Validus Capital: Company Overview and Singaporean Context
Validus Capital Pte. Ltd. (UEN 201530032R) stands as a significant player in Singapore's burgeoning fintech landscape, specifically within the digital lending sector. Incorporated on July 27, 2015, this private limited company is headquartered at 150 Beach Road, #08-03/04 Gateway West, Singapore 189720. Its financial records are diligently audited by Natarajan & Swaminathan LLP, ensuring transparency and adherence to financial standards. Validus is a privately held subsidiary of GXS Bank Pte. Ltd., a notable digital bank in the region, which speaks to its robust backing and strategic alignment within the broader financial ecosystem.
The company was founded with a clear vision: to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing rapid and seamless access to growth financing. It operates on a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending model, a relatively innovative approach that connects accredited investors, primarily institutions and family offices, directly with underserved SMEs. This model not only diversifies funding sources for businesses but also offers investors attractive returns, creating a symbiotic relationship. Validus primarily targets SMEs within Singapore, but its reach extends across Southeast Asia, reflecting its regional ambitions and impact.
Key executives such as Nikhilesh Goel (Co-Founder & Group CEO) and Vikas Nahata (Co-Founder & Executive Director, Asia) have been instrumental in steering Validus’s growth and technological advancements. The platform differentiates itself through an end-to-end digital process and sophisticated data-driven credit models, which allow for efficient and accurate assessment of borrower suitability. With a focus on short-term, unsecured working capital, invoice, and purchase order financing, Validus has successfully served over 4,000 SMEs in Singapore, facilitating an aggregated financing amount exceeding SGD 3.5 billion across Southeast Asia, solidifying its position as a leading digital lender in the SME segment.
Loan Products, Interest Rates, and Fee Structures
Validus Capital offers a streamlined suite of financing solutions tailored to the immediate needs of SMEs. These core products are designed to address various working capital requirements, providing flexibility and speed for businesses in Singapore. The primary loan products include:
- Working Capital Loans: General purpose financing to support daily operations, expansion, or bridging short-term cash flow gaps.
- Invoice Financing: Allows businesses to unlock cash from their outstanding invoices, typically providing up to 90% of the invoice value upfront. This helps improve cash flow without waiting for customer payments.
- Purchase Order Financing: Provides funding to fulfill specific purchase orders, enabling businesses to take on larger contracts even if they lack immediate capital for raw materials or production costs.
Regarding loan amounts, Validus caters to a range of needs, with a minimum loan size of SGD 30,000 and a maximum of SGD 500,000, which is approximately USD 365,000. This range makes it accessible for various SME sizes and financing requirements. The interest rates are competitive, featuring flat monthly rates from 0.67% to 1.65%. This translates to an effective Annual Percentage Rate (APR) ranging approximately from 8% to 22% per annum, depending on the specific product, the chosen tenor, and the borrower's credit score. Rates are tiered, meaning businesses with stronger credit profiles and established relationships with Validus may secure more favorable terms.
Loan tenors are typically between 3 to 12 months, with options to extend up to 24 months for certain products, offering flexibility in repayment planning. Repayment schedules involve monthly principal and interest installments. Validus maintains a transparent fee structure. A processing or origination fee, ranging from 2.5% to 5% of the loan amount, is deducted upfront. Importantly, the platform does not impose annual fees or early-repayment penalties, which is a significant advantage for businesses that may wish to settle their loans ahead of schedule. However, late payments may incur consultancy or management fees as per their undisclosed fee schedule. While many loans are unsecured for SMEs meeting specific turnover and credit-score thresholds, collateral may be required for higher loan amounts or for businesses with lower credit profiles, providing a necessary risk mitigation measure for the lender and its investors.
Application Process and Digital User Experience
Validus Capital prides itself on its fully digital application process, which significantly streamlines access to financing for Singaporean SMEs. Businesses can apply through its dedicated web platform or via its user-friendly mobile application, available on both iOS and Android devices. There is no need for physical branch visits, making the process convenient and efficient for busy entrepreneurs.
The Know Your Customer (KYC) and onboarding process is entirely digital. Applicants are required to submit essential business documents, including their ACRA business profile, bank statements (typically for the last 3-6 months), financial statements, and personal guarantor documents. Automated identity verification and document checks are integrated into the system, speeding up the initial assessment phase. Validus employs a proprietary credit scoring algorithm that leverages extensive data analysis, including bank statement analysis, digital footprint evaluation, invoice history, and peer benchmarking. While the system automates much of the initial assessment, a manual review process is in place for outlier applications, ensuring a balanced and thorough underwriting approach. Upon approval, funds are typically disbursed via bank transfer or escrow account within a remarkably fast timeframe of 48 to 72 hours, demonstrating Validus’s commitment to rapid capital access.
The Validus mobile application is a cornerstone of its digital strategy, boasting strong user ratings of 4.6 on the iOS App Store and 4.5 on Google Play. These high ratings reflect a positive user experience, often praised for its user-friendliness and speed. Key features of the app include a loan calculator to estimate potential repayments, real-time application status tracking, and direct document upload capabilities. This suite of features empowers borrowers to manage their applications and monitor their loan status conveniently from their mobile devices. Furthermore, Validus maintains a robust digital presence through active LinkedIn and Facebook channels, along with quarterly blog insights on SME finance, reinforcing its role as a thought leader in the digital lending space.
In terms of collections and recovery, Validus employs automated repayment reminders to ensure timely payments. For overdue accounts, the company partners with debt-collection agencies and may enforce personal guarantor agreements, adhering to standard industry practices for loan recovery.
Regulatory Compliance and Market Standing in Singapore
Validus Capital operates under stringent regulatory oversight within Singapore, a crucial factor for ensuring trust and stability in the financial sector. It holds a full Capital Markets Services (CMS) license (CMS100912) from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), issued on March 12, 2017. This license is critical as it permits Validus to deal in capital markets products, underpinning its P2P lending model. Being MAS-licensed means Validus is subject to the authority's comprehensive Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) guidelines and data privacy regulations, including the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
As of September 2025, Validus has no public record of regulatory actions or penalties, indicating a strong adherence to compliance standards. The company emphasizes consumer protection through transparent fee disclosures, fair-lending policies, and mandatory grievance channels, ensuring that borrowers are treated equitably and have avenues for recourse if issues arise. This commitment to regulatory compliance and ethical practices is vital for fostering confidence among both borrowers and the accredited investors who fund the loans.
In the competitive Singaporean market, Validus Capital has carved out a strong niche, establishing itself as the leading P2P SME lender by loan volume. Its competitive edge stems from its fully digital, end-to-end process and its advanced data-driven credit models, which enable faster and more accurate lending decisions than traditional financial institutions might offer. Key competitors in this space include Funding Societies, Minterest, MoolahSense, and Capital Match. Validus differentiates itself through strategic partnerships with major banks like DBS and OCBC for platform co-funding, and corporate entities such as SMRT, offering preferential invoicing rates. It also integrates with accounting software like Xero and QuickBooks, enhancing its digital ecosystem.
Validus’s financial performance reflects its market leadership, with an estimated annual revenue of SGD 5–10 million in the 2021 fiscal year. The company achieved break-even profitability in 2023, even amid volatile credit cycles, a testament to its robust business model and risk management strategies. With a Singapore SME loan book of SGD 350 million in 2025 and a regional portfolio of SGD 3.5 billion, its growth trajectory is impressive. Its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio stands at 1.3%, which is notably below the bank average of 1.5% reported in 2018, underscoring its effective risk assessment. Validus has also secured significant funding, including USD 45 million in growth equity from FTV Capital in February 2025, alongside prior backing from AddVentures by SCG, FMO, and Vertex Ventures, supporting its continued expansion and innovation plans.
Considering Validus: Practical Advice for Potential Borrowers
For Singaporean SMEs contemplating financing from Validus Capital, several practical considerations and pieces of advice can aid in making an informed decision. Firstly, it is imperative to understand your business's specific financing needs. Validus excels in short-term working capital, invoice, and purchase order financing. If your requirement aligns with these products and their typical tenors of 3 to 12 months (extendable to 24), Validus could be a suitable option. For instance, a fishing-pond SME secured S$60,000 in three days despite initial credit bureau data issues, demonstrating Validus's ability to assess beyond traditional metrics, and a retail vendor scaled operations via S$200,000 purchase-order financing in 2025.
Secondly, review the eligibility criteria and prepare your documentation thoroughly. While the process is digital and fast, having your ACRA business profile, 3-6 months of bank statements, recent financial statements, and personal guarantor documents ready will expedite your application. Validus's proprietary credit scoring algorithm relies heavily on these digital footprints, so ensuring your financial records are accurate and up-to-date is crucial for a favorable assessment.
Next, pay close attention to the interest rates and fee structure. With flat monthly rates from 0.67% to 1.65% (effective APR 8%-22% p.a.), and processing fees of 2.5%-5% deducted upfront, it is essential to calculate the total cost of borrowing. While Validus offers the advantage of no annual or early-repayment penalties, understanding potential late payment charges is also important. Use the in-app loan calculator to get a clear picture of your monthly repayments and total cost before committing.
Furthermore, leverage the digital tools and customer support. The Validus mobile app, with its high ratings, provides real-time application status updates and easy document uploads. Should you encounter any issues or require clarification, the 24/7 chatbot support and email helpdesk are available. For larger accounts, dedicated relationship managers provide personalized assistance, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Lastly, while Validus offers speed and convenience, it is always wise to compare its offerings with other MAS-licensed digital lenders in Singapore, such as Funding Societies, Minterest, MoolahSense, and Capital Match. Each platform may have slightly different niches, interest rate structures, or eligibility criteria. By conducting a comparative analysis, businesses can ensure they secure the most competitive and suitable financing solution for their unique operational needs. Validus's transparent fee disclosures and MAS regulatory oversight provide a layer of protection, but an informed borrower is always the best advocate for their business's financial health.
