GTR Ventures will work with these firms and build their businesses through global expansion, development of new products, and connection to a global marketplace for digital trade finance assets
GTR Ventures, an investment and venture-building platform specialised in trade and supply chain, has announced its debut investments in five trade fintech companies, of which four are from Singapore.
The city-state-based GTR Ventures has taken equity positions in these fintech companies, collectively valuing them at around US$50 million.
As per a press note, these five companies — four digital trade lenders and a platform for institutional investors to access global trade instruments — have facilitated over US$160 million of trade loan deals since their inception.
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GTR Ventures will work with these firms and build their businesses through global expansion, development of new products such as trade finance indices, and connection to a global marketplace for digital trade finance assets.
The VC firm expects to close five more deals and global partnerships in the next quarter.
Launched in September 2017, GTR Ventures has operations in London and Hong Kong, besides Singapore. In partnership with Global Trade Review (GTR) — a news portal for global trade and trade finance intelligence, publishing, news and events — GTR Ventures mobilises private capital for trade and trade finance, investing in and supporting the development of trade-focused fintech companies (tradetechs) while working with multiple stakeholders to integrate technology into trade.
GTR Ventures focuses on four main investment areas: transaction banking (trade finance, treasury and cash), trade insurance and risk management, SME finance and supply chain and physical trade.
A sneak-peek into the five investees
Culum Capital (Saingapore)
Culum Capital provides companies with working capital funding using trade finance solutions, particularly in receivables purchase and supply chain finance. It is also an investment platform for investors seeking alternative investment opportunities. The company has a proprietary risk assessment and management system to ensure the quality of deals flowing through its platform.
eFundSME Global (Singapore)
eFundSME Global is an online marketplace for invoice trading, founded, owned and managed by industry veterans from Singapore. Its key management team comprises professionals from the banking industry with aggregate experience exceeding 100 years. The company leverages the power of online technology to transform trade finance for the mutual benefit of SME sellers and investor buyers.
Incomlend (Hong Kong and Singapore)
Incomlend is an invoice exchange where companies from different countries can fund their export receivables by selling them to private investors at a discount. The platform trades in multiple currencies (USD, EUR, SGD, and HKD) and offers an integrated digital receivables discounting solution to both suppliers and buyers across its global supply chain, dynamic discounting and factoring products. Investors’ capital is protected against debtors’ credit risk by world leading credit insurers.
Tradeteq (UK)
Tradeteq provides the collaborative network for trade finance investors and originators to connect, interact, and transact. Tradeteq delivers AI-powered credit analytics, reporting, investment and operational solutions. Tradeteq transforms trade finance assets into transparent and scalable investments.
Trade Finance Market (Singapore)
Trade Finance Market (TFM) provides alternative trade finance solutions to SMEs. TFM also develops blockchain-based tools to derisk and lower the cost of trade finance transactions, including InvoiceCheck, a tool designed to reduce invoice finance fraud.
Kelvin Tan, CIO of GTR Ventures, said: “The global trade sector is transforming with digitisation and data-driven infrastructure connecting diverse players across the physical and financial aspects of trade. The founders behind Tradeteq, Trade Finance Market, Culum Capital, eFundSME and Incomlend, are driving that change by using technology and data analytics to mitigate risks, make lending more efficient and close the trade finance gap. Our vision is to work with these companies and build strategic first-mover stakes in the future of trade.”
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