Mr. Yeo had never arranged a loan in his career. His world is mergers and acquisitions. He began in venture capital and now advises companies looking to be sold, seeking investors, or heading for an IPO.
Today, he is a FundingBee agent who connects SME owners with financing options. So, how did he get started?
About two years ago, Mr. Yeo came to FundingBee with a different idea: a crypto venture where people would pledge Bitcoin and borrow Ringgit against it. A lawyer friend introduced him.
Then a friend, a shareholder in an AI company he was advising, who also ran a training business, had hit a funding difficulties. He wasn't Mr. Yeo's client, and lending wasn't Mr. Yeo's line of work. Mr. Yeo introduced him to FundingBee, and the shareholder got the funding.
FundingBee's business lending model was a different fit. But the conversation moved in a new direction. Mr. Yeo knew business owners who needed funding, and FundingBee served that need exactly. He started making referrals.
They come from the edges of his network, not from his own clients: F&B outlets, small trading companies, and suppliers to the larger companies he advises.
In one case, a furniture supplier connected to a property client was waiting on government payments. Mr. Yeo suggested he apply for business funding from FundingBee to bridge the gap.
In another case, the training shareholder mentioned his funding difficulties, and Mr. Yeo introduced him to FundingBee. The funding came through.
There is no particular sector. Mr. Yeo helps whoever crosses his path.
For someone outside banking, lending can look slow and uncertain. Mr. Yeo values clarity most.
Clarity is very important for me. With traditional funding, there are too many relationships. I would rather make it straightforward.
The conditions to apply are clear. A decision typically comes within three days, handled over a video call instead of a branch visit.
That makes FundingBee easy to explain to a friend. He is not a lender and cannot walk someone through a complicated process. He describes FundingBee in a few sentences and trusts it to deliver.
You say it, and you mean it, and you do it.
Applying has also become simpler. Customers now scan and apply themselves, so the referrer doesn't have to do it for them.
Mr. Yeo refers to small business owners, such as F&B outlets, small trading companies, and suppliers to larger companies. They often need working capital to bridge a gap or seize an opportunity, such as RM50,000.
If you know a business owner like this, you could be the connection that gets them moving, just as Mr. Yeo was.
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