Last updated on October 11, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, 9 October 2025 – CIMB Group Holdings Berhad (CIMB) today unveiled a bold digital-first strategy aimed at empowering businesses through smarter onboarding, real-time insights, and seamless cross-border capabilities. The initiative underscores CIMB’s ambition to help sole proprietors, SMEs, and corporate clients scale efficiently and connect effortlessly across ASEAN markets.
In line with this vision, the Group introduced two pioneering business solutions at the CIMB ASEAN SME Economic Forum, CIMB OCTO Biz (the app) and SME FlexiCash/-i, each designed to accelerate business expansion and drive sustainable growth.
With features tailored for regional scalability, the app enables cross-border payments, efficient international transaction management, and access to treasury, FX, and trade solutions, all integrated with intelligent business management tools. Following its launch in Malaysia, CIMB OCTO Biz will be rolled out in Indonesia and Singapore by the first half of 2026, followed by Cambodia and other ASEAN markets.
Present at the launch were Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry; Datuk Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development; Datuk Syed Zaid Albar, Chairman of CIMB Group; and Novan Amirudin, Group Chief Executive Officer of CIMB.
“We see banking as a strategic enabler of growth, transformation and financial inclusion,” said Novan. “The launch of CIMB OCTO Biz reflects our commitment to deliver secure, seamless and future-ready financial solutions that support sustainable business expansion across ASEAN and beyond. This is central to our Forward30 strategy, which leverages digital innovation to drive sustainable value creation in line with our purpose of advancing customers and society.”
Building on the user experience of CIMB OCTO for retail customers, CIMB OCTO Biz integrates essential business management tools within a secure and intuitive platform. The app enables businesses to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and simplify their banking journey.
Lawrence Loh, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Group Commercial and Transaction Banking, CIMB Group, added:
“CIMB is reshaping business banking with a digital-first approach that goes beyond transactions to drive growth. CIMB OCTO Biz unites banking insights and business tools in one ecosystem, empowering businesses to manage operations effortlessly, access financing seamlessly, and make data-driven decisions. More than a platform, it serves as a catalyst for ASEAN businesses to scale confidently across local and global markets.”
Powered by AI and data-driven insights, CIMB OCTO Biz provides businesses with real-time cash flow dashboards and on-demand financing applications, offering greater control and visibility over their finances.
Embedded within the app, SME FlexiCash/-i is a revenue-based lending product that analyses account history and transaction behaviour to instantly provide pre-qualified financing limits. This innovation eliminates the need for traditional loan paperwork, allowing flexible repayments based on a percentage of earnings—helping businesses manage cash flow with ease and transparency.
CIMB OCTO Biz also delivers hyper-personalised solutions, proactively recommending products and services suited to each business profile. By turning data insights into actionable value, the App enhances user experience while helping businesses uncover growth opportunities and improve operational efficiency.
To date, more than half of CIMB’s SME clients have already been onboarded on OCTO Biz, recording RM17 billion in transaction value across 7 million transactions in 2025, reflecting strong early adoption. The app’s full suite of features will be available by year-end, with new enhancements rolled out progressively.
Aligned with its “Kita Bagi Jadi” campaign, CIMB is also simplifying banking for sole proprietors and SMEs, with fully digital account opening to be available by the end of 2025, allowing customers to open accounts quickly and securely without branch visits.
CIMB OCTO Biz is now accessible via web and mobile and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Huawei AppGallery.
