Philippine Fintech leader GCash joins plenary at Mobile World Congress

The Philippines’ #1 Fintech App GCash, powered by Globe Group’s Mynt, will join keynote speakers at the Mobile World Congress plenary in Barcelona this month when President and CEO Martha Sazon delivers a keynote address on the evolving customer on the main stage of the world’s largest and most influential exhibition for the mobile industry.

Martha Sazon

Sazon is one of the keynote speakers at MWC on “New Behavior for a New Reality”, which touches on a topic close to GCash’s history.

GCash emerged as a crucial digital platform during the pandemic, allowing individual Filipinos to complete financial transactions and giving merchants access to the online marketplace amid movement restrictions. Now, in the transition to the new normal, GCash has become a verb and is now Filipinos’ best fintech companion in everyday life.

Sazon will also be a speaker at “Fintech Summit: The Rise of Fintech Disruption”, where she will delve into how fintech enables the creation of powerful and disruptive solutions that redefine the market.

GCash, the dominant mobile wallet in the Philippines, is now a double unicorn valued at $2 billion and with a user base of ~76 million. It continues to expand financial services, from payments and cash transfers to credit, savings, wealth, insurance and investment products. It also has retail, food, wellness, travel, recreation and even real estate services.

Most recently, GCash started its beta launch of GCash Overseas, which allows Filipinos based in Japan, Australia and Italy to use GCash using an international SIM card – another game-changer in the Philippine fintech industry.

Now on limited launch, GCash Overseas will give the first 1,000 users from the three countries access to GCash using an international SIM card. Once fully verified, they can start using GCash to send money home for free (GCash to GCash), pay bills and buy load credits. Full launch of this feature is expected later this year.

Meanwhile, Globe Group President and CEO Ernest Cu will announce the company’s pivot from telco to techco in a panel with Transcelestial, one of the companies backed by Globe Group’s Kickstart Ventures.

Ernest Cu

Cu will join the CEOs of the top telcos in Southeast Asia in a discussion on new network-related technologies and connectivity challenges in the Philippines, among others.

“Our fintech company’s debut at Mobile World Congress Barcelona is a crucial milestone for Globe Group as we establish ourselves as a leading digital disruptor and enabler in the Philippines, demonstrating our evolution into a technology company. We are proud to showcase our achievements as we elevate the lives of Filipinos through digital solutions, and to be part of the global conversation about the future of technology and connectivity.”

Cu said.

MWC Barcelona is the world’s largest mobile industry gathering, attracting thousands of exhibitors and visitors worldwide. Organized by the GSMA, a global organization that unites the mobile ecosystem, this year’s MWC will be held from February 27 to March 2, 2023.

Globe Group’s presence at the highly anticipated international event is an opportunity for the expanding company to showcase its commitment to being at the forefront of innovation and progress.

With almost a hundred portfolio companies under its wings, Globe Group has successfully expanded into the country’s leading digital solutions platform, with services in fintech, healthcare technology, adtech, edutech, outsourcing and managed services, enterprise data and investments. It aims to create a digitally inclusive Philippines by leveraging technology and continuously innovating to meet the changing industry conditions.