KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd (KL:ABMB) said financing for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is central to the country's economic growth, as the bank held the third edition of its BizSmart Business Conference on Tuesday.
In his welcome address, group chief executive officer Kellee Kam said the bank aims to support entrepreneurs at each stage of their expansion, and that the growth of homegrown businesses feeds into the wider economy.
The conference, themed "From Local Champions to National Icons", drew more than 900 attendees, according to the bank.
“Today's pressures push us to rethink our business models, innovate, build stronger partnerships, and aim higher than yesterday,” said Kam during his speech.
He added, “Now at Alliance Bank, our commitment goes beyond providing capital and transactional services. Financial support is important, yes, but true partnership means walking alongside you throughout your entrepreneurial journey, offering guidance, unlocking growth opportunities, and hopefully helping you build an ecosystem which you can connect and look for opportunities together.”
Discussions at the conference centred on how micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can raise capital, build brands and expand beyond the domestic market. The bank said more than 900 entrepreneurs, business leaders and ecosystem partners attended, the largest turnout to date.
On fundraising, Bikesh Lakhmichand of 1337 Ventures, Karen Lau of Sunway iLabs and Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke of Cradle Fund spoke on a panel moderated by Lennise Ng of Redwood Global Capital.
Other sessions covered overseas demand for Malaysian-born brands, direct-to-consumer models and the modernisation of traditional businesses, and logistics and cross-border infrastructure.
Speakers on the brands panel included representatives of Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd (KL:KOPI), Tropical Spa, Bayu Somerset, Kantin and Trapo, while Datuk Yong Yoon Li of Royal Selangor International and Bryan Loo of Loob Holding spoke on heritage brands and regional expansion respectively.
Alliance Bank also runs the BizSmart Challenge, an accelerator programme that offers SMEs funding, mentorship and market access. Over 185 businesses have gone through the BizSmart initiative since it started.