^{From left: Chief Digital & Technology Officer, En. Hairil Izwar Abd Rahman; SME Bank  Relief President/Chief Executive Officer, Samad Majid Zain; YB Datuk Ewon Benedick,  Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (“MECD”); alongside SME  Bank Chairman, Dato’ Muslim Hussain; BPMB Group Chief Executive Officer, Dato'  Muzaffar Hisham; and Exim Bank Chairman, Dato’ Charon Mokhzani.}


AI-driven platform equipping SMEs with real-time insights, flexible financing access and a clear path from diagnostics to market 

 
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia (“SME Bank”), a subsidiary of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad (“BPMB”) Group, has unveiled its new Enterprise Lifecycle Scoring Assessment (“ELSA”) Mobile Application, an artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered, mobile-first platform that provides entrepreneurs with real-time insights, flexible financing access and a pathway from diagnostics to market opportunities. Beyond empowering SMEs, ELSA also reflects Malaysia’s ASEAN Chair 2025 agenda to drive digital transformation through AI, cybersecurity, digital payments and inclusive innovation, cementing SME Bank’s role in building a future-ready economy.
 
Hairil Izwar Abd Rahman, Chief Digital & Technology Officer of SME Bank, said, “This unveiling marks a bold step in SME Bank’s digital innovation journey. By making ELSA accessible as a mobile app, we are embedding intelligence and accessibility into a single platform, enabling SMEs to move from identifying their challenges to taking decisive action that drives growth. ELSA is no longer just a diagnostic tool; it is evolving into an inclusive platform for SME empowerment, bridging insights with action across financing, digitalisation, training and market access. Through this initiative, SME Bank is charting an ambitious course to onboard 10,000 SMEs within the next two years, reinforcing our role as a key driver of Malaysia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and economic resilience.”
 
“In tandem, we will continue to support SMEs in key strategic sectors, particularly Technology and Digital, through our financing programmes such as the SME Technology Transformation Fund (“STTF”) and Bank Negara Malaysia’s High Tech & Green Facility (“HTG”). These initiatives help SMEs and innovative start-ups expand their businesses and invest in strategic fields including digital, green and biotechnology to drive sustainable growth and support an entrenched economic recovery,” he elaborated.
 
Designed as a mobile-first platform, ELSA empowers SMEs with AI-driven insights and seamless access to financing, training and advisory support, enabling them to assess, act and grow their businesses anytime and anywhere. Originally introduced in 2021 as a framework to guide SMEs through their business lifecycle, ELSA evolved into a web-based platform that has benefitted over 5,000 entrepreneurs through national and industry programmes led by SME Bank, including other strategic partners such as Ministry of Entrepreneurs & Cooperatives Development (“MECD”), PETRONAS, Prasarana, Johor Petroleum Development Corporation. ELSA’s innovation and impact have been recognised through the IDC Future Enterprise Award 2023 and the ADFIAP Technology Award 2025, underscoring SME Bank’s evolving role in driving SME development.
 
Through ModalNiaga, SME Bank’s digital financing platform, and its integration with ScoreXcess, entrepreneurs gain access to financing opportunities tailored to their business profiles, the ELSA app allows SMEs to apply for and track financing applications directly from their phones, with assessment data pre-filling key information to reduce friction and speed up approvals. These features ensure SMEs are guided from insight to financing to market access, creating a complete and sustainable growth journey.
 
The ELSA Mobile App was unveiled at SME Bank XCESS 2025, the Bank’s flagship business matching platform officiated by YB Datuk Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (“MECD”). The event brought together industry players, Government agencies and international buyers to drive collaborations and open new market access opportunities.
 
Customers can download the ELSA App on Apple Store and Play store via https://go.smebank.com.my/PRELSA. For more information on SME Bank and its available funding and programmes, visit www.smebankcom.my or call 03-26037700. 

Issued by:
SME Bank Group Strategic Communication 

Please click here for photo link: Photos - Google Drive

SOURCE: Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia (SME Bank)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Arnee Ismail
Head, Group Strategic Communication
SME Bank
Tel: +603 2603 7700
Email: communications@smebank.com.my 

--BERNAMA