SINGAPORE: OCBC Bank has committed S$5 billion (US$3.9 billion) in financing by 2028 to support “serial entrepreneurs.” These are founders who run multiple small and early-stage businesses in its main markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.
The bank’s initiative began in Singapore in 2019. It officially launched in Malaysia in July 2025 after a nine-month pilot. OCBC plans to expand the programme to Hong Kong by the end of 2025 and to Indonesia afterwards.
This is the first such offering by OCBC. It recognises that traditional SME financing models do not meet the needs of entrepreneurs managing several ventures.
Rather than treating each business separately, OCBC considers the entrepreneur’s overall history and group strategy. Each entrepreneur works with a dedicated relationship manager and receives help from in-house experts in cash management, corporate advisory, and wealth services.
In a media statement, Anna Chang, head of middle market and services at OCBC’s global commercial banking division, said, “Serial entrepreneurs are often overlooked by the market. They face fragmented banking experiences, have to repeat their stories to multiple bankers, and receive limited credit despite strong overall performance.”
Following a survey of more than 500 business owners from 2017 to 2018, OCBC discovered significant gaps in banking services for entrepreneurs managing multiple businesses.
The survey found that one in three new businesses in Singapore was started by someone who already owned at least one company. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, almost half of OCBC’s Malaysian SME clients were also found to be serial entrepreneurs.
By the end of 2024, OCBC had provided over S$1.5 billion (US$1.1 billion) in financing to more than 1,800 serial entrepreneurs in Singapore and Malaysia, supporting over 8,000 companies. An additional S$3.5 billion (US$2.7 billion) is set aside to be deployed from 2025 to 2028.
OCBC is also developing industry-specific solutions for sectors with high rates of serial entrepreneurship, including healthcare, education, and food and beverage. These solutions include working capital loans, venture funding, sustainable finance, M&A advisory, and cross-border expansion services.
Chang noted that serial entrepreneurs often perform better in terms of credit than single-venture founders, with 30% lower default rates. “Cross-portfolio visibility helps us spot early warning signs and reduce risk through communication,” she said.
Entrepreneurs will also be supported by a relationship manager who will help tailor specialists in cash management, corporate advisory, and wealth planning.
“At the heart of this is ambition,” Chang concluded. “We’ve redesigned SME banking to empower founders to build, scale, and exit ventures with agility and confidence.”
