Lendahand is a Netherlands-based online lending platform with the objective to stimulate employment in emerging countries. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in these countries do not have proper access to financing as they are too small for banks and too large and complex for microfinance institutions. Hence they are not able to grow and percentage-wise only provide half of the jobs that SMEs in developed countries deliver.

For millions of small businesses in India, hunting for credit has always been a challenge. They represent the 'missing middle' - un-catered to by financial lenders that would rather reach for the top of the pyramid or the bottom.
But the middle is large. India has about 57.7 million small business units, many of them small proprietorships. A host of startups are now stepping in, providing debt financing and working capital loans to these enterprises. Venture and private equity, too, are pouring capital into this ecosystem in the making.

With the Securities Commission spearheading the move to regulate equity crowdfunding (ECF) platforms, Malaysia has the opportunity to become the micro investment financial centre in Asia by allowing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups better access to funds for growth.

Crowdfunding platform operator pitchIN, who is interested in becoming an ECF platform operator in Malaysia, said investors, especially angel investors, would also benefit from such regulations as there would be easy access to important information.

Heritage Bank Limited has announced the launch of a new SME Finance Package called the Paris Klub SME (PKS) Scheme. The new scheme was designed, according to the bank, to support lending without core collaterals.