Speaking exclusively to the South China Morning Post, former Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing chief executive and Micro Connect co-founder Charles Li Xiaojia, said the new platform aims to make it easy for global investors to fund the tens of thousands of Chinese small businesses with potential investment ranging from tens of thousands to several million yuan.

The launch comes as China’s 20 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 90 million self-employed individuals’ micro-companies look for support amid weak domestic consumption and rising costs.

By teaming up with partners with digital technology capabilities, Li says Micro Connect solves three main problems with investing in small companies: transparency, reach difficulties and product standardisation.