Building on the strong momentum in Singapore, the Bank has launched its serial entrepreneur proposition in Malaysia and plans to roll it out in Hong Kong and Indonesia.

(From left) Mr Adam Piperdy, Founder of Unearthed Group; Mr Lionel Lee, Director of Westpoint Transit Pte Ltd; and Ms Anna Chang, Head of Middle Market and Services, Global Commercial Banking, OCBC.

Singapore, 7 July 2025 – OCBC has set a loan target of S$5 billion by 2028 for its serial entrepreneur segment across its core markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia. The Bank launched the business proposition in Malaysia earlier in July 2025 after a 9-month pilot, making it the second market to do so after Singapore in 2019.

OCBC plans to roll out this market-first proposition dedicated to entrepreneurs who own multiple small, early-stage businesses to Hong Kong by end-2025, and subsequently to Indonesia.

The Bank sees a sizable potential customer base in this segment with one in three new businesses incorporated in Singapore belonging to an entrepreneur with at least one existing business. At the end of 2024, over 1,800 serial entrepreneurs in Singapore and Malaysia had received S$1.5 billion in financing since 2019. In Malaysia, almost half of the small businesses that OCBC serves are owned by serial entrepreneurs. Another S$3.5 billion in financing is expected to be extended across the four markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia – from 2025 to 2028.

Under this proposition, OCBC’s approach takes a comprehensive view of the entrepreneur's experience, business track record and overall business strategy across his or her group of companies. An integrated support network, comprising a dedicated Group relationship manager, specialists in cash management, corporate advisory and wealth management is formed to support the entrepreneur’s business aspirations.

This contrasts with the industry norm of evaluating each business on its own track record and financial credibility, which makes it harder for start-ups to obtain financing even if the founder has existing operating businesses and a proven track record. Similarly, businesses of this size are not typically supported with such level of dedicated resources from banks.

Mr Adam Piperdy, who has 9 businesses in the MICE sector, is one who has benefited from the serial entrepreneur proposition.

With OCBC’s support, Mr Piperdy’s portfolio of companies, Unearthed Group, has consistently recorded year-on-year revenue growth of more than 30% in the last two years. Similarly, the Group has seen a nine-fold increase from 2020 to 2024 in the number of events it manages yearly. Some notable ones include the annual Orchard Road Christmas Festival and Seedly Personal Finance Festival, both of which Unearthed has managed since 2020. He has plans to expand his portfolio of companies beyond Singapore – setting up new offices in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia in the next 12 months.

Mr Piperdy said: “Unearthed was built from grit, sleepless nights, and a relentless desire to do things differently. As we grew into multiple ventures, the biggest challenge wasn’t the ideas, it was the fragmentation. Each company had a different clientele and a different bank relationship. OCBC was the first bank that saw me as the man behind the group. They looked at my entire portfolio and personal track record, not just one balance sheet. With a dedicated banker, I gained clarity, confidence and structure to our growth strategy.”

“OCBC’s approach also gave me access to financing, solutions and advisory typically reserved for larger corporations. When we launched our creative services arm UP Media in 2023, we were able to obtain a business venture loan as soon as it was incorporated. This kind of support is rare and it’s why I see them as a strategic partner.”

Mr Lionel Lee, Director of Westpoint Transit Pte Ltd, is another serial entrepreneur whom OCBC supported. He manages five companies across different facets of the logistics and transport sector.

Mr Lee said: “I’m the second-generation business lead in an industry facing deep-rooted headwinds like driver shortage, and product-and operationally-related costs that are highly sensitive to macroeconomic influences. More recently, the need to meet requirements on the sustainability front has also intensified. I had to swiftly adapt and take decisive action when I took the helm in 2019. Leading five companies across different facets of the logistics and transport ecosystem only amplified the complexity and urgency of the challenges.

“The support on financing and advisory fronts provided by OCBC from the get-go has not only been critical in facilitating Westpoint’s growth in expanding fleet- and talent-wise, but also helped me navigate potential pitfalls and risks that I otherwise would have been more susceptible to."

A comprehensive suite of sector-specific solutions has been curated for industries – healthcare, education and F&B – where OCBC has seen higher penetration of serial entrepreneurs. These solutions include starter working capital loans, venture loans, cross-border expansion solutions, sustainable finance, and even corporate finance advisory for M&A and exits.

Ms Anna Chang, Head of Middle Market and Services, Global Commercial Banking, OCBC, said: “OCBC has re-imagined banking for serial entrepreneurs – centering it on enabling founders to build, scale, and exit businesses with confidence and agility. With algorithms that recognize the founders and their track record, we extend them capital and advisory traditionally reserved for larger companies. Our approach turns the founders’ portfolio of companies into a platform for growth. We are confident this founder-first proposition will resonate strongly across our other core markets.”