Alliance Bank’s cinematic celebration of SME grit earns Malaysia Book of Records title, inspiring the next generation of founders

Kuala Lumpur, 8 September 2025 – Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad (“Alliance Bank” or the “Bank”) has made history, earning a Malaysia Book of Records title for producing Malaysia’s First Feature-Length SME Business Pitch Film with the launch of The Ultimate Elevator Pitch™, on iQIYI; it is now available to be watched on YouTube. This milestone marks a bold new chapter in the Bank’s decade-long mission to champion small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who are the backbone of the nation’s economy, through its flagship programme BizSmart® Challenge.

In 2024, BizSmart® Challenge launched its Accelerator Edition, a game-changer that introduced the high-pressure 60-second elevator pitch format, pushing finalists to distil their business ideas into concise, compelling stories. The concept was also meant to emulate the real-world intensity faced by business owners in their entrepreneurship. Thus inspired the creation of The Ultimate Elevator Pitch™; Malaysia’s first-ever feature-length SME business pitch film, capturing the grit, creativity, and resilience of the nation’s entrepreneurs.

“When we launched the BizSmart® Challenge over a decade ago, our vision was to support entrepreneurs not just through financing, but through exposure, access, and belief,” said Mr Kellee Kam, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank. “This recognition for Malaysia’s First Feature-Length SME Business Pitch Film is not only about the film itself, but about the founders, mentors, partners, and communities that make up our ecosystem. It’s a celebration of the dreamers and doers shaping Malaysia’s future. Our movie trended on iQIYI as No.1 for 3 consecutive weeks, which shows that telling the stories of resilient Malaysian entrepreneurs can interest and excite audiences.”

Premiered on 18 July 2025, the film offers unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the 2024 BizSmart® Challenge: Accelerator Edition. Selected from a record-breaking 593 submissions, 13 SME finalists took audiences on an unfiltered journey through mentorship, investor discussions, and the emotional highs and lows of building a business.

Mr Kam also shared, “By sharing the film with a wider audience, Alliance Bank aims to inspire aspiring founders and entrepreneurs by showing that with the right support, bold ideas can take flight. These stories go beyond business pitches; they are about resilience, creativity, and the courage to dream big. We want to be part of that journey, walking alongside them as they turn their visions into reality.”

Alliance Bank continues to champion SME growth through innovative solutions under its Alliance Digital SME proposition. This suite of digital-first offerings simplifies processing and documentation to enable quick access to funds. This includes targeted solutions, such as the Digital SME Financing, that are tailored to the working capital needs of businesses at different stages of growth, with same-day conditional approval available. Even businesses as young as six months in operation can access timely financing to seize opportunities and growth. To further strengthen financial resilience, the Alliance Digital SME Financial Health Check provides business owners with a complimentary report, offering useful insights to help them better understand their financial standing and make informed decisions.

A Creative Partnership with Purpose

The recognition of The Ultimate Elevator Pitch™ film, along with the impact of BizSmart® Challenge, reflects the bold ideas, relentless heart, and purposeful marketing that drive the Bank’s engagement with communities, brought to life in collaboration with its long-standing creative partner, Ampersand Advisory.

The idea for The Ultimate Elevator Pitch™ was born from a shared belief between Alliance Bank and the Ampersand Advisory team that entrepreneurship isn’t just a strategy, but it’s deeply human. By blending cinematic storytelling with the real-life drama of the BizSmart® Challenge, the film captures moments rarely seen: unguarded founder reflections, high-stakes investor debates, and the mentorship that shapes growth.

Mr Sandeep Joseph, CEO and Co-founder of Ampersand Advisory, added, “It’s not every day you get to say you’ve made Malaysia’s first feature-length SME business pitch film, and now, to have it recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records is the icing on the cake”. He continued, “In a world of short attention spans, we wanted to slow people down with something real; raw moments, unscripted emotion, and powerful stories of local entrepreneurs. This film proves that even a business pitch can move hearts.”

A Year of Momentum

The recognition from The Malaysia Book of Records underscores the significance of providing a powerful platform for Malaysian SMEs to share their stories. It also adds to a string of 2025 achievements for Alliance Bank, including:

• Three wins at the MARKies Award 2025 including Most Creative Experiential, Most Effective Use in B2B Marketing.
• 14 wins at the Marketing Events Awards 2025 in Singapore, where the Bank took home the top honours of Event Marketer of the Year and Team of the Year
• Three wins at The APPIES 2025, including Gold for Best in Innovation and Best in Financial Services.
• Seven wins at The Loyalty and Engagement Awards 2025 which include Gold in Best Loyalty and Strategy in Finance and Insurance category, Silver in Best Use of Relationship Marketing

Looking ahead, Alliance Bank will continue to grow its BizSmart® ecosystem, culminating in the BizSmart® Business Conference 2025 on 7 October 2025 in W Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Themed “Boundaries Reimagined”, the conference will bring together over 25 visionary speakers, investors, and BizSmart® Challenge alumni to explore new growth frontiers for Malaysian SMEs.

To watch The Ultimate Elevator Pitch™ movie on YouTube, click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzJxsEIvNr0.