On November 12th, Integra Partners, in collaboration with ProCredit Financing Corp, hosted our inaugural SME Finance Conference in the Philippines. The event brought together more than 100 participants, including startups, SMEs, lenders, investors, and policymakers, to explore strategies for enabling SME growth and resilience.

We are immensely grateful to everyone who joined us and that helped shape insightful discussions on SME finance, digital transformation, and strategies for building resilience in this dynamic sector.

Special Thanks to Our Partners and Speakers

A heartfelt thank you to the Financial Inclusion team at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, led by Mynard Bryan Mojica, for their invaluable support and detailed presentation on the state of financial inclusion in the SME lending space.

We also extend our appreciation to our exceptional speakers:

• Maryll Acampado (iProtect)
• Edmund Solilapsi (ARQCapital Partners Inc.)
• Rene De Jesus (Alon Capital Philippines)
• Sandeep Bhalla (Saripay)
• Karan Bhaskar (Tranko)
• Jojo Malolos (PayMongo)
• Addi Guevara (Advance.ai)
• Todd D Schweitzer (Brankas)

Their expertise and insights enriched the conversations and inspired actionable takeaways.

We were also honoured to welcome our international guests from DEG (Dr. Felix Schneider & Dr. Lars Oehler) and USAID Digital Invest (Taha Gaya, Taylor Bloch, Christina M. Golubski). Their perspectives added depth to the discussions and underscored the value of global collaboration in driving SME growth.

A Spotlight on Innovation and Resilience

One of the day’s highlights was a keynote from Maryll Acampado, Founder and CEO of iProtect, who shared her journey of transforming her traditional insurance brokerage into a tech-enabled business. Her inspiring story showcased the challenges and opportunities of running an inter-generational enterprise and how innovation drives success in today’s fast-changing economy.

Key Takeaways from the Event

The discussions yielded actionable insights that can help shape the future of SME finance and resilience:

• Bridging the Credit Gap: Lending to SMEs by banks has decreased, creating a significant credit gap. Non-bank lenders are well-positioned to address this need.
• Scaling for Impact: SMEs require more debt and equity capital to scale effectively, alongside enhanced education and alignment among stakeholders.
• Role of Technology: Open Finance, QR PH, and standardized payment data can streamline credit underwriting and provisioning.
• Collaboration is Key: Partnerships between FinTechs, traditional financial institutions, and policymakers are essential for building a supportive ecosystem for SMEs.
• Adapting Through Innovation: Inter-generational SMEs can thrive by leveraging technology to stay competitive and meet evolving market demands.

Looking Ahead

This conference is just the beginning. At Integra Partners, we remain committed to driving meaningful change and growth for SMEs across the region. We look forward to building on the ideas and collaborations sparked at this event.

See more photos from the event and relive the highlights here.

Thank you for making this inaugural event a success. We can’t wait to see you at the next edition!