Mastercard accelerates financial inclusion with investment in Digiasia

Mastercard is giving a push to financial inclusion in Southeast Asia by investing in Digiasia

Digiasia is currently affiliated with several fintech companies in Indonesia: KasPro, an e-wallet and payment platform; KreditPro, a P2P lending and financing platform geared towards micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) that are underserved by traditional banks; and RemitPro, which offers efficient and secure remittances across both digital channels and through a network of offline agents, such as telecom companies, post offices, and retailers.

These services are all undergirded by a technological framework that provides security across transactions, guards against risky lending, and allows funds to be accessed and transacted in both digital and physical ways.

The investment comes at a time when the Indonesian government and its stakeholders are focused on driving financial inclusion in what is Southeast Asia’s largest economy. In fact, in markets right across the region, there has been a particular emphasis on the capacity of fintech to drive additional inclusion and economic opportunity.

According to research conducted jointly by PwC, United Overseas Bank, and the Singapore Fintech Association, by the end of September 2019, $1.4 billion worth of investments had been made into fintech businesses in the ASEAN, with Vietnam being the second-largest destination for these investments.

Digiasia has already developed a range of partnerships that help to integrate the digital economy into Indonesians’ day-to-day lives. The company is working with a number of transport operators to allow easy payments for services, large vendors such as iRMA and Metrodata who can offer B2B sales financed by KreditPro, remittance companies like Western Union and Mandiri Syariah, and DistroPro that deals in digitising supply chains. Through partnering with businesses such as these, Digiasia is able to connect the banked and unbanked, as well as those that are already digitally connected and those that are not yet online.

Cofounders of Digiasia Bios, Alexander Rusli and Prashant Gokarn, said, “We are very proud to be working with Mastercard to build on our existing offering in order to increase financial inclusion in Indonesia. We’ve been steadfastly building a network of partners that helps our offering to connect with the broad financial needs of individuals and businesses, and with Mastercard on board, we now have the support of one of the world’s experts on digital commerce. We look forward to working together to expand our reach in Indonesia and to make a range of powerful financial services available to people of all backgrounds – no matter where they are socio-economically or how technologically connected they are.”

In addition to Mastercard’s financial investment, fintech companies that partner with Mastercard also have the benefit of being able to leverage the banking and business networks and cybersecurity expertise of one of the world’s leading payments technology companies.

“Financial inclusion is about more than just having people transact money via apps or make online purchases. It’s about finding simple mechanisms that broaden economic opportunities so that people at all levels of society can enjoy the benefits of a modernising digital economy. Mastercard is committed to finding new and innovative ways to help the region’s economies meet people where they are, hence the decision to work with Digiasia and similar companies across Southeast Asia, whose financial services are already making a marked difference in the everyday lives of many,” said Safdar Khan, division president, Southeast Asia Emerging Markets, Mastercard.

Helping more people to play a greater role in their countries' economies has been a long-term commitment of Mastercard. In addition to working with fintech companies, Mastercard has been running educational programmes in Southeast Asia, such as Mastercard Academy 2.0 which seeks to foster financial inclusion by imparting essential digital knowledge and skills, as well as the Girls4Tech programme which encourages young girls to enter STEM fields.

Digiasia Bios is a fintech holding company in Indonesia that is affiliated with several other fintech companies such as KasPro (digital payment with electronic money), KreditPro (P2P lending), and RemitPro (remittances). Digiasia’s focus is to work together with all stakeholders to increase financial inclusion in Indonesia.

Mastercard is a technology company in the global payments industry. Its global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure, and more efficient for everyone.