• Temasek-backed Validus Capital topped over S$120min business funding
• Takes aim at plugging a S$20 billion a yearfinancing gap facing local businesses

SINGAPORE- Media OutReach - 11 September 2018 - Singapore-based SME financing platform Validus Capital (Validus) has surpassed over S$120 million in funding for localSMEs and businesses through its platform. It has financed more than 1,600 loansto date, each of which was approved almost instantly (under 24 hours). Theaverage amount funded per request is S$70,000, with a high degree ofdiversification across various industry classes.

Muchof the company's growth is in tandem with Singapore SMEs' increased need forgrowth capital, with a financing gap of around S$20 billion.Established in 2015, Validus offers access to financing from accreditedindividual and institutional lenders. Backed by Temasek Holdings' VertexVentures and licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Validus combinesextensive experience in SME financing with a smart, data-driven approach. It actsas a peer‐to‐business lending marketplace that reduces financial intermediationcosts -- the benefits of which are passed to both borrowers and investors. This providesborrowers with quicker approval times and faster access to capital for businessexpansion; while simultaneously allowing for less stringent requirements tosmall businesses which have conventionally faced financing difficulties due tolack of collateral or cash flow records.

Speakingon the company's momentum, Ajit Raikar, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder,Validus, said: "We are immensely proud to have helped accelerate the growth of somany of Singapore's SMEs, and yet we still have much work to do to empower manymore such businesses. We have innovations in the pipeline that will give SMEseven more capital flexibility and choice to suit their business strategies,accelerating Validus towards our billion-dollar financing milestone bymid-2020."

KeeLock Chua, CEO, Vertex Holdings said: "Asa lead investor and primary partner when Validus first started out, Vertex hasbeen able to see first-hand how it has positively impacted SMEs to acceleratetheir growth and capabilities. While investment returns are important, what we valuethe most are companies that solve challenges and have societal impact -- that'sexactly what Validus is doing."

Validushas also worked with various partners such as Visa, EQ Insurance and NationalUniversity of Singapore (NUS) to create a better marketplace lending ecosystemfor its investors and borrowers. Just last year, Validus and Visa had launcheda virtual card-based solution to facilitate immediate and efficient cash flows.

"Workingwith key banks in Southeast Asia, Visa and Validus are driving innovation inlending to the small business community," said Vikram Kshettry, Head for B2BPartnerships, Asia Pacific, Visa. "Electronic payments bring small businessesgreater efficiency, supporting them in capitalising on opportunities quicklyand accelerating their growth. The Validus and Visa partnership is alsodelivering solutions that make it easier for banks and their small businesscustomers to access and use a range of data, providing them with new insights."

In thelast 12 months, Validus has seen tremendous business momentum. It has forgednew partnerships with corporates including ST Engineering and SMRT to fundtheir vendor base on a pre-approved basis and deepened its partnership withVisa to provide SMEs with a virtual credit card-based solution to help SMEsreinvest profits into business growth.  Validuswent on to close a S$4M Series A round from Vertex Ventures, before partnering withLighthouse Canton Group to launch a S$20 million LCV Trade Finance Fund (whichwill scale up to S$200 million) dedicated towards financing SMEs in Singapore.

About Validus

Foundedin 2015 and backed by Temasek Holding's Vertex Ventures, Validus Capital isSingapore's leading peer-to-business lending platform, connecting growing SMEsto accredited investors and financial institutions. Validus acts as a catalystof sustainable growth for SMEs. Its online marketplace is powered by aproprietary platform, and it leverages a secure and robust cloud infrastructureas a delivery mechanism. In addition, Validus utilises a robust risk algorithmthat was developed in partnership with the Credit Research Initiative (CRI)team of National University of Singapore's Risk Management Institute (NUS-RMI).It utilizes AI and machine learning to make more informed and responsiblelending decisions. Validus is also the first platform in the region to offerinsurance cover for lenders (up to 90% capital protection for most invoicefinancing facilities). Its data-driven, collaborative approach to businesslending has helped it to forge strong industry partnerships with manyestablished brands. One such partnership with Visa launched a virtualcard-based solution to help SMEs scale their business. A key differentiator forthe company is its ability to lend at bank-like rates due to its institutionallenders, which include family offices and funds.

Licensedby the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Validus is also a member of theSingapore Fintech Association. Please visit www.validus.sg for more details.