PLDT Capital, the new investment arm of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., expects to close three investment deals worth $15 million to $30 million before the end of the year.
“These are minor, small investments between $5 to $10 million each,” PLDT president and chief executive Napoleon Nazareno told reporters on the sidelines of PLDT Group’s partnership with Airbnb.
He said the new investments were more of digital mobile platforms.
PLDT Capital earlier invested $10 million in Phunware, a US-based mobile services and application company.
Phunware, through its pioneering multiscreen service platform, gives companies everything they need to engage seamlessly with their customers through mobile devices, from indoor and outdoor location-based marketing and advertising to content management, notifications and analytics, to indoor mapping, navigation and way finding.
The partnership will enable PLDT’s subsidiary, ePLDT, to market and exclusively distribute Phunware’s targeted mobile and multiscreen solutions in Southeast Asia.
PLDT Capital has an initial budget of $50 million to support PLDT business units, which include Smart, ePLDT, Digital5 and Voyage.
Meanwhile, Smart Communications Inc., along with PLDT and Voyager Innovations, announced a partnership with Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company.
“We’re excited to help bring yet another digital innovation closer to more Filipinos nationwide, this time with a global pioneer in travel accommodations, Airbnb,” Smart executive vice president and head of consumer business Ariel Fermin Smart said.
“As more and more Filipinos, particularly the younger ones, find the time and resources to travel around the country and abroad, we are providing them convenient access to millions of the most unique accommodations around the world through our partnership with Airbnb, as part of the revolutionary ‘Smart Life’ experience,” Fermin said.
Airbnb regional director for South East Asia JJ Chai said the Philippines was among among the fastest growing markets for Airbnb in the region.
“Unforgettable travel experiences are literally just a few clicks away on Airbnb. With almost 2 million homes to choose from all over the world, tree houses, holiday villas or designer apartments are safely and easily booked on a computer, mobile phone or tablet. We can’t wait to see the unique accommodations around the world that Smart customers will book,” he said.
To kick off the partnership, Smart subscribers will be able to get as much as P2,500 discount when they book a unique home anywhere in the world via Airbnb from October 29 to January 2016.
The same discount will soon be extended to PLDT HOME subscribers, as well as selected clients of PLDT Alpha Enterprise and PLDT Smart SME Nation.
