Grab takes majority stake in Atome Financial in US$1.49 billion deal

Singapore's Grab said on Tuesday (Sep 15) that it will acquire Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) provider Atome Financial in a deal that could ultimately value the target at up to US$4.5 billion, boosting its push into Southeast Asian consumer lending.

Grab will take an initial 60 per cent stake in Singapore-based Atome for US$1.49 billion, combining the target's BNPL loans, consumer cash loans, BNPL cards and digital lending with its own financial services business, the ride-hailing and delivery firm said.

The company also agreed to acquire the remaining 40 per cent stake about two years after the transaction closes under a performance-linked framework tied to Atome's EBITDA and revenue, with the valuation capped at US$4.5 billion and floored at US$2 billion.

The transaction is expected to complete by the third quarter of 2027.

"Subject to closing timelines, we expect Atome Financial, along with the rest of our Financial Services segment, to generate an adjusted EBITDA of US$500 million by 2028 with a combined gross loan portfolio of over US$6 billion," said Peter Oey, CFO of Grab.

He added that Grab is also lifting its 2028 targets to US$1.7 billion in adjusted EBITDA and annual revenue growth above 30 per cent between 2025 and 2028.