- Funding to rapidly grow its product, technology, and people capabilities
- Seeking to make investments into Asia-based technology innovators
- Expanding the platform to search, match and transact consumer financial services
Philippines, 8 May 2019 – Asian financial supermarket GoBear recently announced US$80 million in funding to date. GoBear will use the funds to drive growth through product and technology enhancements, expand its partner network, and fill key roles. Improvements to the platform’s search and match functionality will be made through two strategic approaches: partnerships with, and investments into other technology companies, to acquire access to additional key technology.
This funding was furnished by Walvis Participaties, a Dutch venture capital fund, and Aegon N.V, a leading financial services provider.
GoBear is a financial supermarket whose purpose is to improve Asia’s financial health by making financial literacy, financial inclusion, and financial security attainable for everyone. GoBear has served more than 40 million users across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. GoBear’s partners are leading financial institutions, banks and insurance providers.
Adrian Chng, CEO of GoBear said “Our latest round of funding will be invested in our priority areas of product, technology, senior management, and technical talent. We are also very interested in partnering with and/or investing in other technology companies who have developed exciting new technologies that will enhance our ecosystem and our ability to improve people’s financial health. Specific areas include customer onboarding and fulfillment solutions, personal financial management, alternative credit scoring, financial education, and investment platforms”.
Opportunities in the region are being driven by several large, interconnected developments: world-beating economic growth, rapid urbanisation, a fast-growing middle class and mobile everywhere; ASEAN’s digital economy is estimated to reach S$270 billion by 2025[1].
At the same time, many consumer products and services remain ill-suited to this mobile generation, and cash transactions are the norm. The prevalence of a cash-based economy limits consumers’ financial access because without a personal financial profile financial institutions cannot assess and price customers’ risk and evaluate product suitability.
“GoBear’s purpose is to improve your financial health. Filipino consumers are able to make informed choices across 14 personal financial product areas, including insurance, personal loans, deposits, and credit cards, in a simple and transparent way. Our users have the advantages of GoBear’s variety of products and financial partners, and its adept technology to search for appropriate financial solutions that match well with their personal objectives,” said Maria Rodriguez Java, Country Director, GoBear Philippines.
Java said, “GoBear has been offering innovative financial solutions in the Philippines for the past three years. We have over a dozen bank partners whose products match well with our current user demographics. As our customer base grows and develops, so will our product offerings.
“A few great things to note about the Filipino financial consumer – at least 68% of card and loan applicants that GoBear served are working moms, responsible for their household finances. It’s also interesting how young Filipino millennials are self-educating, considering and buying insurance products after using GoBear, from a simple travel insurance plan to term health, motor or even life insurance. We are very excited about the positive outlook of the millennials,” Java added.
GoBear is actively recruiting for key talent across Asia in pace with its rapid expansion plans in the region. “We are always looking for good talent and the Philippine office is currently looking for content, SEO, and digital marketing talent with strong data analysis and humanities skillsets, for internship, project-based or permanent posts,” Java said. Listings are available on GoBear’s LinkedIn page.
GoBear is excited by the opportunity to create the infrastructure and ecosystem to improve financial health for hundreds of millions of customers across Asia. It will utilize its product, technology and data capabilities as key enablers in assessing and pricing risk, which will help partners better understand consumer preferences based on digital personas and journeys. It is also on these journeys that consumers undergo a more efficient and superior digital experience whilst being matched to the most relevant products for their needs.
About GoBear
GoBear is Asia’s leading financial supermarket whose purpose is to improve your financial health. GoBear empowers consumers with the know-how, tools, and financial products to meet their needs. We believe financial health leads to secure, stable, and sustainable communities across Asia, which is why we make it our mission to improve your financial health by making financial literacy, financial inclusion, and financial security attainable for everyone.
Our financial supermarket is rapidly growing its capabilities, product offerings, and customer base. We’re a fintech leader that’s bringing innovative solutions to address important local market challenges. Our data and insights mean we can build better products, better assess and price risk, work with partners to improve access to financial products and identify consumer knowledge gaps.
Having commenced in Singapore since early 2015, we’re now in 7 countries: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. To date, we have served over 40 million users searching for more than 1,800 personal finance products. GoBear is owned and operated by Woodpecker Asia Tech Pte Ltd.