PasarMIKRO selected for the next stage of Catapult: Inclusion SE Asia 2026

In June 2026, Thijs Penning, our Head of Risk & Credit, represented PasarMIKRO during the first week of Catapult: Inclusion SE Asia 2026, run by The LHoFT (Luxembourg House of Financial Technology).

How we got here

In May 2026, we announced that PasarMIKRO had been selected for the third edition of Catapult: Inclusion SE Asia. For us, it is a step forward in expanding financial access for underserved MSMEs, working alongside fellow fintechs and partners, including on initiatives with the Asian Development Bank.

The third cohort brings together 14 fintechs from across ASEAN, all working to expand financial access for the people who need it most. For PasarMIKRO, that means smallholder farmers and fishermen who have long been left out of formal financial systems.

An intense week

The first week took place in Luxembourg, alongside the launch of NextFin Asia with ADB Ventures. The week was full of mentoring, workshops, investor discussions and pitching alongside the rest of the cohort, each team working to improve financial inclusion in its own way.

For PasarMIKRO, it was a valuable chance to sharpen our story, challenge our assumptions, and get honest feedback from experienced mentors, investors and industry experts. One theme came up again and again: the importance of showing measurable impact while building a commercially sustainable business. That balance is central to our mission.

Next stop: Singapore

We have been selected to continue to the next stage of the programme, in Singapore in November 2026, and we look forward to building on the momentum.

Thank you to the LHoFT team, the mentors, judges and partners for a well-run programme, and for creating a place where ideas could be openly challenged and improved. Congratulations as well to all the participating teams. It was a pleasure meeting so many founders working on important challenges across the region.