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Scaling SME Lending Without Burning Capital

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Manage episode 494521365 series 3333728
Content provided by Arjun Singh. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Arjun Singh or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

💸 What’s the real fintech miracle? Lending to SMEs — and staying alive 9 years later.
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re joined by Nikhilesh Goel, Co-Founder & CEO of Validus, Southeast Asia’s largest SME financing platform.
We unpack how Validus scaled to $5B+ in credit across the region by avoiding the hype and building disciplined, anchor-based lending models that actually work.
💡 Why SME lending is a graveyard for most fintechs
💡 Why 90% of Validus' capital comes from banks, not VCs
💡 AI that serves the ops, not the pitch
💡 How they scaled across SEA without shortcuts
🎧 Full episode now live on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Watch if you're building real fintech — not just noise.
#CouchonomicsWithArjun #Validus #SMELending #Fintech #DigitalBanking #AnchorLending #SoutheastAsia #FutureOfFinance
Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes https://thunes.com/
Mastercard https://mastercard.com/
E& https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures https://scventures.io/
Hala https://hala.com/
chapters:
00:00 Episode Highlights
01:05 Meet Nikhilesh, CEO of Validus
01:56 The Genesis of Validus
03:05 Navigating the SME Financing Landscape
06:08 Challenges and Solutions in SME Lending
09:00 The Role of Technology in SME Financing
11:32 Supply Chain Financing Model
18:57 The Future of SME Financing
29:05 Building Relationships with SMEs
31:13 Anchor-Based Lending
32:07 Regulatory Challenges in Indonesia and Thailand
37:04 Ethical Lending Practices
42:57 Competition in the FinTech Space
49:40 Exportability and Future Plans
51:42 Impact of Global Supply Chain Disruptions
52:31 Adopting AI and Frontier Technologies
56:24 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0
Find us on our social media platforms:

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

  continue reading

147 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 494521365 series 3333728
Content provided by Arjun Singh. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Arjun Singh or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

💸 What’s the real fintech miracle? Lending to SMEs — and staying alive 9 years later.
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re joined by Nikhilesh Goel, Co-Founder & CEO of Validus, Southeast Asia’s largest SME financing platform.
We unpack how Validus scaled to $5B+ in credit across the region by avoiding the hype and building disciplined, anchor-based lending models that actually work.
💡 Why SME lending is a graveyard for most fintechs
💡 Why 90% of Validus' capital comes from banks, not VCs
💡 AI that serves the ops, not the pitch
💡 How they scaled across SEA without shortcuts
🎧 Full episode now live on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Watch if you're building real fintech — not just noise.
#CouchonomicsWithArjun #Validus #SMELending #Fintech #DigitalBanking #AnchorLending #SoutheastAsia #FutureOfFinance
Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes https://thunes.com/
Mastercard https://mastercard.com/
E& https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures https://scventures.io/
Hala https://hala.com/
chapters:
00:00 Episode Highlights
01:05 Meet Nikhilesh, CEO of Validus
01:56 The Genesis of Validus
03:05 Navigating the SME Financing Landscape
06:08 Challenges and Solutions in SME Lending
09:00 The Role of Technology in SME Financing
11:32 Supply Chain Financing Model
18:57 The Future of SME Financing
29:05 Building Relationships with SMEs
31:13 Anchor-Based Lending
32:07 Regulatory Challenges in Indonesia and Thailand
37:04 Ethical Lending Practices
42:57 Competition in the FinTech Space
49:40 Exportability and Future Plans
51:42 Impact of Global Supply Chain Disruptions
52:31 Adopting AI and Frontier Technologies
56:24 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0
Find us on our social media platforms:

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

  continue reading

147 episodes

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