Helicap

Helicap operates as a financial technology firm in the private credit market, providing an alternative investment platform with a focus on Southeast Asia. The company was established in January 2018 in Singapore by co-founders David Z Wang, Quentin Vanoekel, and Jeremy Tan, who combined their extensive experience in banking and investment management to address the region's growing FinTech lending space. The founders' journey began with David and Jeremy meeting in 2004 while studying at the National University of Singapore & University of Southern California, followed by a decade of building expertise in private banking, hedge funds, and asset management before launching the company from a Singapore apartment.

The firm's primary business is to connect accredited and institutional investors with private credit and equity investment opportunities. Helicap aims to fill a significant financing gap, estimated at US$500 billion, for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and underbanked individuals across Southeast Asia. Revenue is generated by facilitating these investments and managing funds. Instead of lending directly, Helicap channels capital through originators like microfinance institutions and peer-to-peer lending platforms, allowing for greater scale. The clientele consists of high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors seeking access to the alternative lending market.

At the core of Helicap's service is a proprietary credit analytics and risk management platform. This technology utilizes machine learning to process millions of loan data points from origination platforms, extracting credit rating insights to evaluate investment opportunities and manage risk. For its investor clients, the company offers curated deals through a digital platform, providing access to investments intended to generate recurring income, capital growth, or social impact. A key milestone was the acquisition of securities firm Arcor Capital in August 2019, which provided a Capital Markets Services License from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), allowing it to conduct regulated activities. The company has secured multiple funding rounds, including a $1.5M seed round in May 2018, a $10M Series A in April 2020, and a strategic funding round in June 2022 led by Tikehau Capital and PhillipCapital.

Keywords: private credit, fintech platform, alternative lending, Southeast Asia investments, SME financing, credit analytics, risk management, data-driven investing, financial inclusion, accredited investors, institutional investors, debt financing, private equity, impact investing, Singapore fintech, microfinance, asset management, capital markets, portfolio diversification, high-yield investments