[Sponsored Article] Working with traditional corporate service providers proved to be a frustrating experience for entrepreneurs Julien Labruyere and Adrien Barthel, both of whom found existing providers’ services to be slow, inefficient, and non client centric. Recognizing these frustrations, the pair were motivated to develop a platform that catered to every entrepreneur’s needs, from incorporation and compliance to accounting and tax management. They paired up and launched Sleek , a digital corporate service provider that digitizes traditional corporate and accounting processes. Sleek is a one-stop-shop for registering a business in Hong Kong or Singapore, handling everything from incorporation, governance, accounting and taxes, to visas and regulatory compliance. Sleek not only enhances efficiency for businesses but completely eliminates the need for paper and courier services. Since being founded in 2017, Sleek has grown at a rapid pace from its initial start-up in Singapore before expanding to Hong Kong in 2019. The FinTech start-up has grown into a family of 150 employees and now serves more than 3,500 customers from over 115 countries ranging from start-ups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to multinational corporations (MNCs). In 2020, Sleek customers generated over SGD$1.26 billion in total paid-up share capital. Sleek was also able to attain a Xero Platinum partner status within a span of one year, becoming the fastest growing and 4th biggest partner in Asia. Sleek’s innovative and customer-centric approach has caught the eyes of several industry mavens. To date, the company has raised a total of US$11M from institutional investors and notorious entrepreneurs based in Singapore and Hong Kong. Most notably, Sleek had recently raised US$4M in a new funding round led by SEEDS Capital - the investment arm of Enterprise Singapore (ESG), a Singaporean government agency under the Ministry of Trade. These funds will be used to expand to new markets as well as develop digital tools to bring the best-in-class corporate and financial services to entrepreneurs, investors, and SMEs. Sleek ultimately strives to become every entrepreneur’s operating system. Its cloud-based solution, with an AI-driven customer platform and automation, already makes Sleek five times more efficient compared to traditional service providers in the industry. With its emphasis on digitization, paper-based processes are now made redundant with all corporate, accounting, and auditing needs made accessible on-the-go at any time and anywhere. The company is also actively engaging in innovating new tools for the business community. SleekSign, Asia’s first free and legally binding electronic signature was developed in 2020 and has been used over 200,000 times since its release. The company is also delving into new services such as a corporate insurance offering that further assists aspiring entrepreneurs on their business journey. Sleek’s innovative and customer-centric approach has earned itself as a reputable and competitive player in a rather traditional industry. The company continues to be a game-changer with its new sustainability initiative tackling carbon emissions that make the FinTech company the first provider of carbon-neutral corporate services in Asia-Pacific. As part of its environmental drive, Sleek has been financing mangrove reforestation projects in East Java, Indonesia since November 2020, to compensate for the carbon emissions associated with the company's service delivery. In coordination with Handprint Technology, a sustainability software startup in Singapore, these conservation projects are set to absorb the company’s monthly carbon footprint. The projects are managed by teams of experienced local conservationists and volunteers in the community, an intentional effort to create a positive impact on both the environment and the local economy. With 2,068 trees planted thus far, the mangroves will grow and absorb over 400 tons of CO2 in the next 20 years. “As a digital-first company, we believe in using the power of technology to make the lives of our customers easier; however, we have a responsibility to ensure that our present actions have a positive effect on our environment and for future generations to come,” states Co-Founder and CEO, Julien Labruyere. “By 2030, we foresee Sleek to be the first carbon-positive corporate service firm in Asia-Pacific and we hope to see more companies join this green revolution”. In 2021, Sleek will continue its driven momentum to deliver high-quality services to customers while developing new digital tools for the business community. Sleek aims to be the leader in the corporate secretary industry and revolutionize how entrepreneurs and business owners manage their operations.
