Vemanti Group and PVcomBank Launch Pilot Digital Lending Program to Drive Growth for SMEs

Rhea-AI Summary

Vemanti Group (OTCQB: VMNT) has partnered with PVcomBank to launch a pilot digital lending program aimed at supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. This initiative targets the significant gap in short-term working capital loans for SMEs, which currently lack viable financing options. The program will kick off with a unique financing product for US-bound exporters, providing loans based on trade receivables. The initiative aims to streamline the loan approval process, making it quicker and more accessible for SMEs.

Positive

• Partnership with PVcomBank enhances Vemanti's ability to serve SMEs in Vietnam.
• The program addresses the financing gap for SMEs, potentially increasing Vemanti's customer base.
• Quick loan approval process—around one week for new borrowers and 24 hours for returning ones.

Negative

• None.

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vemanti Group, Inc. (“Vemanti” “Vemanti Group” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: VMNT) and Vietnam Public Joint-stock Commercial Bank (“PVcomBank” or the “Bank”) today announced a joint pilot digital lending program aimed at driving growth for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. The program includes a portfolio of nimble and innovative products collaboratively developed by both parties for the SME clientele. The initial product to kickstart the program will be a unique financing option designed to provide small US-bound exporters—majority of which are SMEs—access to short-term loans at competitive rates. At the end of the pilot period, the full program will be available via PVcomBank branches and digital banking platform.

SMEs currently play a major role in Vietnam's economy (US$362.6 billion in 2021 per the World Bank), accounting for more than 41% of its GDP according to the Vietnam Association of SMEs. However, it is estimated that currently 70% of SMEs lack viable options when it comes to short-term working capital loans. This is their biggest obstacle in the course of conducting business. Growing exports and overseas opportunities only exacerbate the problem, as they often face long accounts receivable (AR) cycles of more than 2 months on the average. The new lending program will allow businesses to borrow based on their existing trade receivables. They can use the capital to cover strategic business needs, such as staffing, operations costs, inventory, product development, and manufacturing, as well as marketing efforts to build their brand and grow their customer base.

“One of our targets is to provide quick and easy financing for the underserved SMEs that make up the majority of current economic activity and future growth of Vietnam, an attractive up-and-coming market on a global scale. We are thrilled to launch this program to make the opportunity of selling to US-based buyers more accessible for those businesses,” said Tan Tran, CEO of Vemanti. “PVcomBank shares our commitment to championing underserved populations of business owners, knowing they often lack access to the more traditional methods of capital.”

Each loan application will be jointly evaluated and approved by both parties based on a proprietary decision-making and credit-rating system catering specifically to SMEs. The approval process is expected to take about a week for a new borrower and as little as 24 hours for a returning borrower. The program offers speed, transparency, and simplicity utilizing a digital platform that streamlines and automates parts of the underwriting and funding process.

Digital lending is now one of the hottest trends in the global banking, financial services and insurance market. However, digital lending in Vietnam is still at an embryonic stage. The program is one of the first supported by an incumbent bank in the country. Vemanti’s objectives for the next 12 months are to grow its product portfolio through PVcomBank and to become a market leader in short-term financing for the export-driven SMEs in Vietnam. The committed partnership with PVcomBank will further solidify and propel its business objectives as the first SME-focused digital banking platform in Vietnam. On its roadmap will also be other SME-related financial products such as business credit line, employee salary advance, PO finance, equity finance, and more. Ultimately, its goal is to have a collection of comprehensive financial products and services built around the actual needs of small businesses.

Ha Nguyen, Deputy CEO of PVcomBank, added, “Vemanti is on a mission to support and empower SMEs, just like us, so the partnership is a great fit. The program is the perfect place to make these kinds of financing programs available that can truly make a difference for a lot of businesses. We are thrilled to be a partner with Vemanti in helping solve liquidity challenges for Vietnamese businesses.”

For more news and updates, shareholders and prospective investors are encouraged to follow @Vemanti on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Vemanti).

About Vemanti Group, Inc.

Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTCQB: VMNT) is a financial technology (fintech) company that seeks to establish a strong foothold in the emerging and high-growth markets of Southeast Asia. We drive growth through socially impact-driven financial services targeting the underserved. Strategically, we intend to focus future product and business development on building a digital banking (aka neobanking) platform aimed at making credit and cross-border payments simpler and easier for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). With Vietnam as the focal starting point, our goal is to be a valuable financial partner for the SMEs throughout Southeast Asia, helping their business become borderless and together shaping the region into a global economic powerhouse of growing supply chains and manufacturing. To learn more about VMNT, visit https://www.vemanti.com/

About PVcomBank

Vietnam Public Joint Stock Commercial Bank (PVcomBank) was founded on September 16, 2013, as a corporate amalgamation between PetroVietnam Finance Joint Stock Corporation (PVFC) and Western Joint Stock Commercial Bank (WesternBank). On October 1, 2013, PVcomBank officially operated with a charter capital of 9,000 billion VND and total assets of more than 100,000 billion VND, equivalent to 390M USD & 4.4B USD. Up to now, PVcomBank has developed a strong network of nearly 110 transaction offices in 28 provinces and cities nationwide with nearly 4,700 employees and total assets of more than 200,000 billion VND. With the mission "Bank with no boundary", PVcomBank has been constantly developing the product ecosystem, improving service quality on all transaction channels, meeting the diverse and increasing needs of different corporate and individual customer segments. Being one of the pioneer banks in digitalization, PVcomBank incessantly updates and applies modern technology to promote Digital banking with outstanding advantages. Preeminent financial solutions in the digital space not only help customers get closer to PVcomBank, but also blur the gap between dreams and reality. Without barriers of space, time or geographical distance, customers can quickly achieve their goals in certain stage of life and enjoy flexible convenient experiences from modern products with professional, friendly and dedicated services. We were named as one of the Top 500 Fastest Growing Enterprises in Vietnam (FAST500) by the Vietnam Report JSC and the VietNamNet e-newspaper on March 10, 2021. To learn more about PVcomBank, visit https://www.pvcombank.com.vn/

Legal Disclaimer

This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may include, “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Form 10 filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Contact Information

Vemanti Group, Inc.
Investor Relations
+1.949.559.7200
ir@vemanti.com

Vietnam Public Joint Stock Commercial Bank
Public Relations
+84.24.3942.6800
pvb@pvcombank.com.vn

FAQ

What is the purpose of Vemanti Group's partnership with PVcomBank?

The partnership aims to launch a digital lending program focused on providing financing to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam.

How does the new lending program help SMEs in Vietnam?

The program offers short-term loans based on trade receivables, addressing the lack of viable financing options for SMEs in Vietnam.

What products will be included in the digital lending program?

The initial product will provide financing options for US-bound exporters, with plans for additional SME-related financial products in the future.

What is Vemanti Group's stock symbol?

Vemanti Group is traded under the stock symbol 'VMNT' on the OTCQB.