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

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

Grab will take an initial 60% stake in Singapore-based Atome for $1.49 billion, combining the target's Buy Now, Pay Later (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% 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 $4.5 billion and floored at $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 $500 million by 2028 with a combined gross loan portfolio of over $6 billion," said Peter Oey, CFO of Grab.

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