Arai says the group enhances the trading experience for investors by providing a platform that is different and more advantageous than what is currently being offered. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Digital equity broking platform Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd (Rakuten Trade) first opened its doors a little over a year ago and has grown from strength to strength with the commitment to change and simplify the equity broking Industry.
In just 10 months, the 50:50 joint venture of Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd and Japan’s Rakuten Securities Inc managed to welcome aboard 10,000 customers onto their platform and has continued growing rapidly to its current pool of over 16,000 activated accounts.
The group has successfully generated over RM1 billion in trading value on Bursa Malaysia in its first year and was crowned FinTech Company of 2018 at the Malaysian FinTech awards organised by the Persatuan Usahawan Dinamik and endorsed by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
Commenting on the group’s achievements, Rakuten Trade managing director Kaoru Arai said, “Our quantum jump in the industry demonstrates that the more digitally inclined investors in Malaysia are ripe for a fresh trading experience. More than 70 per cent of our clients are below the age of 40 and most of them are active traders.
“In true Rakuten style, we are enhancing the trading experience for our investors by providing a platform that is different and more advantageous than what is currently being offered. Trading on the Malaysian equity market has never been more seamless and more efficient.”
According to Arai, what sets Rakuten Trade apart from its competitors is its unique platform which is completely online and its low brokerage fees of only RM7 to RM8 for transactions under RM9,999. Just by downloading its iSEED.my mobile application, users can easily register accounts and make trades on the go.
Moreover, the indices and stock prices information on the application are available for free and are not exclusive to only Rakuten Trade customers.
“The application process and the transaction process on iSEED.my application is completely done online and this convenience is exactly what draws in the attention for prospective investors as it drastically lowers the barriers of entry for new investors to participate in the equity market.
“The reason why we are able to provide these low rates is because we do not have any sales persons, no fixed branches. This minimises our fixed costs significantly and we pass those savings onto our customers,” he said.
Besides just providing a comprehensive and convenient platform for their customers, Rakuten Trade has also been placing a lot of emphasis on the financial education of their customers and the wider public.
Collaborating with digital influencers and industry experts, the group has been regularly hosting onsite seminars for their customers and have also hosted more than 10 fintech CEOs and industry speakers for the FinTech Conference in 2017.
Rakuten Trade has also most recently introduced its second innovative product, Contra Trading, to complement the group’s existing Cash Upfront facility.
Its Contra Trading product is a trading account where the trading limit is not just based on the amount of cash you have but rather the cash and paid shares that you have. It allows users to maximise their trading exposures by offering paid shares as collateral and has already garnered significant interest among traders below 40 years old with trading experience of less than three years.
Arai added that the company’s growth was also due to the support received from both Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd, Rakuten Securities Inc, local regulators, business partners and Rakuten Trade employees.
Rakuten Trade also attributes its client appeal on its Rewards Eco System, the first of its kind in Malaysia, that offers access to three of the country’s biggest loyalty points provide – AriAsia BIG, Berjaya group’s B infinite and BonusLink under one platform.
For more information on Rakuten Trade or to open an account, please visit www.rakutentrade.my or download the iSPEED.my mobile application via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.