Smart Digital Unit, Cash Credit to offer mobile-mased micro-finance in the Philippines

Voyager Innovation, a digital financial and commerce unit of Smart Communications, today announced its strategic partnership with Cash Credit, a Sofia-based fin-tech company. The companies will jointly aggressively roll out a mobile-based micro-finance programme within the first half of 2015, applying big data analytics to offer innovative financial services to Smart's combined subscriber base of over 75 million.

"Cash Credit's pioneering expertise in aggregating, analysing and applying data to offer innovative micro-finance solutions will further promote electronic financial access among the underbanked and unbanked segments of the Philippine's population. It will leverage on the prevalence of mobile phones in the country, with over 100% penetration rate," Orlando Vea, president and CEO of Voyager Innovation, commented.

Under the agreement, Cash Credit will bring its expertise on lending to individuals through innovative partnerships with mobile network operators (MNOs) around the world. Based on big data analysis, Cash Credit's proprietary decision-making model for credit scoring includes subscriber call and texting usage, payment and behavioural data. The credit services to be offered include micro-credit loans, airtime top-up credit, utility bill payments and credit for airtime resellers. Cash Credit will be responsible for underwriting the loans and managing all the risks with its advanced data analytics technology.

"We are very excited to have the opportunity to start co-operation with the leading telecoms operator in the Philippines. We look forward to working with Voyager and Smart in helping them attract and retain customers with our innovative financial solutions," said Georgi Krumov, Cash Credit's Founder and Executive Chairman.

Cash Credit, which in 2013 attracted a USD 25 million investment for international expansion from the investment arm of Delta Partners, a leading global TMD advisory and investment firm, now operates similar programmes in partnership with major MNOs in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.