Anthony See, Founder & CEO of Food Market Hub
"Joining HLB Launchpad 2020 enabled us to learn from banking experts to understand SME clients better so we can offer the right product to the users."
HLB LaunchPad is back!
This year, we're searching for partners that can make a positive
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) impact!
At Hong Leong Bank, we are constantly seeking innovative ideas to deliver banking experiences that are fair, simple, personalised and proactive. Not only do we want to better serve our customers, we also aspire to be a bank that supports the wider community in overcoming new challenges & embracing digital solutions.
The HLB LaunchPad 2021 program is our fourth instalment to date - we have collaborated with over 35 startups to reimagine financial services. We believe that collaboration with the thriving startups community is key to driving innovation.
What’s in store for 2021?
We are looking to partner with startups that can create a long term positive impact for our Community, our Environment, and the Financial Services Industry across five Sustainability themes.
Find out what they are below!
Our theme for this year is all about Sustainability!
Digital at the Core
Embrace Digital transformation to enhance customer and employee experiences, accessibility and efficiency.
Workforce Readiness
Create and nurture a high performing and inclusive workforce to constantly be at the forefront of change through acquiring strategic skills and capabilities.
Socially Responsible Business
Operate business through fair and responsible social and environmental practices and provide financial accessibility to the underserved individuals and businesses.
Environmental Management
Keep the environmental footprint low and promote responsible consumption to limit negative environmental and social externalities.
Community Investment
Empower the communities by providing relevant tools, knowledge and banking products and services, supporting the growth of Social Enterprises and promoting greater financial literacy amongst the public.
Here are our Problem Statements for this year!
Topic: Digital Banking
A. Apart from the traditional credit evaluation tools, what alternative data and data sources can be used for credit evaluation, especially for variable income workforce with limited bureau records?
Topic: Customer Experience
A. How can we leverage intelligent solutions like advanced analytics, machine learning, computer vision and A.I. to improve the experience of banking customers (consumers and businesses) in financial services? For example, delivering real-time personalization & offers, providing faster credit decisions & underwriting, building stronger detection & monitoring of financial crime, and gaining real-time customer sentiments.
B. How can we provide businesses (B2B, B2C, B2B2C) with an integrated solution and equip them with the expertise and industry best practices to propel their businesses digitally, e.g. transform a traditional renovation material supplier into a mainstream online marketplace?
Topic: Employee Health, Safety and Wellbeing
A. How can we incorporate preventive measures, proactive interventions and use analytics to help employees be more conscious and take better care of their wellness (physical, mental and emotional well-being)?
Topic: Talent Attraction, Development and Retention
A. How can we use more engaging learning methods, such as gamification and simulation-based methods to instil a culture of continuous learning to build a future-ready workforce at the workplace?
Topic: Good Governance
A. How can we improve the consumption of evolving regulatory and compliance policies to be more efficient? For example, automating the interpretation of policy changes and updates.
Topic: Financial Inclusion
A. How can we boost financial inclusion through comprehensive solutions, and access to digital banking services for the more vulnerable communities, e.g. persons with disabilities, the elderly, migrant workers, low-income and underserved segments?
B. How can we develop financial wellbeing solutions/tools to aid vulnerable individuals and businesses to better manage their financials?
Topic: Responsible Financing
A. How can we leverage technology to aggregate and funnel real-time ESG related news and information from public and private data sources to help companies manage their partners and vendors, as well as customers?
B. How can we help SMEs kickstart their sustainability journey in an easy and structured manner? For example, helping them understand, track and measure their ESG scorecard in becoming sustainable companies.
Topic: Managing Our Environmental Footprint
A. How can we implement a solution to track carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a timely and consistent manner and measure progress towards emission targets for customers and the Bank?
B. How can green tech or sustainable technology be implemented at home/the workplace to create long term positive environmental impact?
Topic: Building Communities
A. How can we develop financial educational tools that are inclusive for the more vulnerable communities? For example, creating tools that are accessible without the Internet, and with multilingual content.
B. How can we help the communities at risk curb the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, such as unemployment, food insecurity, malnutrition, and healthcare and learning access challenges?
C. How can we scale and take fundraising to the next level to achieve sustainable impact?
D. How can we integrate traditional Social Finance instruments into Islamic Banking products and services?
E. How can we facilitate organizations like Lembaga Zakat, or develop an end-to-end solution to enhance the efficiency in the collection and distribution of Waqf and Zakat funds, and enhance the transparency for the contributors?
F. How can we track and keep tabs on Waqf assets to ensure the sustainability of these assets? For example, developing a central database for Waqf contributions.
Join us now if you meet the following criteria
Watch out for these key milestones
Check out our past participants of HLB Launchpad
Our Valued Partners
The selected startups will get access to these benefits
Access to Regional Markets
Potential to grow your base in countries where Hong Leong Bank has a presence in - Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Mentorship and Pilot Project Opportunities
Win the opportunity to collaborate with HLB and get mentored by some of the most experienced leaders in the industry, who will help you tackle challenges and scale your business.
RM100K Cash Prizes up for grabs
Stand a chance to win cash prizes of RM50K for the final startup winner and RM25K for the top 2 startup runner ups.
Access to Hong Leong Bank and Hong Leong Group of companies
Win yourself an opportunity to gain insights into how the banking industry works while validating your MVPs. Stand a chance to tap into various Hong Leong Group industries, such as manufacturing, property development, hospitality & leisure, and principal investments.
Access to Jumpstart@65
Make use of our state of the art community hub with facilities, such as event space, co-working space and usability labs.
Access to financial support through iStart@HLB
iStart is a programme aimed to support startups by accessing the total SME solutions from HLB such as; business current account, merchant terminal, digital business solutions & micro-financing scheme
Watch the recap of our HLB Launchpad 2020 Demo Day
Let’s hear from our HLB LaunchPad 2020 Participants!
"Through the programme, we now have a blueprint for how we approach and work with new corporate customers. We had the opportunity to develop an e-waste handbook for corporate clients to properly manage e-waste, which has inspired so many other companies to do the same and has given us serious credibility against our competition.”
Learn more about them
"Prior to HLB Launchpad, we’ve had some experience working with insurance companies but not with a bank. We were exploring on banks being potential partners for Bereev down the road. Through this programme, we were able to pitch to and receive feedback directly from the decision makers, which was exactly what we were looking for, enabling us to learn more about how a large financial institution worked, as well as how our platform would apply in that setting."
Learn more about them
Q: What type of startups are we looking for?
A: We are looking to partner with startups that are able to contribute to helping our Customers, the Community and the Bank in creating long term positive impact to our society and environment across our 5 HLB Sustainability Themes. We would especially like to hear from startups that can present tangible solutions that solves the specific problem statements shared.
Q: What if my company is not fintech-focused?
A: That's absolutely fine. We are looking for both fintech and non-fintech startups that have a visionary attitude and inspiring ideas. What is important is that you have an MVP and are focused on the potential of your startup.
Q: Who is eligible to participate in the programme?
A: Specifically, we are looking for startups that can address one (or more!) of the problem statements we have posed. However, any innovative and creative startup that can help improve upon the bankʼs ability to serve its customers and to build efficiencies is also welcome to apply.
This programme is open to startups who:
1. Have an MVP
2. Are in operation for >1 year with sales generated
3. Have presence in Malaysia
Q: How will I know if I have been shortlisted?
A: You will be notified via email at least 2 weeks after the application deadline with full details and instructions to prepare for the pitch
Q: How does the programme work?
A: After we receive your application, the first round of selection based on eligibility criteria will begin. We will then proceed to invite the selected startups to participate in the first pitch session to the relevant business owners of the selected problem statement. From there, 10 startups will be shortlisted to present their final pitch to HLB C-suite on Demo Day, where we will pick 3 winners. These 3 winners will be entitled for mentorship sessions with our C-suite, Business Heads and Partners as well as a 6 month pilot project with the bank.
Q: Where will Demo Day be held?
A: We may conduct a virtual Demo Day event considering the current pandemic situation. More details will be shared closer to the event date.
Q: Do I need to offer an equity stake to HLB as part of this programme?
A: No, HLB will not hold any equity in the startups who participate in the programme.
Have a question that is not in the list?
Get in touch with us.
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