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BigFundr Eyes S$500 Million in Total Loans Under Management (LUM) by 2026

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Driven by rapid user growth and strong financial performance, the fintech platform is cementing its position in the real estate debt investment sector with strategic backing from Aspial Corporation Limited

SINGAPORE, Aug. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BigFundr, an innovative and leading fintech platform offering retail investors access to real estate debt investments, is proud to announce significant milestones since its launch in October 2021. Founded in Singapore and licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), BigFundr has demonstrated impressive growth over the last three years, becoming a trusted name among both retail and accredited investors while solidifying its presence in the market and significantly expanding its customer base.

The past two years have seen BigFundr experience a near five-fold growth, as the platform’s number of total customers skyrocketed from over 1,100 in end-2022 to an impressive 5,200 by mid-2024. BigFundr’s financial metrics also reflect its robust growth trajectory. The platform’s Total Loans Under Management (LUM), a key indicator of its scalability, has consistently doubled every six months, with current LUM at S$160 million.

Looking ahead, the platform is projected to surpass S$500 million in Total LUM by 2026. These turning points highlight BigFundr’s strong market appeal and its capacity to grow in today’s competitive retail investment landscape.

A Bright Future for Retail Investors

BigFundr is strategically positioned to capitalise on the growth opportunities in Australia’s thriving real estate sector through targeted investments in both commercial and residential real estate debt markets. Since its inception, BigFundr has successfully funded developments exceeding S$275 million, all while maintaining a zero percent default rate, reinforcing its reputation as a reliable investment platform.

Committed to making real estate-backed investments safer and more accessible, BigFundr empowers retail investors to start with as little as S$1,000. This approach has democratised investment opportunities that were once exclusive to those with substantial capital, offering returns comparable to larger-scale investments.

Reflecting on the company’s progress, Quah Kay Beng, CEO & Founder of BigFundr, noted, “Our remarkable growth over the past three years is a testament to the strong partnership between Maxi-Cash and BigFundr. We share common values in our desire to be the go-to investment platform for retail customers. The belief in our shared vision has been instrumental in our success, and we’re proud to have delivered on our promise to create lasting value together.”

Robust Corporate Backing

Incorporated in 2008, Aspial Lifestyle Limited is an investment holding company specialising in consumer lifestyle, housing brands such as Maxi-Cash, Lee Hwa Jewellery, and Goldheart. Its parent company, Aspial Corporation Limited is the first publicly-listed jewellery retailer on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) which manages a wide spectrum of businesses. Its purview includes jewellery retail, property development, financial services, and hospitality and resort management.

In February 2024, Maxi-Cash Capital Management (a wholly owned subsidiary of Aspial Lifestyle Limited) increased its shareholding in BigFundr from 15% to 70%. This investment not only reinforces confidence in BigFundr’s highly scalable business and its mission to make the real estate debt investment sector more accessible to retail investors, but also cements BigFundr’s position within the fintech industry. The substantial backing from the Aspial Group of companies ensures a secure and reliable platform for investors, offering robust safeguarding for both principal and interest in real estate debt investments.

“This development marks a significant turning point for BigFundr, poised to greatly enhance its growth trajectory and expand the opportunities available to its investors,” commented Koh Wee Seng, CEO of Aspial Corporation Limited. He also remarked that, “Our strategic partnership with BigFundr has seen the business exceeding our initial growth expectations. We are confident that with the current base of loyal investors, as well as new investors, we are set to further surpass our growth trajectory.”

“What started as a model to democratise real estate debt investment to the retail market has now proven to be a viable and practical investment opportunity that’s highly accessible and scalable,” said Meelan Gurung, Senior Director, Corporate Finance & Investments, Aspial Corporation Limited. “With Aspial’s strategic support, we look forward to growing BigFundr both in size and scope,” he added.

About BigFundr

BigFundr is the first and only MAS-licensed fintech platform that grants retail investors access to real estate-backed investments from as little as $1,000. In February 2024, BigFundr became a subsidiary of Maxi-Cash Capital Management (MCCM) following SGX-listed Aspial Lifestyle Limited’s increase in shareholding to 70% from 15%. Bigfundr’s mission is to democratise investments, making better returns safer and more accessible to everyone.

For more information, please visit www.bigfundr.com.

About Aspial Lifestyle Limited

Incorporated in 2008, Aspial Lifestyle Limited (formerly known as Maxi-Cash Financial Services Ltd. which also holds Maxi-Cash Capital Management as a subsidiary) is Singapore’s first public-listed pawnbroker on the Singapore Exchange (SGX), offering a wide range of services including pawnbroking, retailing of new jewellery, and pre-loved jewellery and branded merchandise.  Within the pawnbroking industry, Aspial Lifestyle leads the industry by pioneering digital innovations such as online payment services, e-wallet solutions and the Maxi-Cash E-Shop through the Maxi-Cash App. Committed to reliability, quality, and transparency, Aspial Lifestyle has been recognised as one of Singapore’s Best Employers by The Straits Times in 2022 and 2023.

For more information, visit www.aspiallifestyle.com & www.maxi-cash.com

About Aspial

Aspial Corporation Limited, the first publicly listed jewellery retailer on the Singapore Exchange has grown from a traditional jeweller into a leading Asian conglomerate. Aspial owns prominent jewellery retail brands such as Lee Hwa and Goldheart. Beyond jewellery retail, Aspial’s diversified portfolio includes real estate, hospitality, financial services, and precious metal trading, reflecting its commitment to building long-term value and strong customer relationships across the region.

For more information, please visit www.aspial.com.

APPENDIX 

Koh Wee Seng, CEO of Aspial Corporation Limited
Koh Wee Seng is the CEO of SGX Mainboard-listed Aspial Corporation Limited (ACL), overseeing diverse businesses including jewellery retail, financial services, property development, and hospitality. ACL’s real estate arm, World Class Global, is an innovative developer with a presence in Australia and Malaysia, having completed over 39 projects across these regions and Singapore, with a gross realisation value exceeding $4.8 billion. Iconic developments include the $1 billion Australia 108 and the $800 million Citygate project, both recipients of the CTBUH Award of Excellence in 2022 and 2023. An alumnus from the National University of Singapore’s Business School, Koh drove Lee Hwa to become the first jeweller to be publicly listed on SGX in 1999 and later led Maxi-Cash Financial Services Limited to become the first publicly listed pawnbroker in 2012.

Meelan Gurung, Senior Director, Corporate Finance & Investments, Aspial Corporation Limited
Meelan is Senior Director of Corporate Finance & Investments at Aspial Corporation Limited, specialising in infrastructure assets, investment management, and private equity. He leads the Private Credit and Real Estate Debt division, managing strategy, portfolios, and compliance. Meelan also drives business turnarounds and digital transformations, with experience in emerging markets and multinational firms. Additionally, he oversees BigFundr, Aspial’s major subsidiary, providing strategic leadership and investor engagement.

Quah Kay Beng, CEO & Founder of BigFundr
Kay Beng is the CEO and Founder of BigFundr, a fintech platform established in 2021 that connects retail investors with real estate debt opportunities. Leveraging over 25 years in real estate investment management and a career that includes roles at DTZ, Halverton Fund Management, JPMorgan, and Hongkong Land, he has since overseen assets exceeding US$1 billion globally. Under his leadership, BigFundr has facilitated over S$275 million in loans across 164 Development Notes. The platform, which operates with a Capital Markets Services licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, allows investments from $1,000 with tenures of six to 18 months, secured by Maxi-Cash’s 70% ownership stake.

 

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SOURCE BigFundr

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HR Path Strengthens its Australian Presence with Strategic Acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia

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October 21, 2026

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PARIS, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HR Path, a global leader in HR consulting and HRIS solutions, today announces its strategic acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia, a Brisbane-based company specialising in payroll compliance, remediation, workforce management and HR systems consulting.

Founded in 2009, Payroll Experts Australia has delivered more than 530 projects for over 260 organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Independent of any software vendor, the company supports employers across the full payroll, workforce management and HR systems lifecycle, with expertise spanning payroll compliance and audit, remediation, award and agreement interpretation, payroll processing, advisory and end-to-end systems implementation.

The acquisition strengthens HR Path’s ability to provide end-to-end HR transformation services across the ANZ market. Payroll Experts Australia’s specialist capabilities complement HR Path’s existing HRIS technology and SAP SuccessFactors expertise, enabling the combined organisation to support clients with a broader range of locally grounded services, from strategic advisory and systems implementation to payroll compliance and operational support. 

Payroll Experts Australia will continue to operate under the brand “Payroll Experts Australia, an HR Path Company”. Its leadership team and employees will remain in their current roles, ensuring continuity of service for clients while giving the business access to HR Path’s international capabilities and resources. 

The transaction builds on HR Path’s expansion in the region. HR Path has been active in Australia since 2019, following the acquisition of DDG. It opened an Australian office in 2024 and acquired RKM Consulting in 2025, strengthening its HRIS technology and SAP SuccessFactors capabilities across Australia and New Zealand.  

“The acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia, a company renowned for its expertise in payroll compliance, is a strategic move that supports our ambition to be the global reference in HR transformation,” said François Boulet, Co-founding Partner at HR Path. “Their deep knowledge and strong client relationships in Australia complement our global capabilities, enabling us to deliver even more value to our clients. This partnership is about synergy, innovation, and shared commitment to excellence.”

“We are very happy about this new chapter!” said Steve Keenaghan, Chief Executive Officer at Payroll Experts Australia. “This step opens up exciting opportunities for our team and our clients and ensures our continued growth and success. We will maintain our commitment to delivering exceptional, independent payroll expertise while exploring new possibilities within HR Path.”

Contact:

Fabienne LATOUR  Fabienne.latour@hr-path.com

 

 

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Sungrow Powers Up for All Energy Australia 2026 With New Residential Innovation and Full Ecosystem Showcase

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October 21, 2026

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MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sungrow, the global leader in PV inverter and energy storage solutions, is set to make a strong return to All Energy Australia 2026, the region’s largest and most influential renewable energy exhibition. It will introduce its next-generation all-in-one residential flagship PowerHarbour, alongside a comprehensive showcase of technologies for residential, C&I, and utility-scale applications.

As Australia accelerates toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future, Sungrow’s presence at All Energy will once again serve as a central meeting point for industry leaders, installers, innovators, and policymakers. The booth will offer visitors a rich blend of product demonstrations, technical insights, interactive experiences, and opportunities to connect with Sungrow’s local engineering and sales teams.

A New Addition to Residential Energy Storage

At the upcoming All-Energy 2026, Sungrow will officially unveil PowerHarbour in Australia for the first time. It is a residential all in one solution designed to simplify energy independence for homeowners. It combines sleek design, intelligent integration, advanced safety features and a modular design that can deliver up to 120kWh of capacity. The enhanced AFCI 3.0 protection makes it one of the most flexible and homeowner‑friendly systems on the market. The result is a clean, integrated solution that empowers households to take control of their energy with confidence and ease.

C&I Solutions for Diverse Applications

The exhibition will also showcase Sungrow’s C&I portfolio, including PowerKeeper, deployed across diverse Australian environments, and the ST255CS liquid-cooled BESS cabinet, designed for applications such as microgrid stability and FCAS. Together, these solutions demonstrate Sungrow’s capabilities in delivering flexible, reliable energy storage for a wide range of commercial and industrial needs.

Utility-Scale Innovation on Display

For utility developers and EPCs, Sungrow will present a full-size PowerTitan 3.0, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see the battery container up close. Together, PowerTitan 3.0 and 1+X modular inverter demonstrate advanced energy storage, grid-forming capabilities, and flexible deployment for complex project environment. Backed by dedicated local project management, comprehensive technical support, and a growing project pipeline across Australia and New Zealand.

Visit Sungrow at Booth KK123

Sungrow invites all attendees to visit Booth KK123 at All Energy Australia 2026 to experience its latest residential, commercial, and utility‑scale innovations firsthand. Attendees can expect a vibrant and engaging atmosphere throughout the day featuring lucky draws with exciting prizes, free premium coffee, photobooth and insightful presentations. The booth promises a full day of discovery, connection, and inspiration. Sungrow looks forward to welcoming partners, customers, and renewable energy enthusiasts as we continue powering Australia’s clean energy future together.

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SOURCE Sungrow

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AglaiaSense and Leopard Imaging to Demonstrate Privacy-First AI Traffic Sensing at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona

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October 21, 2026

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FREMONT, Calif. and BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AglaiaSense and Leopard Imaging will exhibit together at Smart City Expo World Congress, November 3–5, 2026, at Fira Barcelona Gran Vía.

The two companies proposed AI-VIVA (Vision Intelligence for València and Arterials) and is selected as a finalist in the fifth urban challenge of Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility (BILM), on the application of artificial intelligence to traffic-light regulation. AI-VIVA combines AglaiaSense’s edge-AI traffic solutions with Leopard Imaging’s patented privacy architecture. At the show, the team will give a live demonstration of AglaiaSense’s signature MS500 and GS500 cameras, with the AglaiaSense AI Box, powered by NVIDIA, which adds local processing to coordinate groups of neighboring intersections.

The cameras analyze images inside the device, using the Sony IMX500 and IMX501 intelligent vision sensors. They count and classify vehicles, buses, cyclists and pedestrians in real time. Raw video is discarded on the device within 400–800 milliseconds, and only anonymous metadata is transmitted. Cities can feed that data into signal-control software to adapt traffic lights to real demand.

MS500: about 2 W average power, 1080p, powered from a standard NEMA or ZHAGA street-light socket.

GS500: about 6.5 W average, dual 4K cameras, with Ethernet, LTE Cat 4 and GPS; powered by PoE, 12–24 V DC or a NEMA adapter.

Both cameras: IP66-rated, −20 °C to +65 °C, mounted on existing poles, so no trenching or new masts are needed.

Bandwidth: more than 95% lower than CCTV-based monitoring.

“Cities want safer, smoother streets without turning every crossing into a surveillance point,” said Leon Luo, CEO of AglaiaSense. “Being named a finalist in Barcelona tells us the approach resonates.”

“Privacy has to be built into the camera, not added later,” said Bill Pu, CEO of Leopard Imaging.

AglaiaSense’s solutions are deployed across North America and Asia, and the company won first place in the Pedestrian Safety Challenge Hackathon, run by the Edge AI Foundation (formerly the tinyML Foundation) and the City of San José. In field tests, the systems achieved detection and counting accuracy above 95%. The City of Lakewood, Colorado, compared the GS500 with traditional IP cameras and LiDAR on real roads and found it more accurate, more energy-efficient, and less costly to deploy. At a high-risk crossing where pedestrians often crossed outside the crosswalk, the system alerted approaching drivers in real time.

Visit us at Pavilion 3, Level 0, Street D, Stand 71. To book a meeting, email sales@aglaiasense.com.

About AglaiaSense

AglaiaSense, is an edge-AI company specializing in privacy-first, vision-based sensing for smart cities. Its GS500 and MS500 cameras run AI on the image sensor to count and classify road users in real time and send only anonymous metadata.

About Leopard Imaging

Leopard Imaging is a global leader in high-definition embedded cameras and AI-based imaging solutions in industries including automotive, aerospace, drones, IoT, and robotics.

Media contact:

Cathy Zhao

+1 (408) 263-0988

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