Fintech PR
Mastercard partners with tonik, Philippines’ first digital-only neobank, to accelerate financial inclusion
Mastercard today announced a new partnership agreement with tonik, a two-year-old startup which recently received a bank license in the Philippines. Through this partnership, Mastercard will further enhance tonik’s market proposition by enabling the latter to issue a range of electronic payments products that taps into Mastercard’s global network and extensive business intelligence when tonik launches operationally later this year.
Internet penetration in the Philippines is at 67 percent[1], and one third of the population is millennials[2]—many of whom are digital natives. However, according to the 2017 Financial Inclusion Survey by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), over 70 percent of the country’s population is unbanked[3]. At the same time, 60 percent of Filipinos who are either in the formal banking system or can become part or the system, are willing to use offerings that are digitally focused[4]. Achieving financial inclusion by leveraging financial technology has been top on the agenda for Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which has set the goal of doubling the number of Filipinos with formal bank accounts by 2023[5].
Driving digital financial inclusion and expanding access to formal financial services for the unserved and underserved population is one of the cornerstones of tonik’s proposition. As a mobile-only digital bank, tonik is able to develop highly customized, scalable banking solutions that fit the needs of a customer base that is incredibly diverse, ranging from people who are just making their first forays into the formal banking system, through to customers who have held accounts and used financial products for most of their adult lives. Because of its digital-first approach, tonik is well placed to meet consumers’ needs and demands irrespective of where they live, work and do business.
“We want to empower the underserved and unserved Filipinos by giving them simple, accessible, and fast digital banking experiences. We want our customers to easily gain familiarity with transacting and banking digitally in order to help them harness the full potential of the rapidly changing digital economy. Our partnership with Mastercard is about injecting more speed, scale, and performance into all facets of our business. Having immediate access to Mastercard’s global payment network, safety & security technology, data and analytics services, AI technology, and cybersecurity capabilities will be essential to tonik’s growth and success in today’s digital-first reality,” said Greg Krasnov, CEO & Founder, tonik.
Orchestrating this partnership is Mastercard Fintech Express, a tailored program which provides fintechs such as tonik with increased speed-to-market, access to a suite of digital-first products, and a cross functional team of experts to provide strategic counsel and advisory across product, partnerships, licensing and legal to be able to successfully build their offerings.
“The entire payments ecosystem thrives when fintechs have access to the technology they need to reach scale and make finances widely accessible. tonik exemplifies an agile and innovative fintech whose ambition of driving financial inclusion in the Philippines through digital-first products and seamless consumer experiences is closely aligned with Mastercard’s mission to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone. tonik’s ability to secure a bank license as a startup is nothing short of exceptional and Mastercard is delighted to partner with them to enhance the Philippines’ digital banking space and to boost the nation’s financial inclusion journey,” said Rama Sridhar, Executive Vice President, Digital & Emerging Partnerships and New Payment Flows, Asia Pacific, Mastercard.
tonik will launch with a full range of banking services including a transactional savings account with a debit card, savings and term deposit accounts with attractive interest rates, as well as a range of consumer loans in Q3 2020. Debit Mastercard cards will be available to customers at the end of the year and will allow customers to transact and withdraw cash from everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Additional services such as loans, credit cards, and fund transfer categories will be made available in the course of 2021.
- EQT to sell Melita to Goldman Sachs Alternatives
- Under EQT’s ownership, Melita strengthened its position as a leading digital infrastructure owner and operator through strategic investments in its network and customer experience, while building a successful international Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity business
- Today, Melita is the only operator in Malta providing both nationwide Gigabit fixed and nationwide 5G mobile services, and is well-positioned to expand its footprint in the fast-growing IoT connectivity sector
STOCKHOLM, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — EQT is pleased to announce that the EQT Infrastructure IV fund (“EQT”) has signed an agreement to sell Melita (“the Company”) to Goldman Sachs Alternatives.
Founded in 1992, Melita is today a leading digital infrastructure owner and operator in Malta with a fully invested fiber-powered fixed network as well as a nationwide 5G mobile network with its own towers, backhaul and small cell footprint. With the largest data center in Malta, Melita delivers a full suite of digital services, including Gigabit broadband and 5G mobile connectivity, premium TV offerings, and data center solutions to households and businesses across the country.
Since EQT acquired Melita in 2019, the Company has made substantial investment in its infrastructure and enhanced its operations and service offering. For example, it has successfully developed Generative AI tools to support customers with billing, sales and technical queries which had a positive impact on customer satisfaction. The Company has also expanded internationally, establishing its presence in the rapidly growing IoT connectivity market via its proprietary platform and agile, customer-centric go-to-market approach.
Sustainability has been a core focus for Melita, becoming the first EQT portfolio company to have its near-term targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. The Company is investing in solar farms to produce renewable energy and has already replaced almost half of its car fleet with electric vehicles. It also established the Melita Foundation which supports impactful community initiatives.
Ulrich Köllensperger, Partner in the EQT Value-Add Infrastructure Advisory team, said: “Building on EQT’s long track record of investing in digital infrastructure, we supported Melita through strategic investments including in its 5G coverage and an upgrade of its fiber-powered network. We are proud of the rapid progress of Melita’s IoT business which, in just a few years since inception, has grown significantly and through add-on acquisitions, established a promising new business line with a pan-European reach. We believe the Company is well-positioned for further growth and would like to thank Harald and the entire team for their dedication and wish them continued success.”
Harald Rösch, CEO of Melita, said: “Thanks to EQT’s support, the past five years have been transformational, enabling us to make substantial progress across all aspects of our business and becoming the first operator in the European Union to deploy both a nationwide Gigabit broadband network and a nationwide 5G network. This transaction reflects the achievements of our entire team and the loyalty of our customers. With Goldman Sachs Alternatives’ support and expertise, we are excited to continue our journey sustainably, investing in our infrastructure, enhancing our services in Malta and driving further innovation.”
The transaction is subject to conditions including regulatory approvals.
EQT was advised by UBS (financial), Milbank and Camilleri Preziosi (legal).
Contact
EQT Press Office, [email protected]
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LONDON, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Space NK reveal growth during the last financial year, as turnover rose 34 per cent to £196.5 million in the year to the end of March, compared with the previous 12 months. Pre-tax profit rose from £1.5 million to £7.5 million during the same period.
This growth has continued into the current financial year, with half year figures up 38% per cent year-on-year. Diving deeper into this performance, it’s clear Space NK is truly an omnichannel business with shop sales rising 24 per cent and online sales increasing 35 per cent during the first six months of the year.
Performance has been fuelled by Space NK’s growth in customers, with its active base experiencing double-digit growth across all age categories, from Gen Z through to millennials and Gen Alpha. The fastest-growing category being the under-25s, at 164 per cent.
Andy Lightfoot, CEO, explained “We are delighted to report another record-breaking half of sales (April 24 – Sept 24) up 38% on last year, continuing our run of greater than 30% growth every year since 2020. Since then, the business has more than doubled its revenue and with our customer first mindset and expertly curated brands, we are delighted with our consistent and continuous growth”.
Plans to increase Space NK’s store portfolio by a further 10 additions to the existing estate are in flight – Meadowhall (Sheffield) opened November 17th 2024, a new store in Milton Keynes will open this weekend (23[rd] November) with further openings in Bluewater and other locations scheduled for 2025.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2565331/Space_NK.jpg
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Fintech PR
Cultural Finance Empowers New Quality Productive Forces in the Greater Bay Area’s Cultural Industry
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — From November 20 to 22, the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural Industry Investment Conference took place in Guangzhou. The event was attended by representatives from financial and securities institutions, industry associations, over 100 leading investment firms, more than 40 listed companies, as well as over 100 unicorn and gazelle companies, and cultural technology innovation companies.
This year’s conference centered on the theme “Cultural Finance Empowering the Greater Bay Area: Industry and Technology Reinforcing Each Other.” Several impactful cultural investment projects were launched, alongside a series of forward-looking and in-depth high-quality research findings in the cultural industry. The event showcased cutting-edge cultural technology achievements with independent intellectual property rights and practical application potential. Notable cultural projects and products, including the film Fall Into the Mortal World, virtual digital humans for museums, and “Humanoid Robot+,” made their debut, attracting significant interest from attendees. Core cultural industry cities within the Greater Bay Area, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao, are abundant in cultural resources and presented diverse offerings. Many enterprises in these cities are focusing on areas such as AIGC, digital creative production, smart cultural manufacturing, and new forms of cultural consumption, leading to the rapid formation of a vibrant digital cultural industry ecosystem.
During the conference, the “2024 Cultural Industry Investment Report” and the “2024 Report on the Trends of Cultural Industry Investment in the Greater Bay Area” were released, providing insights and strategic guidance for financing and investment development of the cultural sector from various perspectives, hotspots, and trends. The reports indicated that the total financing amount for the cultural industry in the Greater Bay Area reached approximately 52.82 billion yuan over the past five years. Guangdong’s cultural industry’s added value has ranked first in the country for 20 consecutive years, achieving an average annual growth rate exceeding 10 percent. In 2023, the revenue of culture and culture-related enterprises above a designated size in Guangdong reached 2.2483 trillion yuan, the highest in the nation. The province is home to 10,800 culture and culture-related enterprises above a designated size, accounting for one-seventh of the national total. Notably, Shenzhen’s culture and culture-related enterprises above a designated size generated over 1 trillion yuan in revenue, accounting for 8.5 percent of the national total. Revenue from the cultural manufacturing industry accounts for nearly half of the revenue from culture and culture-related enterprises, reflecting the strength of Guangdong’s manufacturing industry.
Guangdong produces four-fifths of the nation’s gaming and amusement equipment, with Guangzhou’s gaming machines capturing 20 percent of the global market share and one-quarter of global animation derivatives originating in Dongguan. The province exhibits distinct advantages in niche segments, such as films and TV programs, video games, animation, and creative design. The gaming industry’s revenue accounts for over 80 percent of the national total, while revenues from digital music, digital publishing, and animation account for approximately one-quarter, one-fifth, and one-third of the national total, respectively.
Contact：Zi Xiang
Tel.: 0086-15099961640
E-mail: [email protected]
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2565290/Guangdong_Province_Conference.jpg
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cultural-finance-empowers-new-quality-productive-forces-in-the-greater-bay-areas-cultural-industry-302314075.html
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