Dubbed “From Ledger to Loan”, the partnership allows eligible Bukku users to instantly check financing qualification based on real-time, masked accounting data. With user consent, Bukku securely shares aggregated financial information with Funding Societies, eliminating the need for tedious paperwork and significantly shortening the application timeline.
Since its inception in December 2023, the partnership has already facilitated RM1 million in financing for SMEs across Malaysia.
“With the introduction of Instant Qualification, we’re helping SMEs get pre-approved financing at the speed of their business – not the speed of paperwork,” said Chai Kien Poon, Country Head of Funding Societies Malaysia.
Through an embedded Financing Portal within Bukku’s platform, businesses receive real-time financing offers tailored to their financial health – with no manual uploads or conventional credit paperwork required. This innovation aligns with Malaysia’s national push toward digitalisation and e-invoicing, especially under the MyInvois system spearheaded by LHDN.
“At Bukku, our mission has always been to simplify financial management for SMEs – but access to capital is just as critical,” said Jye Eng, Co-founder and CEO of Bukku.
The partnership is especially timely, as more SMEs prepare for mandatory e-invoicing compliance starting in 2025. By linking digital records with real-world financing, this initiative supports Bank Negara Malaysia’s agenda to expand inclusive, data-driven SME financing – especially for micro and underserved businesses, which make up 97.4% of Malaysia’s business ecosystem.
One such beneficiary is DNA Tech Digital Sdn. Bhd., a Kuala Lumpur-based tech firm that faced cash flow constraints while scaling its hybrid web application services.
“We discovered Funding Societies through Bukku and were impressed by how fast and simple the pre-approval was,” shared Brandon Leong, Founder of DNA Tech Digital. “It gave us the working capital we needed to grow confidently, without the usual documentation hurdles.”
Looking ahead, the partnership will explore deeper integration, including:
- Instant pre-approvals to further speed up financing decisions;
- Embedded invoice financing to help businesses get paid faster;
- Lower interest rates enabled by richer data insights and improved evaluations.
Together, Funding Societies and Bukku are not only simplifying access to capital but also reshaping how digital tools empower Malaysia’s SMEs to scale sustainably.
