Building a new financial market for the real economy, supporting more inclusive economic growth
HONG KONG, September 27, 2022. Micro Connect, a new financial market platform connecting global capital with China’s micro and small businesses, is delighted to have hosted its 1000 Stores & the Micro Connect White Paper event in Hong Kong today. More than 200 guests representing shareholders, investors, strategic partners, and media participants joined our founders Charles Li and Gary Zhang in celebrating this major company milestone.
In August 2021, Micro Connect announced the launch of its original investment model using Daily Revenue Contracts (DRC) as a new, tech-enabled asset class to pioneer access to micro and small businesses in the vibrant consumer economy of China. From concept to delivery, Micro Connect has completed over 1000 store investments in less than 12 months later, hitting our 2022 target far ahead of schedule and on track to reach more than 10,000 by the end of 2023.
The dream of Micro Connect is to build a new financial market that will, for the first time, give China’s micro and small businesses access to adequate and sustainable financing while allowing global investors to enjoy quality returns by tapping into the daily and transparent cash flows of millions of stores in the Chinese economy. It will be a new market that delivers financial returns to investors and creates value for society.
At the core of our new ecosystem is the “Micro Star”, a new operating system for identifying investment opportunities and channeling global capital to these quality micro and small businesses. With proprietary tools designed for process automation and investment evaluation, the Micro Star enables capital deployment with efficiency, scalability, and precision – ultimately allowing Micro Connect’s financial market to deliver robust financial returns to investors while creating value for society.
Endorsements from Stakeholders
Neil Shen, Founding and Managing Partner of Sequoia China, said, “As one of the early investors in Micro Connect, I have always had a strong conviction in its innovative business model. I am also confident in the team Charles and Gary have built, which represents a unique mix of experience in finance and the real economy and ready to develop a financial market for micro and small businesses. Their revenue-sharing model is flexible, efficient, and will reshape how micro and small businesses access financing. By connecting global capital with China’s micro and small businesses, Micro Connect will not only drive the growth of the domestic economy, but will also reinforce Hong Kong’s role as an international financial center. Despite the macro headwinds brought about by Covid-19, Micro Connect continued to identify quality businesses and support them through this period, providing a much-needed boost to the consumer economy. Micro Connect itself has also emerged stronger after this challenging period, demonstrating the resilience of the business model and its potential for more sustainable growth.”
Qian Hui, General Manager of Goodliness (Jiangsu Meihao Convenient Stores), said, “We share the same vision with Micro Connect – to embrace micro and small businesses and empower aspiring entrepreneurs. We look forward to further collaborations with Micro Connect, facilitating the delivery of capital to more stores and small business owners.”
Wang Jianlin, Founder of Mr. Judy, said, “The cooperation with Micro Connect has promoted the rapid and continuous expansion of Mr. Judy’s store network. The new financing model of Micro Connect and its Daily Revenue Contracts (DRCs) are specifically designed to cater to the financing and development needs of micro and small businesses, especially those operating brick-and-mortar stores.”
Micro Connect’s partners, including China Minsheng Bank, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Chiyu Banking Corporation Limited, HSBC Commercial Banking, Bank of China (Macau Branch), Shenzhen Branch of Minsheng Bank, China Merchants Bank (Haikou Branch), UnionPay Business Shenzhen Company, All In Pay, Shenzhen Kemai Technology Co., Ltd, SCPG’s Investment Promotion Center, Cypress Capital, Hualala, and Keruyun also congratulated Micro Connect on reaching its milestone.
From 0 to 1,000 in 365 days
On August 3, 2021, Micro Connect announced the launch of a digital platform to channel global capital to micro and small businesses in China. At the time, the company unveiled its roadmap to finance the first 100 and 1,000 stores in 2022, and 10,000 stores in 2023. Since making its first investment in early 2022, Micro Connect completed its “1,000” target in just eight months, a testament to the ability of the new financing model to better serve the real economy.
In his keynote speech, Gary Zhang, Founder and Vice Chairman of Micro Connect,shared the experience of growing the business from 0 to 1000 stores and the company’s philosophy of “one product, one system, one team”: a product that addresses the needs of the users, is simple and transparent, and easy to scale; a set of systems that supports investments in micro and small businesses, accurate information and price discovery, and secure transaction execution at the same time; a team of diverse talents who work towards one common goal – to grow with every stakeholder in the market.
The Micro Connect White Paper
During the event, Charles Li, Founder and Chairman of Micro Connect, presented the company’s latest White Paper on how the company is leveraging digital innovation to build a more equitable, more inclusive, and more socially impactful market.
He said, “The technological revolutions brought about by the world’s leading digital platforms over the past two decades have recast the global economy entirely, and we believe the time has come for a similarly profound transformation in the global financial markets. In contrast with e-commerce which involves the exchange of merchandise for money, the financial markets are for the exchange of today’s money for tomorrow’s money, and the pricing of risks of any financial assets. Therefore, we expect the digital revolution in finance to be much more complex, requiring more critical and systematic thinking, planning, and implementation. By publishing this White Paper, we intend to begin this intellectual process of thinking, planning, and implementation.”
The White Paper shares a strategic vision for the future of finance, defines Micro Connect’s mission and explores business directions. Micro Connect is excited about engaging like-minded friends to embark on this great journey and seek change. Together, we hope to pioneer a new horizon for global financial markets.
About Micro Connect
Micro Connect is a new financial market platform connecting global capital with China’s micro and small businesses. The company has created Daily Revenue Contracts (DRCs) as a new asset class for direct and diversified exposure to the daily, transparent cash flows from millions of stores in China’s vibrant consumer economy, while making capital more accessible and affordable to business owners. Investment returns are collected securely via Automated Repayment Mechanisms, a network of digital infrastructure Micro Connect operates in partnerships with brands / franchises, financial institutions, and SaaS companies nationwide. To date, Micro Connect has invested in more than 1,100 stores with more over 100 brands nationwide. With a fund platform, structured product solutions, and an exchange platform in the planning, Micro Connect offers efficiency and liquidity in small business investing for global professional investors and offers a new alternative to impact investing.
For more information, please visit www.microconnect.com and follow our journey on LinkedIn: Micro Connect, and WeChat: Micro Connect.
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