{
  "id": 7577305,
  "title": "Grab set to acquire Atome stake for US$1.49bil to expand lending",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/grab-set-to-acquire-atome-stake-for-us-1-49bil-to-expand-lending-7577305",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-15T14:25:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2026/09/15/grab-set-for-majority-stake-in-atome-to-expand-lending-in-southeast-asia"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore-based ride-hailing giant Grab announced on Tuesday its plan to acquire a controlling stake in Atome Financial, a digital finance firm, for a sum of US$1.49 billion. The acquisition aims to broaden access to loans for users across Southeast Asia. Grab, which operates ride-hailing, food, grocery, and parcel delivery services, will gain a 60% stake in Atome Financial, one of Southeast Asia's leading buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) and consumer lending groups.\n\nThe proposed deal will merge Atome Financial's BNPL loans, consumer cash loans, BNPL cards, and digital lending services with Grab's financial services business. This collaboration is expected to develop products offering everyday financing to more people in the region, providing access to millions without a formal credit history who are typically excluded from traditional banking.\n\nThrough Atome Financial, Grab will gain a scaled consumer lending platform, while Atome will benefit from Grab's regional ecosystem to open new distribution channels. Both companies emphasized their shared vision of responsibly extending financial access to the unbanked and underbanked in the region. With Grab's ecosystem and Atome's proven AI-powered lending infrastructure, the companies believe they can extend lending services to millions more across Southeast Asia, including those who have been left out.\n\nWhile bank account ownership has risen in developing economies in recent years, according to World Bank figures, about 1.3 billion adults globally remain unbanked. Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, remains a significant portion of this gap, especially among rural, lower-income, and informal workers, as stated in the World Bank's Global Findex Database.",
  "summary": "The deal will give Grab a 60% stake in the digital finance firm and expand access to loans across Southeast Asia.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Grab takes majority stake in Atome Financial in US$1.49 billion deal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/grab-takes-majority-stake-in-atome-financial-in-us-1-49-billion-deal",
        "published": "2026-09-15T11:04:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Nikkei Asia",
        "title": "Grab to buy Singapore-based Atome Financial for $1.49bn to boost consumer lending",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/grab-to-buy-singapore-based-atome-financial-for-1-49bn-to-boost",
        "published": "2026-09-15T11:32:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "e27",
        "title": "Grab’s US$1.49B Atome deal signals a deeper race for SEA’s credit economy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/grabs-us-1-49b-atome-deal-signals-a-deeper-race-for-seas-credit",
        "published": "2026-09-15T12:11:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Grab set to acquire Atome stake for US$1.49bil to expand lending",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/grab-set-to-acquire-atome-stake-for-us-1-49bil-to-expand-lending",
        "published": "2026-09-15T14:25:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}