? ...
Data-driven business decisions have never been as crucial, especially in this era. MGBF leverages off, technology, experience and market presence to aid businesses in making accurate decisions. ...
MGBF provides comprehensive strategic advice and results-focused solutions to solve clients' problems in business-government relations so they can focus on their core business. ...
A critical business challenge is meeting the right decision-makers and potential buyers through the best channel and platform. How will you improve your business competency? ...
Upcoming Events
In this episode of 'A Working Lunch with Nordin', MGBF's Nordin Abdullah and regional commentator Eddin Khoo will discuss the biggest threats and opportunities for businesses as we look to manage change in the South China Sea.
This MGBF Roundtable will feature thought leaders form Japan, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia dealing with the critical issues of manipulation of public listed companies and government and their financial impacts.
A series of networking sessions with various business associations and trade organisations exploring high-value opportunities for business leaders and entrepreneurs looking to build the relationships that matter.
This integrated event will include a forum, dedicated business matching, site visits, a gala dinner and a round of golf. Aptly themed, the focus will be on regional food security issues and trends in the context of the supply chain, agriculture technology and trade regulations and policies.
MGBF In The News
Planet QEOS and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) are interested in investing RM10 billion to co-develop advanced Megawatt peak (MWp) agrovoltaic in Baram, to further boost Sarawak’s green energy initiative and food security. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was briefed on Friday by both the […]
Last week SPM results came out, 373,974 aspirants who have been waiting patiently over the last few months would now know their fate. Some 10,109 have received all A’s, the golden standard of academic success and the ticket to those looking to study the “more advanced” subjects in university. Proudly, […]
The classic knee-jerk reaction is to say, fire the coach, change the leadership of associations, and reduce the funding till they start performing better. This kind of negative reinforcement may work for kindergarten children, but we are dealing with high-performance adults – individuals much further along in their psychological and […]
Since its earliest tea plantations in 1929, Cameron Highlands has grown to become a key player in the agricultural landscape of Malaysia, producing 40 per cent of all vegetables grown. Despite Malaysia shifting its economic focus away from agriculture, the industry remains imperative for food security and the livelihoods of […]
Although at first glance the travel industry and the agricultural sector appear to have nothing in common, they actually share more than meets the eye. The economic benefits of tourism to the agricultural sector can be multiplied several times over. “Tourism brings the end consumers closer to the source, which […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) recently held a high-level roundtable themed ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’, attended by industry leaders and business associations. The guest of honour was Yang Berhormat Syerleena Abdul Rashid, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Bendera in Penang. The MP’s Special Session […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) will be hosting a roundtable on ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’ on 23 February 2023. It is the culmination of the first three MGBF Exclusive Roundtable Series titled ‘The Evolving Threat Matrix in the Digital Economy’ held throughout 2022. According to the […]
The Founding Chairman of the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF), Nordin Abdullah, today spoke on Bernama TV’s leading English talk show, The Brief, hosted by Jessy Chahal, on the topic of a stable political reality and what that means for the Malaysian economy. Nordin said, “The first thing that it […]
More than 1,100 years ago, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was developing the mathematical formulas that we know today as algorithms which now have become so intertwined with the business fortunes of global media giants and the very fabric of geopolitics. A series of recent high level international reports have revealed […]
KSK Land has been recognised by the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) for its role in attracting high net-worth individuals to Malaysia post-pandemic. The first challenge in investor attraction is “selling” the country. In the context of Asia, Malaysia is competing with some very established investment destinations. The second […]
Malaysia, in particular Kuala Lumpur, continues to position itself as a regional centre to do business, educate a family and enjoy a global lifestyle. One company, KSK Land, has taken the lead in positioning itself and the city of Kuala Lumpur as a property investment destination for the global citizen […]
The upcoming budget represents an opportunity to build resilience in the critical sectors that will form the backbone of the country’s future-facing economic ambitions. This however needs to be achieved in the context of managing the community sectors most impacted by COVID-19 over the past two years. The Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) […]
Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) has moved to support the creative economy as the overall economy moves into a recovery phase following the COVID19 pandemic. As a step in the direction of normalcy, the MGBF has agreed to host the art exhibition “I Know You’re Somewhere So Far” by one […]
Congratulations to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for taking up the mantle of the ninth prime minister of Malaysia. There is nothing normal about the situation; it could not have been scripted but it has kept the spectrum of media, mainstream and social, gripped. The first order of business for […]
In a stirring speech to the nation, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. stamped his brand of leadership on the presidency, in his first act as the 46th president of the United State of America, it signaled several shifts. Perhaps the weather was foreboding with snow falling before the ceremony that […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 July 2022 – As the global economy continues to deal with unprecedented levels of disruption caused by the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the convergence of energy security and food security issues has become a front-of-mind issue faced by policy makers and consumers alike. […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 23 June 2022 — Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) ties up with scoutAsia to ensure that businesses are equipped with deeper regional insights. The past two years has seen a massive shift in the way businesses are conducted with digitisation, digitalisation and automation continuously being adopted to improve […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 May 2022 – The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)’s exclusive roundtable on ‘Security Concerns in Critical Value Chains’ was held in a hybrid setting yesterday at the Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The guest of honour was Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, former minister of […]
We live in the age of crisis. At the heart of any crisis is the threat of rapid change. Change too deep or too wide that the current coping mechanisms for an individual, corporation or government are unable to remain resilient. An unwelcome paradigm shift, like the proverbial spider, that […]