Things you ask about

How Can We Help?

What is it?

How does it work?

What are my risks?

How do I start?

WHAT IS IT?

About Us

1. Who is BigFundr?

BigFundr is the first and only MAS licensed Fintech lending platform in Singapore that offers "real estate-backed" loans exclusively, for retail investors to lend to property developers.

- Retail Investor: That’s you! We bring to you an opportunity to invest in loans to property developers and builders, by enabling you to be a Lender as part of a collective pool, and to reap Interest as your investment pay-out.

- Loan Financing: We offer short term loans specifically to builders and small property developers, each up to a tranche of S$5 Mil and a Loan-to-Valuation ratio of 70% max.

- Real Estate-Backed: What this means is that these loans are ultimately collateralized with a registered legal real property mortgage over a property. Our investors’ principal and interest are guaranteed by Maxi-Cash, an SGX listed company.

2. What is Loan-to-Valuation ratio?

The Loan-to-Valuation ratio is a financial term used by lenders of a loan to express the ratio of a loan to the appraised value of an asset, i.e. property. The term is commonly used by banks and building societies.

3. Are you another online Peer-to-Business (P2B) startup?

BigFundr is a new peer-to-business (P2B) platform with a difference. Where similar platforms out there commonly cater to source funding of SMEs from Retail Investors like you, we specialise in funding exclusively Property Developers who have an ongoing project on hand, be it a new development or rebuild or alterations & additions. The obvious difference is that we will have the added assurance of a physical and tangible asset as a collateral through a series of security arrangements. This means that your investment is that much more secure with us. That’s why we call it a Real Estate-Backed investment.

4. How do I know you are not a Ponzi scam or some MLM?

Be rest assured! We come under the strict auspices of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) who has some of the most rigorous licensing and operating requirements in the region.

We hold a Capital Market Services license issued by MAS (CMS101098).

We are proud to be homegrown, Singaporean and our partner is Maxi-Cash, an Singapore listed company.

5. Who are your team members?

BigFundr is made up of a strong and passionate team of individuals with years of experience within the finance and real estate industries. Our team consists of individuals who have worked for companies such as Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, United Overseas Bank, Maxi-Cash, Aspial Holdings, Trinity House Investments, etc. Together, we have more than 100 years of experience in handling more than S$2 billion worth of transactions.

6. Why are you investing in overseas building projects?

Our decade-long unblemished and excellent track record in overseas property management and investments started with Trinity House Investments.

We have intimate in-market knowledge of the real estate sector in terms of the opportunities and the associated risks, as well as the intricacies of legislation, financing and the legal processes necessary to transact in those markets that we invest in, on your behalf.

We choose to only operate in the markets that we feel are safe and have a robust rule-of-law, and that we know well.

7. So why don’t these developers go to banks instead? Do they have bad credit?

In the realm of property development project financing, big developers (think Capitaland, CDL, Lendlease, etc.) who undertake huge projects are usually funded by big, institutional banks that love to have their business. Smaller developers with small project budgets are not so attractive to them.

With the rigorous borrowing requirements especially in a market like the UK/Ireland, etc. for example, smaller developers who say, require a bridging loan, usually turn to finance houses or alternative sources of financing; like us. That is where our market opportunity is!

We limit each deal tranche up to S$5 mil and to a Loan-to-Value ratio of up to 70% in our conservative approach.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Investment Process

1. So you mean I can invest by choosing a deal on your list, putting in my money and just sit back and wait for my interest pay-outs like you promise?

Yes! It’s that simple!
We will first qualify your investing-profile as per MAS requirements.
The only conditions are that:
- Your minimum investment in any one deal is at least S$1000, and
- You must be committed to the full term of the investment till maturity. Each deal carries a different rate of return and term for your choosing.
Your pay-outs comprise of regular interest returns, and of course the principal sum, upon maturity of the term.
All your investment monies will sit in a dedicated deal escrow account until legal disbursement, so your money is always secure.

Above all, your principals and interests are guaranteed by Maxi-Cash.

2. What is an escrow account?

An escrow agent is a person or entity that holds property or money on behalf of someone while a transaction is being finalised. In the case of BigFundr, the escrow agent holds investors’ money on their behalf before these investors participate or invest in a deal. In addition, it will also hold money on behalf of investors when the loans are repaid.

3. What kind of interest returns can I expect?

The rate of return of an investment is highly dependent on the nature and tenure of the deal, as well as the quality of developer-borrowers. You can expect to earn interest returns of 3% or more per annum. As BigFundr is a real estate-backed Fintech lending platform, the projects we choose to finance are more secured.

4. Would my interest returns be taxable?

You will earn interest income from the investments that you make on our platform. We understand that interest income earned from such investments are now non-taxable under the laws of Singapore. You should consult your tax adviser if you are unclear about your tax obligations. If you are a non-resident, you may also be subject to withholding tax on the interest.

5. How much fee does BigFundr charge?

BigFundr charges an administration fee of 15% from your interests earned (e.g. If your interest pay-out is S$100, our administration fee will be S$15.)
The contractual investment returns (Interest) we offer to you typically starts from 3% and upwards per annum.

6. Is there a minimum initial deposit and for each deal what is the minimum investment amount?

The first deposit for every new account is S$1,000, and the minimum investment amount per deal is S$1,000. Thereafter, incremental investments are in multiples of S$100.

7. Who decides on which building projects to finance?

Our team of in-market analysts and partners continuously source and run due diligence over scores of projects that seek funding.

BigFundr’s credit assessment team and investment committee will make the call on which viable projects to commit to, and to offer to you, always using a safe, conservative approach.

For example, we will only invest in developers with ongoing projects with proper permits and actual building works in progress. BigFundr does not engage in land banking or similar activities. Each project will be monitored through progressive reports issued by independent Quantity Surveyors on the ground, acting for the interest of Lenders.

8. What are the duration of these loans and how are the repayments of interests and principals scheduled?

Our term-loans to developers usually range from 3 months upwards with varying rates of interest charged, and the various repayment schemes as follows:

Note: The type of repayment scheme for each loan will be stated clearly in each loan deal published on BigFundr.

Bullet	A single lumpsum payment of interest & principal at the end of the term.
Monthly	Monthly payment of interest, with the final month's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.
Quarterly	Quarterly payment of interest, with the final quarter's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.
Semi Annually	Half yearly payment of interest, with the final half yearly's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.
Annually	Yearly payment of interest, with the final year's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.

9. Can I invest in more than one deal ?

Sure! We encourage you to spread your investments across a few deals of varying returns and terms, to diversify your investments and risks. In fact, we encourage you to reinvest the interest received and realise the power of compounding returns, you may refer to our wealth calculator.

10. Can I come on later into a deal ?

Yes you may, as long as the deal that we list on our website is still open to receive funding. Your interest pay-out will still enjoy our promised simple-rate of return, albeit only for the remaining months till maturity of the term.

11. Can I cancel my participation in any deal ?

Once your funds has been invested in a deal , we would need you to commit to invest for the full term of the deal till maturity.

12. Why should I diversify my investments?

Diversification ensures that the risks you hold are spread out across multiple investments, forming a portfolio. With BigFundr, all principals and interest returns are guaranteed by Maxi-Cash. Therefore, there is no need for diversification, but investors may want to invest in multiple deals to get a higher average rate of returns in the long term.

13. After maturity of the term, can I reinvest?

Yes!!! Upon maturity of a deal which marks the end of one contract, your principal sum will be deposited back into BigFundr’s Escrow Agent bank account where the amount will be reflected on your My Balance on BigFundr platform, from which you can again choose the next deal to invest in!

14. Is there a Relationship Manager assigned to me?

No, We are an online platform that seeks to provide you with seamless access 24/7, with your account statement and transaction records at your finger- tips!

However, we will assign relationship manager when the sums invested are more than S$200,000 per investor account.

15. Can I redeem my money halfway through the term?

We’re afraid not. We will need your commitment to invest in the full term of each deal till maturity.

16. Do I invest in SGD or foreign currency? What if the exchange rate fluctuates?

No worries! Your investment in each deal will be in SGD, and your interest pay-out plus principal sum to be returned, is also in SGD.

By doing so, you will not be exposed to any currency risks.

17. Do you put your own opportunities up on the platform?

No. BigFundr only puts up carefully assessed projects from developer-borrowers (or at times through professional and institutional debt fund managers) onto the platform.

Where we are funding projects through any of our partners, BigFundr will always highlight this in the factsheet.

18. What happens if a loan is not fully raised initially?

Loans which have cleared Investment Committee will be fully funded. All loan amounts raised from retail investors, together with Maxi-Cash invested funds will be disbursed to borrower’s appointed agent (i.e. Lawyer in United Kingdom who prepares and executes the loan contracts) to administer the funds in accordance with the contracts.

WHAT ARE MY RISKS?

Credit Risk

1. What happens if the developer-borrower misses the payments?

Prompt interest payments are guaranteed by Maxi-Cash.

2. What happens if the developer-borrower defaults?

Both interest payments and principal are fully guaranteed by Maxi-Cash.

3. What is a Security Trustee?

A Security Trustee is a person or corporate entity which holds security for the benefit of others. The security involved here in our business model comprises a charge over property for the performance of obligations over the deal, i.e. payments of agreed returns for the deal, the payment of principal at the end of the agreed timeline, etc. The Security Trustee engaged in BigFundr is Vistra which is also the Escrow Agent for each deal.

4. Do I carry the default risk?

NO!!!
Maxi-Cash will guarantee to take over the loan in case of a Borrower default! The legal contract then becomes theirs to bear. You are protected.
This means that notwithstanding the default situation, you, the Retail Investor, will be guaranteed the return of your principal sum and interests, no matter what.

5. How do you access the risk of potential developer-borrowers?

At BigFundr, we have a Credit Assessment Team and also an Investment Committee that will perform credit risk assessments of the developer-borrowers. This comprises an in-depth review of financial statements, bank statements, credit ratings (individuals and directors) etc. The results of such reviews will be made available to all investors on the deal’s factsheet available on the platform.

6. What happens if the developer-borrower goes bankrupt?

With BigFundr, our partner Maxi-Cash guarantees all principals and interests for all loans, therefore retail investors have nothing to worry about!

7. Are there measures in place to prevent developer-borrower fraud?

Once projects have passed BigFundr's strict set of investment criteria, the loans then have to go through full legal and property due diligence. This is carried out by independent lawyers in the home jurisdiction of the projects. BigFundr ensures that only when all investment, legal and property due diligence and criteria have been satisfied will the deal proceed. Separately; Bigfundr’s appointed Escrow Agent, Vistra, will perform an independent third party Know-Your-Customer (KYC) screening against all developer-borrower prior to onboarding them onto BigFundr’s platform. In addition, all your investment monies will sit in a dedicated deal escrow account until legal disbursement, so your money is always secure.

Additionally, Maxi-Cash guarantees all principals and interests for our retail investors.

Operational Risk

1. Is this safe? Will I get my money back?

Yes you will!
Coupled with the contractual interest we promise to pay you based on the deals that you choose, our partner Maxi-Cash guarantees your principal and your interests.
Your investment monies are always deposited into dedicated deal escrow accounts, so that you are assured of legal accountability throughout the whole transaction.

2. Are you reliable? You are a new start-up.

We operate under the strict purview of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and we abide by the codes of practice prescribed, to the highest level.

Every new entrant in the market has to pass the rigorous licensing and operational accreditation set out by MAS to protect you, the Retail Investor.

We hold a CMS licence. (CMS101098)

All your monies are transacted directly with the borrowers, through the appointed Escrow Agent, so nobody in BigFundr will get access to your monies invested!

We partner Maxi-Cash, a SGX listed company and they have undertaken to guarantee all investors’ principals and interests in the loans.

3. You are investing in overseas markets; what about currency exchange risks?

No worries!!! Your investment will be in SGD, and your interest pay-out plus principal sum to be returned is also in SGD.

4. How robust is your IT systems and platform against hacking and attacks?

We use and maintain our back-end IT systems with industrial best-practice grade solutions used by banks, and seek to be current and updated in all aspects of cyber security.

5. I have closed my BigFundr account. What happens to my data?

When you close your BigFundr account, we note the withdrawal of your consent to collect, use or disclose your personal data.
Please be assured that BigFundr complies with Section 25 of the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and will cease to retain personal data when retention is no longer necessary for legal or business purposes.

HOW DO I START?

Getting Started

Account Opening

1. How do I open an account with BigFundr?

To start, simply register an investor account with BigFundr on the platform and complete the registration form , before submitting your identification documents. Under normal circumstances, your account should be activated in no longer than 5 business days. Upon activation of the account, you can view the available deals on the platform. Should you like to participate in any deal , you can transfer the funds to the escrow account listed on the platform.

To begin, click here to sign up.

2. Is there an initial minimum deposit ?

The initial deposit to open an account is S$1,000.

3. What are the documents required to open an account?

The documents required are as follows:
- Identity Card/Employment Pass/Entrepreneur Pass/S Pass/Work Permit/Passport
- Bank statement(s)
- Proof of residency (for non-Singaporean).

4. What do I do if I have trouble uploading my personal documents?

Please contact us at [email protected] We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Deposits / Withdrawals / Investments

1. How do I deposit into my BigFundr account?

To fund your BigFundr account, you can make an online transfer either via FAST or GIRO to the escrow account, which is the bank account held by Vistra, our Escrow Agent. Do follow closely the instructions in the “Deposit” page after you login.

2. After sending funds to my account, how long will it take for the amount to be reflected?

Under normal circumstances, we should reflect the transferred funds on your BigFundr “My Balance” within 5 business days subject to successful verification.

3. How do I withdraw money out of my account?

You may initiate a withdrawal minimum of S$20 for each request through the “Withdrawal” tab under your account. Under normal circumstances, your withdrawal amount will be reflected in your bank account within 5 business days after initiating a withdrawal. BigFundr do not impose any withdrawal costs to you.

4. What is the cut-off time to initiate a withdrawal?

Any withdrawal initiated initiated from 0000 hours to 1700 hours will be considered the withdrawal day, followed by 5 business days for processing. The 5 business days excludes weekends and public holidays. For withdrawals initiated after 1700 hours, the withdrawal day will be the following business day.

5. What is the minimum withdrawal limit from my account each time?

The minimum withdrawal limit is S$ 20 each time. For withdrawal below this amount, kindly contact [email protected] for assistance.

6. Are there minimum investment amount ?

For investment, the minimum amount for each deal is S$1,000, and subsequent increments of S$100. The maximum investable amount is limited to the loan quantum.

MY ACCOUNT

Account Profile

1. How do I check my particulars?

You can check your particulars under the “Profile” section of your account. If you require additional help, please contact us at [email protected], and we will assist you as soon as possible.

2. How do I update my particulars?

You can update your particulars under the “Profile” section of your account. However, if you intend to change the bank account linked to your BigFundr account, the account must still be in your name . Please contact us at [email protected], and we will assist you as soon as possible.

3. I forgot my password; how do I retrieve it?

Simply reset your password on the login page. Click the “Forgotten password?” link, which will bring you to a separate webpage prompting your email address. Enter your email address and wait for an email with instructions on how to change your password.

4. Where can I see monthly repayments?

You may do so by referring to your “My Investment | Portfolio | Repayment Status” section in your investor account on the BigFundr platform or your monthly online statements. If you require additional help, please contact us at [email protected], and we will assist you as soon as possible.

Privacy and Data Protection

1. Are my details kept private?

Definitely! All your details are kept private and will not be disclosed to developer-borrowers or any third parties. However, as the escrow agent needs to perform “know-your-customer” (KYC) checks before managing your funds, your details will only be shared with them.
All personal details will be kept in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

2. What kind of information can I see about the developer-borrowers?

Each deal includes a factsheet that contains information on the developer-borrower.

3. Can I contact the developer-borrowers?

Unfortunately, investors cannot contact the developer-borrowers. However, you can approach us with any concerns you might have regarding a particular deal , and we will do our best to answer them, while seeking the borrowers’ input where required.

4. Where can I find more information about BigFundr Privacy Policy?

You may find more information in our Privacy policy.

Account Ownership

1. I’m a foreigner. If I leave to move back to my own country, what happens to my account?

You may withdraw all your available balances from your “My Balance” and email us @ [email protected] to close your account if you are no longer participating in any active deal.

2. Can I transfer my investment account to someone else?

No, every account is exclusive.

3. Will my next-of-kin inherit my active account, just in case of anything untoward happens?

We will close and assign the monies in your account to your nominee in accordance with the prevailing laws and regulations (Intestate Succession Act).

FAQ

What is it?

How does it work?

What are my risks?

How do I start?

How Can We Help?

What is it?

How does it work?

What are my risks?

How do I start?

WHAT IS IT?

About Us

1. Who is BigFundr?

2. What is Loan-to-Valuation ratio?

3. Are you another online Peer-to-Business (P2B) startup?

4. How do I know you are not a Ponzi scam or some MLM?

5. Who are your team members?

6. Why are you investing in overseas building projects?

7. So why don’t these developers go to banks instead? Do they have bad credit?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Investment Process

1. So you mean I can invest by choosing a deal on your list, putting in my money and just sit back and wait for my interest pay-outs like you promise?

2. What is an escrow account?

3. What kind of interest returns can I expect?

4. Would my interest returns be taxable?

5. How much fee does BigFundr charge?

6. Is there a minimum initial deposit and for each deal what is the minimum investment amount?

The first deposit for every new account is S$1,000, and the minimum investment amount per deal is S$1,000. Thereafter, incremental investments are in multiples of S$100.

7. Who decides on which building projects to finance?

8. What are the duration of these loans and how are the repayments of interests and principals scheduled?

Bullet	A single lumpsum payment of interest & principal at the end of the term.
Monthly	Monthly payment of interest, with the final month's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.
Quarterly	Quarterly payment of interest, with the final quarter's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.
Semi Annually	Half yearly payment of interest, with the final half yearly's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.
Annually	Yearly payment of interest, with the final year's interest & principal paid at the end of the term.

9. Can I invest in more than one deal ?

10. Can I come on later into a deal ?

11. Can I cancel my participation in any deal ?

Once your funds has been invested in a deal , we would need you to commit to invest for the full term of the deal till maturity.

12. Why should I diversify my investments?

13. After maturity of the term, can I reinvest?

14. Is there a Relationship Manager assigned to me?

15. Can I redeem my money halfway through the term?

We’re afraid not. We will need your commitment to invest in the full term of each deal till maturity.

16. Do I invest in SGD or foreign currency? What if the exchange rate fluctuates?

No worries! Your investment in each deal will be in SGD, and your interest pay-out plus principal sum to be returned, is also in SGD.

By doing so, you will not be exposed to any currency risks.

17. Do you put your own opportunities up on the platform?

No. BigFundr only puts up carefully assessed projects from developer-borrowers (or at times through professional and institutional debt fund managers) onto the platform.

Where we are funding projects through any of our partners, BigFundr will always highlight this in the factsheet.

18. What happens if a loan is not fully raised initially?

WHAT ARE MY RISKS?

Credit Risk

1. What happens if the developer-borrower misses the payments?

Prompt interest payments are guaranteed by Maxi-Cash.

2. What happens if the developer-borrower defaults?

Both interest payments and principal are fully guaranteed by Maxi-Cash.

3. What is a Security Trustee?

4. Do I carry the default risk?

5. How do you access the risk of potential developer-borrowers?

6. What happens if the developer-borrower goes bankrupt?

With BigFundr, our partner Maxi-Cash guarantees all principals and interests for all loans, therefore retail investors have nothing to worry about!

7. Are there measures in place to prevent developer-borrower fraud?

Operational Risk

1. Is this safe? Will I get my money back?

2. Are you reliable? You are a new start-up.

3. You are investing in overseas markets; what about currency exchange risks?

No worries!!! Your investment will be in SGD, and your interest pay-out plus principal sum to be returned is also in SGD.

4. How robust is your IT systems and platform against hacking and attacks?

We use and maintain our back-end IT systems with industrial best-practice grade solutions used by banks, and seek to be current and updated in all aspects of cyber security.

5. I have closed my BigFundr account. What happens to my data?

HOW DO I START?

Getting Started

Account Opening

1. How do I open an account with BigFundr?

2. Is there an initial minimum deposit ?

The initial deposit to open an account is S$1,000.

3. What are the documents required to open an account?

The documents required are as follows:
- Identity Card/Employment Pass/Entrepreneur Pass/S Pass/Work Permit/Passport
- Bank statement(s)
- Proof of residency (for non-Singaporean).

4. What do I do if I have trouble uploading my personal documents?

Please contact us at [email protected] We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Deposits / Withdrawals / Investments

1. How do I deposit into my BigFundr account?

2. After sending funds to my account, how long will it take for the amount to be reflected?

Under normal circumstances, we should reflect the transferred funds on your BigFundr “My Balance” within 5 business days subject to successful verification.

3. How do I withdraw money out of my account?

4. What is the cut-off time to initiate a withdrawal?

5. What is the minimum withdrawal limit from my account each time?

The minimum withdrawal limit is S$ 20 each time. For withdrawal below this amount, kindly contact [email protected] for assistance.

6. Are there minimum investment amount ?

For investment, the minimum amount for each deal is S$1,000, and subsequent increments of S$100. The maximum investable amount is limited to the loan quantum.

MY ACCOUNT

Account Profile

1. How do I check my particulars?

You can check your particulars under the “Profile” section of your account. If you require additional help, please contact us at [email protected], and we will assist you as soon as possible.

2. How do I update my particulars?

3. I forgot my password; how do I retrieve it?

4. Where can I see monthly repayments?

Privacy and Data Protection

1. Are my details kept private?

2. What kind of information can I see about the developer-borrowers?

Each deal includes a factsheet that contains information on the developer-borrower.

3. Can I contact the developer-borrowers?

4. Where can I find more information about BigFundr Privacy Policy?

You may find more information in our Privacy policy.

Account Ownership

1. I’m a foreigner. If I leave to move back to my own country, what happens to my account?

You may withdraw all your available balances from your “My Balance” and email us @ [email protected] to close your account if you are no longer participating in any active deal.

2. Can I transfer my investment account to someone else?

No, every account is exclusive.

3. Will my next-of-kin inherit my active account, just in case of anything untoward happens?

We will close and assign the monies in your account to your nominee in accordance with the prevailing laws and regulations (Intestate Succession Act).