NongHyup, an agricultural bank, NorinChukin, a bank, Aizawa, a venture capital firm, and Lotte F&L, a financial leasing company, led a Series C1 round in Validus, a SME financing platform. Financial terms were not disclosed. “Against the backdrop of a challenging macroeconomic and fundraising environment, Validus has continued to deliver quality growth, and we’re seeing positive upward trends across all key performance metrics – loan book size, revenue and profitability – even as we keep a tight lid on operating expenses,” Nikhilesh Goel, Validus Co-founder and Group CEO.