THE financial and strategic partner—possibly a Chinese investor—of Voyager Innovations Inc. should be on board within the first quarter of 2018, the company’s top official said on Wednesday.
Manuel V. Pangilinan, who chairs the digital innovations arm of PLDT Inc., said he is “confident” that the foreign partner for Voyager will come in “soon,” as talks between the two groups are “in advanced stages.” Pangilinan declined to name the company.
“It will push through soon,” he said. “I’ll stick my neck out—first quarter.”
He noted that the company will be a “financial and strategic” partner for Voyager. “It will excite the market,” Pangilinan said.
News about a Chinese partner for Voyager floated late last year.
Voyager operates PayMaya, a mobile wallet that allows users to make digital and physical transactions, including bills payment, among others.
It also allows users to make loans through their mobile phones through the Mobile Loan Saver and Lendr.
The company likewise offers digital marketing products through a company called Hatch, an online market place through Tackatack and a money-remittance service called Smart Padala.
At home, PayMaya has around 8 million users, while Lendr has disbursed more than P26-billion worth of loans in the last two and a half years.
The digital innovations and financial technology arm of PLDT is eyeing to enter three territories in Asia in 2018.