KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 8): The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) today kick-started its series of Business Financing Opportunities Forum at its headquarters.

Themed ‘Equity Investment for Business Growth’, the Forum aims to provide accessible avenue for businesses to obtain information to enhance their competitiveness and capacity through equity participation.

In a statement today,  MIDA said that the series of business financing forum is part of MIDA’s effort to encourage investment into domestic companies to expand and diversify.

MIDA deputy chief executive officer Zabidi Mahbar said the forum is to bring forward equity investment as one of the viable funding options for companies with the expansion plan.

He said the forum aims to provide a strategic platform for financial houses to share with participants on their investment strategies, sectors and industries that they are focusing on”.

The event is a continuous engagement of MIDA through the Investment Coordination Platform (ICP), a team that facilitates companies with the expansion plan and business growth.

This unit works closely with equity and corporate advisory firms, as well as local regulators and technology providers in assisting companies in conducting business-to-business matching, capital raising through debt & equity, M&A, divestments and IPO.

Zabidi explained that as to date, the team has engaged with over 200 manufacturing, services, plantation companies and 50 strategic technologies and funding partners.

He said the team has chaired more than 60 business-to-business meeting sessions between anchor companies and their respective local counterparts to discuss strategic collaborations.

He said the team’s IPO services have enabled a local steel company to meet the requirements for listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia.