Hong Leong Bank (HLB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with DCAP Digital Sdn Bhd to boost the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) lending and financial inclusion with cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI).

HLB said in a statement on Friday that the partnership is aligned with its continuous efforts to support the SME ecosystem and offer tailored financial solutions to empower business development, enhancing its SME lending solutions infrastructure and driving financial inclusion for underbanked communities in Malaysia.

Through this collaboration, HLB aims to leverage DCAP Digital’s expertise in LaaS solutions, and especially its proprietary AI-driven credit scoring engine designed for more accurate and inclusive credit assessments, combining them with the bank’s robust financial solutions and extensive reach within the consumer financing and mobility (motorcycles and electric vehicles [EVs]) sectors to provide tailor-made lending solutions that are catered towards the customers’ unique business and financing need.

In May 2025 alone, over 61,000 motorcycles were newly registered in Malaysia, underscoring the dynamic nature and consistent demand within this market, yet one of the significant challenges in motorcycle financing, particularly for underbanked segments, often lies in efficiently establishing robust credit profiles and streamlining the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) processes.

“This represents a big step forward for HLB in terms of enhancing our lending services, as we continuously look to streamline our financing processes to better serve our dynamic pool of business customers,” said Woon Siew Hoong, HLB’s Head of SME Banking.

“…we are committed to maintaining a comprehensive suite of banking solutions that are designed to suit our customers’ diverse needs, while ensuring the solutions are deployed in an efficient and seamless manner,

“Our partnership with DCAP Digital is a major milestone in this journey, where we combine AI integration, digital innovation, extensive market penetration, and tailored financing solutions to provide a truly enhanced customer experience,” she added.

With this partnership with DCAP Digital, HLB will primarily look to support its growing pool of motorcycle dealer customers, assisting them with seamless loan application processing and accelerated access into the Bank’s Dealer Hire Purchase Program.

HLB will also leverage on DCAP Digital’s ecosystem to provide dealers with other relevant financing solutions, including cash management solutions, bank acceptance, and trade line services.

The collaboration will also involve joint promotional activities, such as workshops, seminars, and marketing campaigns to amplify visibility within the motorcycle industry, and training sessions for dealers on application best practices.

“We are thrilled to partner with HLB to further our mission of promoting financial inclusion through AI-powered credit solutions,

“This collaboration merges HLB’s financial strength with our technology-driven approach, promoting seamless experiences, smart SME transformation and sustainable growth across the motorcycle ecosystem,” said Sonia Ng, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DCAP Digital.

Founded in 2020, DCAP Digital specializes in providing transparent and fair credit solutions through its full-stack Lending-as-a-Service (LaaS) platform, offering an ecosystem for capital deployment into high-quality, pre-vetted borrowers alongside innovative digital tools that ensure efficiency, transparency, and compliance to regulatory requirements.

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