Latest news with #Ekuinas
Barnama
2 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Ekuinas Empowers 19 Bumiputera SMEs Under ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) has empowered 19 Bumiputera small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that have strengthened their performance and elevated their businesses through ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024, a flagship programme under ILTIZAM's Entrepreneurship pillar. In a statement today, Ekuinas chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said that over the past nine months, these companies had undergone a structured transformation. He said the programme focused on strengthening their business foundations across four areas — financial management and compliance, branding and digital marketing, technology adoption, and leadership.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Ekuinas empowers 19 Bumiputera SMEs through ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024
Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan KUALA LUMPUR: Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) has celebrated the achievements of 19 Bumiputera small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that successfully elevated their businesses through ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024, the flagship programme under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform, ILTIZAM. 'Over the past nine months, these companies have undergone a structured transformation focused on strengthening their business foundations across four key areas: financial management and compliance, branding and digital marketing, technology adoption and leadership,' Ekuinas chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said at the ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024 Achievement Ceremony. 'ILTIZAM Catalyst is designed to sharpen strategic thinking, nurture talent, strengthen operations and governance, and encourage innovative thinking. It is more than a mentoring programme. It is a complete ecosystem that delivers knowledge, network, confidence, and the courage to create and seize new opportunities,' he said. Ekuinas said it provided over RM70,000 in technical support to every company in the ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024 cohort. Chief executive officer Aliff Omar Mohamad Omar said ILTIZAM Catalyst has supported 57 companies across various industries such as education, F&B, healthcare and IT services since its inception in 2022. He added that the programme has delivered tangible results, with 95% of participants reporting clearer business direction, 89% strengthening their entrepreneurial mindset and leadership, 79% boosting brand visibility and market presence, and 68% increasing product profitability. In 2024, Ekuinas disbursed RM15.3 million under ILTIZAM for entrepreneurship, education and community initiatives, benefiting over 17,000 individuals and businesses nationwide. To date, more than RM115 million has been channelled towards socio-economic development across Malaysia. Applications for ILTIZAM Catalyst 2026 open on Oct 16, with Bumiputera SMEs that have at least two years of profits and annual revenue between RM300,000 and RM1 million encouraged to apply to scale their businesses. For more information, visit
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Nineteen Bumiputera SMEs thrive under Ekuinas' Iltizam
KUALA LUMPUR: Nineteen Bumiputera small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have improved their performance and expanded their businesses through Ekuiti Nasional Bhd's (Ekuinas) Iltizam empowerment initiatives. This was achieved via Iltizam Catalyst 2024, the flagship programme under its entrepreneurship pillar. Ekuinas chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said the companies underwent a structured transformation aimed at reinforcing their business foundations in four key areas: financial management and compliance, branding and digital marketing, technology adoption, and leadership. "Iltizam Catalyst is designed to sharpen strategic thinking, nurture talent, strengthen operations and governance and encourage innovative thinking. "It is more than a mentoring programme. It is a complete ecosystem that delivers knowledge, network, confidence and the courage to create and seize new opportunities," he said at Iltizam Catalyst 2024 achievement ceremony. Ekuinas chief executive officer Aliff Omar Mohamad Omar said based on the key performance indicators set in 2023, Iltizam Catalyst 2024 has achieved strong and measurable outcomes. He said 95 per cent of participants gained clearer business direction, 89 per cent strengthened their entrepreneurial mindset and leadership readiness, 79 per cent boosted brand visibility and market presence, and 68 per cent recorded higher product profitability. In 2024, Ekuinas allocated RM15.3 million under Iltizam for initiatives in entrepreneurship, education, and community upliftment, benefiting over 17,000 individuals, families and businesses nationwide. Of this, RM5 million was dedicated to entrepreneurship-focused programmes, including Iltizam Catalyst and Iltizam Advance. Since its launch, Iltizam has channelled more than RM115 million towards socio-economic development across Malaysia.
New Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
PNB prepping 10 firms for IPO
PUTRAJAYA: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) is leading the efforts to prepare 10 Bumiputera companies for their initial public offering (IPO) and turn them into regional champions over the next few years. Coming under the Bumiputera Relay Race initiative, it includes a possible listing of an Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) portfolio company by the year-end. The Bumiputera Relay Race is to ensure continued and sustainable Bumiputera equity ownership in the corporate sector through the capital market. Industry observers said the concept is simple but strategic: Ekuinas invests in mid to late-stage growth companies, supports their scale-up and guides them toward IPO readiness. "Once they are ready for a listing, PNB steps in by acquiring a strategic stake and continuing the companies' value creation plan to become regional champions, all while ensuring the equity remains within Bumiputera institutional hands," they said. This structured handover - from private equity firm (Ekuinas) to public institutional ownership (PNB) - forms the core of the "relay race" metaphor, symbolising the seamless transition of Bumiputera ownership across growth stages. Putra Business School economist Professor Dr Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff said the initiative can help increase Bumiputera participation in the capital market at the entry level given that the current participating rate of Bumiputera companies is very low. He, however, said equally important is to have a more comprehensive plan to ensure sustainability and competitiveness of these companies. "Many have faced financial and non-financial issues and challenges which forced them to being delisted or in financial difficulties such as Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd and Sapura Energy Bhd," he added. Ekuinas, a government-linked private equity firm focused on Bumiputera economic participation, will invest in mid to late-growth companies via direct investments and private credit. The "relay race" is a flagship component of the GEAR-uP (Generating Empowerment and Advancement for Resilient Bumiputeras) programme, which seeks to elevate Bumiputera participation in the economy. According to Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, the strategy is about building capacity and opportunity for Bumiputera communities and businesses. "It's important as we make the cake, we don't forget that some part of the cake. Bumiputera must also be given an extra hand. "The government-linked investment companies are helping to create mechanisms where Bumiputera may have support along the way, but making sure that when we do that, we create the right incentives," he said at a media briefing of GEAR-uP 2025 Progress Report recently. Amir Hamzah added that the activation of the Bumiputera Relay Race is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025 through the potential listing of an Ekuinas portfolio company. He said the relay race will ensure continued Bumiputera ownership while benefitting the community by distributing listing gains, complementing Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd's unit trust fund returns. "What we hope to achieve through this is to build a connected value chain, where we can work with Equinas to nurture smaller companies, help them scale and eventually guide them towards an IPO. "Once these companies are listed, we can then take a chunk of stake in the IPO, retain some ownership and gradually release shares back into the market, essentially making the 'relay race' work, with smooth handovers from one stage to the next," he explained. Ekuinas had previously been reported planning to list two of its portfolio companies, Orkim Sdn Bhd and Al-Ikhsan Sports Sdn Bhd. Both companies had been identified as IPO candidates, but unfavourable market conditions and timing issues had forced earlier delays. In March 2025, Ekuinas reportedly was preparing to list oil and gas shipping company Orkim by the fourth quarter of this year, with a potential valuation of up to RM1 billion. Meanwhile, Al-Ikhsan - one of the country's largest homegrown sportswear retail chains - had been positioned as a consumer-sector IPO story, leveraging its brand strength and growing retail footprint. Ekuinas had first explored an IPO for Al-Ikhsan in 2022, deferring the plan to this year, though no further updates have been announced since. Ekuinas other portfolio companies include Cosmopoint Group, Unitat International University, Xenergi Sdn Bhd, Bluesify, Mizou, Symbiotica, Kaisar Farmasi, Flexi Versa Group Sdn Bhd, Davex (M) Sdn Bhd, Exabytes Capital Group Sdn Bhd and Revenue Valley Sdn Bhd.
The Star
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Ekuinas committed direct investments up to RM5bil for FY24
KUALA LUMPUR: Ekuiti Nasional Bhd's (Ekuinas) cumulative committed direct investments rose to RM4.9bil last year (FY24) from RM4.5bil a year ago, with total economic capital deployed at RM5.6bil. In a statement yesterday, the government-linked private equity company said funds under management increased by 19% to RM5bil. Its operating expenditure-to-funds under management ratio remained steady at 1.1%. The private-equity company said the gross internal rate of return (GIRR) for the Ekuinas Direct Tranche IV Fund was 38.9%, while Tranche II Fund was 12%. 'Ekuinas Direct Tranche III Fund showed modest improvement with a GIRR of 1.6%. Meanwhile, our outsourced programme reported GIRRs of 3.8% for Tranche I and minus 6.9% for Tranche II,' Ekuinas said. The earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of portfolio companies under Ekuinas Direct Funds grew by 3.3%, rebounding from a 7% contraction in 2023. Unitar Education group recorded Ebitda of 77.2% while Medispec (M) Sdn Bhd and Exabytes Capital Group achieved 48.7% and 30.9% Ebitda growth, respectively. — Bernama
