Direct Lending

What Direct Lending does

Direct Lending Sdn. Bhd. is a Malaysian fintech founded in 2016 that operates an online lending marketplace connecting borrowers with over 30 financing providers, including banks (Public Islamic, Kuwait Finance House, MBSB, AmBank Islamic), cooperatives, KPKT-licensed moneylenders, foundations, and credit communities. The platform is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and primarily serves Malaysian civil servants, private sector salaried employees, and micro SMEs, with the core matching service provided to borrowers at no cost. Direct Lending generates revenue via referral and marketing fees from financing providers when qualified borrower applications are routed and funded.

Name

Direct Lending

Legal name

Direct Lending Sdn. Bhd.

Website

https://directlending.com.my

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Direct Lending is a Malaysian fintech operating an online lending marketplace that connects borrowers with 30+ financing providers — banks, cooperatives, and licensed moneylenders — primarily serving civil servants, private sector employees, and micro SMEs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Lending Marketplace

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223), Sales Financing (522220)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Short-Term Credit Broking & Lead Generation (FSAKAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

P2P Loan Syndication & Participation Platforms (FSAKAHAL), Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) (CRAFALAD)

Keywords

• Online lending marketplace
• Personal loan comparison
• Shariah-compliant financing
• Point-of-sale financing
• SME micro financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Selangor

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Referral/Marketing Fees from Financing Providers: Direct Lending acts as a marketing representative and referral platform for banks, cooperatives, and licensed moneylenders. The company processes and reviews loan applications, refers qualified borrowers to financing providers, and earns referral/marketing fees. The service is 100% free for borrowers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Direct Lending operates an online personal lending marketplace in Malaysia that connects borrowers with over 30 financing providers, including banks, cooperatives, licensed moneylenders, and credit communities, enabling instant loan eligibility checks, digital applications, and fast disbursement. The platform also embeds Shariah-compliant point-of-sale financing at partner workshops and takaful providers for car servicing, car takaful renewal, gadget repair, and medical treatment, plus an SME micro financing product and a BNPL mobile app. The service is 100% free for borrowers, with revenue earned as referral and marketing fees from financing providers.

Product overview

Direct Lending operates an online personal lending marketplace platform in Malaysia, connecting borrowers with over 30 financing providers including banks, cooperatives, licensed moneylenders, and credit communities. The platform offers a portfolio of products spanning personal loans for civil servants (Bank & Kopi Personal Loans) and private sector employees (Licensed Moneylender Personal Loans), point-of-sale financing solutions (Auto Service Financing, Car Takaful Instalment Plan), lifestyle financing (Gadget Repair Instalment Plan, Medical Treatment Instalment Plan), and business financing (SME Micro Financing). The core platform enables loan eligibility checks and applications with financing providers, while BNPL and DirectCare+ microtakaful represent additional service layers. The company launched in 2016 and expanded into point-of-sale financing in 2022 and SME lending in late 2022. Services are provided free to borrowers with no upfront payments required.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Direct Lending BNPL: Buy Now Pay Later service offered by Direct Lending for instalment payments on various products and services.
• DirectCare
• Auto Service Financing
• SME Micro Financing

Products and services

• Bank & Koperasi Personal Loans Personal financing products offered through banks and cooperatives for Malaysian civil servants, with competitive rates starting from 2.82% p.a. and approval times as fast as 2 working days. Available from providers including Ambank Islamic, Co-opbank Pertama, Kuwait Finance House, MBSB Bank, Public Islamic Bank, and various cooperatives.
• Licensed Moneylender Personal Loans Personal loans for salaried employees offered through licensed moneylenders registered under KPKT. No upfront payment or ATM card required with approval as fast as 24 hours.
• Auto Service Financing Shariah-compliant point-of-sale financing for car repairs and servicing at partner workshops. Financing up to RM5,000 with payment terms up to 12 months. Operates on Murabahah/Tawarruq concept. Distributed via Tan Chong Motor and Petronas Autoexpert.
• Car Takaful Instalment Plan Shariah-compliant instalment plan for renewing vehicle takaful coverage ('Renew Now, Pay Later' model), allowing payment over 12 months with financing credited directly to takaful providers.
• Gadget Repair Instalment Plan Shariah-compliant financing for phone, laptop, and tablet repairs. Offers financing up to RM5,000 over 12 months with no upfront payment required.
• Medical Treatment Instalment Plan Instalment financing for medical expenses at hospitals, clinics, dental clinics, and pharmacies. Financing up to RM10,000 over 12 months with Shariah-compliant options.
• SME Micro Financing Business financing for micro SMEs offered in both Shariah and conventional options. Financing up to RM200,000 with payment terms up to 18 months at rates from 0.8% per month, with approval as fast as 3 working days.
• Direct Lending BNPL Mobile App Buy Now Pay Later mobile application offered by Direct Lending for installment payments on various purchases and services, accessible on iOS App Store and Google Play.
• DirectCare+ Microtakaful Group personal accident takaful coverage (DirectCare+) launched in partnership with PolicyStreet, protecting borrowers from personal accidents and including loan protection for successful Auto Service Financing applicants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ successful loan eligibility checks conducted on platform
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• PolicyStreetmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to launch embedded microtakaful products for Hari Raya and auto repairs. Direct Lending partners with PolicyStreet to offer accident coverage and loan protection for customers using auto service financing.
• Petronas AutoexpertmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to offer Shariah-compliant auto service financing at Petronas Autoexpert workshops throughout Malaysia.
• Tan Chong MotormajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Strategic partnership to offer Shariah-compliant auto service financing at Tan Chong Motor workshops. Launched in May 2022, enabling car owners to obtain instant financing for car repairs.
• AVANAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021CSR partner in #DIRECTBANTU+ program, offering e-commerce reseller opportunities for borrowers to earn additional income.
• GoGetminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021CSR partner in #DIRECTBANTU+ program, offering gig economy opportunities for borrowers to earn additional income.
• XOX Berhad (with Emicro Capital)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021CSR partner in #DIRECTBANTU+ program, offering e-commerce and telecommunications reseller opportunities.
• PSB AcademyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Education partner offering financial assistance to Malaysian students pursuing higher education in Singapore under Scholar Search PSB programme.
• Funding SocietiesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSME Micro Financing partner offering Shariah and conventional business loans up to RM200,000 with repayment periods up to 18 months. Direct Lending refers SME borrowers to Funding Societies.
• Emicro Services Sdn BhdmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPersonal loan partner offering Shariah-compliant loans from RM500 to RM10,000 with repayment periods of 6-24 months at 1.5% monthly profit rate.
• Public Islamic BankmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCivil servant personal financing provider on the platform. Offers financing with rates from 4.45% flat rate for loans up to RM100,000.
• Koperasi KOBETA (Koperasi Bersatu Tenaga Malaysia)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative financing provider offering personal loans to civil servants at 5.9% p.a. flat rate with payout up to 91.5%.
• Koperasi KOPUTRI (Koperasi Putri Terbilang Malaysia)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative financing provider offering personal loans to civil servants at 5.50% p.a. flat rate with payout up to 95%.
• Koperasi Ukhwah Malaysia BerhadmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative financing provider offering personal loans to civil servants at 4.35% for 1-3 years and 4.99% for 4-10 years. Payout is 89%.
• Co-opbank Pertama (Bank Persatuan)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative bank offering personal financing with profit rates of 2.69% for up to 3 years and 2.99% for 4-10 years. Payout is 98% less 2 months advance installment.
• Yayasan Ihsan RakyatmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFoundation offering personal financing to civil servants at rates from 5.99% to 9.99% p.a. Payout ranges from 78-88% depending on credit profile. 1 month advance installment required.
• Yayasan Dewan Perniagaan Melayu PerlismajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFoundation offering personal financing to civil servants at competitive rates. Fast approval within 2 working days for Maybank accounts.
• Ambank Islamic (MCCM)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIslamic banking partner offering personal financing through Direct Lending platform for civil servants.
• MBSB BankmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBank offering personal financing products through Direct Lending's platform for civil servants.
• Kuwait Finance HousemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIslamic bank offering personal financing through Direct Lending platform.
• DL Techlab Sdn BhdcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing the technical infrastructure and services for Direct Lending's platform. Services are provided by DL Techlab on behalf of Direct Lending Sdn. Bhd.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Billplz: Billplz is a Malaysian payment platform that has expanded into BNPL and SME financing. It is a regional peer in the Malaysian BNPL and SME credit space, with similar merchant-facing payment and instalment functionality relevant to Direct Lending's SME Micro Financing and POS products.

Emerging players

• ATOME: ATOME is a leading Southeast Asia BNPL platform operating in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. It is a comparable emerging player to Direct Lending's new BNPL and embedded POS financing products (Auto Service, Gadget Repair, Medical Treatment Instalment Plans), competing for the same merchant integrations.
• Kredivo: Kredivo is a leading Indonesia-based digital credit and BNPL platform that has expanded regionally. It is comparable as a regional digital credit platform competing in the same consumer credit category, though it focuses on Indonesia rather than Malaysia.

Direct peers

• Loanstreet: Loanstreet is a Malaysian personal loan comparison and brokerage platform. It is a direct competitor to Direct Lending in the loan broker category, targeting similar segments of Malaysian borrowers seeking personal financing from banks, cooperatives, and licensed moneylenders.
• iMoney: iMoney is a Malaysian financial product comparison platform for credit cards, personal loans, and broadband. It is a direct competitor to Direct Lending in the loan broker and comparison category, targeting the same civil servant and salaried employee segments in Malaysia.
• RinggitPlus: RinggitPlus is one of Malaysia's largest personal finance comparison portals, offering credit card, personal loan, and insurance comparisons. It is a direct peer because it competes for the same loan comparison intent from Malaysian consumers and operates a similar lead-generation and affiliate revenue model.
• Lendela: Lendela is a Southeast Asian personal loan comparison and brokerage platform operating in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. It is a direct peer competing for the same loan comparison intent in Malaysia, using a similar affiliate lead-generation revenue model.
• Jirnexu (now partea): Jirnexu operates financial product comparison and digital onboarding platforms in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. It is a direct peer to Direct Lending in the loan marketplace and lead-generation space, working with banks and lenders to distribute consumer credit products.
• Funding Societies: Funding Societies is a Southeast Asia digital lending platform operating a marketplace model that connects SMEs to financing. It is a direct peer of Direct Lending because it operates in the same Malaysian market, partners with the same licensed moneylender ecosystem, and is an actual listed financing provider on Direct Lending's platform (SME Micro Financing).

Others

• PolicyStreet: PolicyStreet is a Malaysian insurtech platform that is both a partner of Direct Lending (microtakaful, DirectCare+) and a comparable ecosystem player in embedded insurance distribution. It is included as a related adjacent company because the partnership is core to Direct Lending's product expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DirectlendingMy
• Instagraminstagram.com/directlending_my/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direct-lending-holdings

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Direct Lending