SHAFIQ was founded, based on Kevin Syahrizal's concern, as Co-Founder, on practices in Islamic financial institutions that do not completely follow Sharia principles and at times contradict the fatwa of the MUI / National Sharia Council (DSN).
Kevin saw this as an opportunity to create an alternative solution to match SMEs who need funding with potential investors to work together without breaking Sharia principles.
With his university classmate Gema Megantara, a developer and serial entrepreneur with over 11 years of experience in technology companies, and Muhammad Syafii Antonio, a leading expert in Islamic Economics in Indonesia, Kevin formed the first Sharia securities crowdfunding platform in the country. The combination of these 3 co-founders represents each discipline from Finance (Kevin), Technology (Gema), and Sharia (Syafii Antonio).
Based on OJK Decree Number KEP-37/D.04/2021 dated August 19, 2021, SHAFIQ (PT Shafiq Digital Indonesia) has officially obtained a license as a Crowdfunding Service Provider through Information Technology-Based Securities Offering. And based on the DSN MUI Decree number U-097/DSN-MUI/II/2021, SHAFIQ also received a recommendation from the Sharia Supervisory Board from DSN MUI.
As of August 2022, there are already several Securities Crowdfunding companies licensed by the OJK, a testament to the increased demand for Sharia-friendly financial products. Shafiq differentiates itself in multiple aspects:
- SHAFIQ's zero-tolerance policy does not allow companies issuing shares through the platform to have any debt/riba on their balance sheet or have any non-halal revenue, which ensures adherence to Sharia principles.
- Fast and robust due diligence process leading to quick approval for issuers/SMEs applying for funding. Shafiq’s due diligence follows a Risk Acceptance Criteria as designed by their team from the Islamic banking industry.
- SHAFIQ does not charge fees from investors. Investors also routinely receive, free of charge, SHAFIQ’s Monthly Investor Market Watch, which supports investors in making investment decisions.
- Robust filtering process of projects based on Sharia compliance principles, done by an independent unit within the company.
SHAFIQ targets in Q2 2022
As of H1 2022, SHAFIQ is the most active Securities Crowdfunding by number of securities issued, and 2nd highest in disbursement value. As of July, SHAFIQ has disbursed IDR 56 billion in investments and is on track for 100 billion by end of year.
The Rise of Less Positive News on Investment
The emergence of news related to investment in the community is less positive, with the emergence of various fraudulent investment modes that harm the community, is a challenge for investment organizers to provide a sense of trust with various strategies.
Due to the recent emergence of fraudulent investment companies in the country, building trust with potential investors remains a challenge for investment firms like SHAFIQ. To combat this, SHAFIQ routinely provides education to increase consumers’ literacy on Sharia-friendly safe investments with flexible payment structures. This is done through weekly seminars or activities involving influencers, scholars, businessmen, and communities. The goal is to ensure investors understand that Sharia investments are fair, in the sense that one party will not profit at the expense of the other. Profits and losses are shared as long as SMEs do not default.
Digital Transformation in Investing Platform
PT Shafiq Digital Indonesia or SHAFIQ has a web-based investment platform, namely, Shafiq.id. This platform is a marketplace that brings together SMEs with investors guided by Sharia financial principles. Shafiq’s tagline is: First Sharia Securities Crowdfunding licensed and supervised by OJK and DSN-MUI.
Investors can study and analyze Sukuk (Islamic bonds) and equity offerings before investing by reading the prospectus submitted by SMEs. Meanwhile, SMEs can issue Sukuk/Shares to develop and grow their business. This is in line with the Indonesia government program to accelerate economic recovery after the pandemic by supporting the growth of SMEs in Indonesia.
