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KUALA LUMPUR: More than 2,500 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) have raised more than RM1bil through the regulated crowdfunding markets of the Malaysian capital market, the Securities Commission announced today.

At the virtual SCxSC Fintech Conference, the SC said it has registered 21 platforms to provide regulated crowdfunding options to meet the financing needs of MSMEs since it introduced the Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) and Peer-to-Peer Financing (P2P) regulatory framework in Malaysia in 2016.

"The SC continues to encourage digital innovation and promotes inclusiveness of the capital market.

"We have seen considerable increase in individual investor participation in the market via digital investment managers (DIMs), ECF and P2P financing platforms, digital asset exchanges (DAXes) and online brokers," said SC chairman Datuk Syed Zaid Albar.

He added that over 80% of the investors in the crowdfunding markets are retails investors, with 60% of them under the age of 35.

However, he reminded investors to be alert to avoid scammers and to only invest in authorised capital market products and services.

According to the SC, it approved three DAXes in 2019 with four digital assets permitted for trading.

As at August this year, more than 400,000 accounts were opened across the DAXes with the value of trade crossing RM100mil.

Meanwhile, the seven DIMs registered with the SC continue to attract many first-time investors with close to 90,000 new accounts opened as at August this year, which is more than double the number opened in 2019.

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2020/10/05/msmes-raise-more-than-rm1bil-through-regulated-crowdfunding