Philippines’ Voyager raises $167 million from KKR, Tencent, World Bank unit

A Tencent logo is seen in Beijing, China September 4, 2020. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

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

Shareholders PLDT Inc, private equity firm KKR & Co Inc and Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd 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 license 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.