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Our research

Behind this brand new offering is TRACE, an interpretable, high-performance MSME credit risk assessment framework developed by the NUS Asian Institute of Digital Finance. Learn more about the methodology and key capabilities in our latest whitepaper.

Whitepaper

Seeing Through the Black Box: TRACE

An Interpretable, High-Performance MSME Credit Risk Assessment Framework

A Whitepaper by NUS Asian Institute of Digital Finance

Release date: 26 January 2026

Executive Summary
  • MSMEs face a persistent financing gap; in ASEAN fewer than 30 percent obtain bank credit.
  • The industry is stuck between transparent but weak scorecards and opaque high-performance AI.
  • TRACE resolves the trade-off with interpretable econometric models plus explainable ML under governance-ready design.
  • Battle-tested across Southeast Asia, enabling scalable MSME lending without compromising risk controls.
Key Capabilities of TRACE

Intelligent Data Integration

Blends financials with alternative data (telecom, macro) to overcome sparsity in MSME profiles.

Glass Box Modeling

High-performance predictions with auditability, stability, and regulator-friendly explanations.

GenAI-Driven Scenario Lab

Stress-tests edge cases to ensure robustness and responsible AI governance.

Deployment-Ready Services

Out-of-the-box scores for Singapore F&B MSMEs, plus customized modeling and data partnerships.

Call to Action

Explore TRACE for your MSME portfolios or request a tailored pilot.