Singapore FinTech TSLC raises $25m from Abu Dhabi investor-led group

The start-up aims to launch its mobile-first credit-led platform in the Middle East within the next six months after funding from ARV Investments

The global market for consumer credit is expected to reach $15 billion by 2027. Press Association

The Social Loan Company, a Singapore FinTech start-up, raised more than $25 million to fund its expansion into new markets, product development and to step up hiring.

An investor consortium led by Abu Dhabi Global Market-domiciled ARV Investments participated in the funding round, also known as Pre-Series B, the company said.

ARV Investments is a global vehicle under ARI Holding, an Abu Dhabi investment group that has a mandate to invest globally, across asset classes in select industries.

The funding also included the participation from various local, regional and international family offices, venture funds and sponsors, TSLC said.

The new capital will be used to fuel the growth of TSLC’s digital lending operations, deepen its artificial intelligence and predictive analytics capabilities in chosen markets and grow its global talent pool.

ARI Holding's investment is" a testament to the strength of our AI, proprietary data analytics and machine-learning enabled platform … a vote of confidence in our ability to leverage our platform on a global scale, revolutionising access to honest credit and driving financial inclusion for the new generation", said Deepak Saluja, group chief executive and co-founder of TSLC.

After the conclusion of its Pre-Series B round, Paris Investment bank Rothschild launched a Series B funding round of more than $100m for TSLC that is attracting "significant interest from global institutional investors".

"As we look to enter new markets in Latam [Latin America], the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Apac [Asia-Pacific], we are positioned to build on the strong support we have received to date," said Mr Saluja.

"We are excited to have Rothschild lead our Series B funding round, which will help us accelerate innovation, achieve breakthrough growth and fulfil our mission on a much larger scale.”

Founded in 2016, TSLC offers AI-powered, Big-Data driven personalised financial solutions. Its machine learning platform generates proprietary predictive analytics and supports the enablement of inclusive, affordable credit-led products and services.

It has created a credit decisioning and underwriting engine that enables quick and flexible credit facilities in a one-stop ecosystem that is end-to-end tech-enabled, safe and secure.

Consumer credit refers to short and intermediate-term personal loans taken by consumers to finance the purchase of goods and services for personal use.

The global market for consumer credit is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5 per cent to $15 billion by 2027 from $10.7bn last year, according to Research and Markets. based in Dublin.

TSLC caters to more than 8 million users on its platform in India under the brand name CASHe.

The company recently established its presence in the UAE – its first market in the Middle East and North Africa region and has established Digital Collective Technologies, its wholly owned subsidiary in ADGM.

It aims to launch its mobile-first credit-led platform in the Middle East within the next six months.

"Once launched, the global financial wellness platform will engender affordable, hyper-personalised and instantaneous credit to underserved middle-income consumers, partnering with them on their journey to financial independence and a better financial future," the company said.

Earlier this year, TSLC teamed up with UAE’s Aafaq Bank to launch a credit-enabled wallet with embedded mobile banking, virtual cards and personalised financing.