Philippines' Voyager raises US$167m from KKR, Tencent, World Bank unit

[MANILA] Philippine digital and financial services firm Voyager Innovations has raised US$167 million for its expansion programme, including a venture into digital banking, its listed and largest shareholder said on Monday.

Shareholders PLDT, private equity firm KKR & Co and Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings participated in the funding round, PLDT said in a disclosure.

Voyager, which serves 38 million Filipinos through its consumer platforms that include e-wallet and digital payments, welcomed a unit of the World Bank's International Finance Corp as a new investor.

The fintech firm said it applied for a digital banking licence with the Philippine central bank, which has so far granted three firms an approval to operate.

Only a third of Filipinos have a formal bank account, among the lowest in Asia, giving fintech firms an attractive leeway for growth.

REUTERS