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Skyro Reaches Operational Break-Even in H1 2026 as Portfolio Grows Almost Eightfold
Digital consumer finance group reports positive operating profit for the first half of 2026 as it prepares to expand across the GCC and South-East Asia
MANAMA, BAHRAIN / MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 August 2026 – Skyro, a digital consumer finance group headquartered in Bahrain, posted its first-ever half-year operating profit in H1 2026, just over three years after launching in the Philippines in 2022. The company’s credit portfolio has grown almost eightfold since the end of 2023, while revenue has tripled year-over-year since launch, as Skyro prepares to expand its model across the GCC and South-East Asia.
H1 2026 key results:
- The company disbursed almost US$180 million in loans in the first half of 2026 alone, 1.9 times the amount disbursed a year earlier.
- The Skyro app’s user base grew to more than 7 million users.
- By the end of Q2, Skyro reached 2 million total product loan transactions within its POS infrastructure since inception.
- Skyro’s lending products are offered through a network of more than 3,000 merchants and around 10,000 retail locations; its online merchant network expanded more than fivefold in 2025.
- The company posted positive operating profit in H1 2026 – its first operationally profitable half-year since inception.
“In 2022, the Philippines became a magnet for fintech start-ups from around the world due to the clear gap between demand for accessible credit and its supply,” said Arsen Liametov, co-founder of Skyro. “On one side were traditional banks offering low-interest loans only to the most affluent segments of the population. On the other were payday lenders charging annualised rates of up to 400%. We chose to position ourselves between these extremes, targeting the largest and most underserved segment of the market, and we built the model from day one to be scalable well beyond a single country.”
Skyro uses AI-based alternative credit-scoring methods to assess the creditworthiness of individuals who lack a formal credit history, analysing factors such as online purchase history, smartphone usage data, and in-app behaviour. This approach enables the company to build a holistic picture of an individual’s credit profile and to extend loans to customers who would otherwise be excluded by traditional banks.
The Philippines remains a challenging market for international fintech lenders, as conventional credit-scoring models often fail to capture the creditworthiness of large segments of the population. Skyro’s AI-based approach to credit assessment has enabled it to become an exception in that market.
“Reaching operational break-even is an important milestone for Skyro,” said Liametov. “It’s what allows us to fund capital-intensive products like SkyroCredit, plan the launch of complementary fintech offerings, including investment technology solutions and SME lending, and expand into new markets.”
Skyro is now applying the same approach beyond the Philippines, expanding its presence across the GCC and South-East Asia. As digital lending continues to disrupt markets where financial regulation remains conservative, Skyro aims to replicate its three-year path to break-even through its scalable lending platform and technology infrastructure.
Across these markets, large segments of the population and small businesses remain outside the formal financial system. That gap is central to Skyro’s growth thesis: as these markets become digitalised, lenders that integrate with existing financial infrastructure, rather than building parallel systems to compete with it, are best positioned to scale.
*Operating profit is profit after all operating expenses, including general and administrative expenses, before foreign-exchange gains or losses and income tax. Figures are based on unaudited management accounts.
Hashtag: #Skyro
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Skyro
Skyro is a high-growth, digital-first fintech group providing scalable, responsible access to finance across high-potential emerging markets. Powered by proprietary data science, AI-driven credit decisioning and alternative-data scoring, the company combines a mobile-native experience with a modular fintech architecture to serve underserved customer segments at scale.
By 2026, Skyro’s registered user base has grown to 7 million users in the Philippines, underpinned by a robust credit portfolio exceeding $200 million. The company’s strategic ambition is to establish itself as a leading provider of diversified financial services across dozens of emerging markets worldwide.
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Singapore Institute of Management Partners with Peak Energy to Deploy Onsite Solar, Advancing Its Green Energy Drive
14-year power purchase agreement will cut SIM’s energy rates by more than 45% while delivering approximately 1,100 MWh of solar energy annually to its Clementi Road campus
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 August 2026 – The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), one of Singapore’s leading private, not-for-profit education and lifelong learning institutions, has signed a long-term solar agreement with Peak Energy, a clean-energy platform that develops, owns and operates renewable assets across Asia Pacific.
Under the agreement, Peak Energy will design, finance, build, own and operate an approximately 900 kWp onsite solar installation at SIM’s campus on Clementi Road, Singapore. The system is expected to generate approximately 1,100 MWh of clean energy annually, with SIM securing solar power at a rate at least 45% lower than SIM’s prevailing electricity prices.
The project is structured as a 14-year power purchase agreement (PPA), under which SIM will purchase solar power generated onsite at a competitive rate, with no upfront capital investment required. Peak Energy will retain responsibility for the installation, ongoing operations and maintenance of the system throughout the contract term.
Businesses and institutions in Singapore are facing some of the most expensive power prices in the region, a position under further strain from rapid growth in data centers and AI-driven electricity demand across the region. That pressure has been compounded by the country’s heavy reliance on imported gas for power generation, with recent disruption to global LNG supply linked to the conflict in Iran adding further volatility to energy prices. Against this backdrop of structurally rising and increasingly unpredictable energy costs, SIM’s move to lock in a long-term solar agreement offers a rare source of price certainty, in addition to SIM seeing it as a source of green and renewable energy as part of its sustainability drive.
The agreement reflects a broader shift among Singapore’s education and institutional operators to reduce exposure to grid electricity and lower their environmental footprint, as onsite solar becomes an increasingly viable option for campuses with substantial rooftop capacity.
“Sustainability is increasingly part of how we think and operate, and how we prepare our learners for the future. This agreement is a discernable step in that direction: bringing onsite solar to our Clementi Road campus reduces our environmental footprint and helps us play a part in Singapore’s sustainability drive. We are pleased to partner with Peak Energy on this journey,” said Vincent Siow, Senior Lead/M&E – Campus Infra & Services, Singapore Institute of Management.
“This partnership reflects the growing recognition Peak Energy has built in Singapore, both on the technical delivery side and in the financial strength we bring to long-term energy infrastructure. At a time when energy markets remain unbalanced and costs unpredictable, we’re able to give an institution like SIM a clear, structural way to unlock significant cost savings while securing reliable power for the long term,” said Gavin Adda, CEO of Peak Energy.
Hashtag: #energy #energycrisis #Iranwar #Iran #Singapore #energy #energycosts #Scope2 #sustainability
https://www.peakenergy.asia/
https://www.peakenergy.asia.
About Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)
Founded in 1964, the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) is one of Singapore’s leading private, not-for-profit education and lifelong learning institutions. From its campus on Clementi Road, SIM provides a broad range of higher education and professional development programmes, partnering with reputable universities to offer internationally recognised qualifications across business, technology, and the social sciences. Guided by its not-for-profit mission, SIM is committed to preparing learners for a changing world and to operating its campus responsibly and sustainably. For more information, please visit www.sim.edu.sg.
The transaction highlights strong confidence among global investors in HDBank and Vietnam’s long-term economic prospects.
The proceeds will be used to expand access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly women-owned businesses, supporting financial inclusion and sustainable development in Vietnam.
The facility was structured in line with the Social Loan Principles and HDBank’s Sustainable Finance Framework. ADB and Standard Chartered served as joint coordinators, while ANZ, Cathay United Bank, Commerzbank, Maybank Securities, MUFG Bank and the State Bank of India acted as mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners.
The transaction attracted strong interest from international investors, with commitments reaching US$721 million, around 60 per cent above the original target.
CEO of Standard Chartered Vietnam said the facility is the largest syndicated social loan ever raised by a Vietnamese organisation.
“This achievement reflects investors’ confidence in HDBank and its leadership team, and demonstrates optimism about Vietnam’s long-term growth prospects and the growing appeal of the country’s sustainable finance market among global investors,” the CEO said.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of HDBank’s Board of Directors, described the loan as a new milestone for the bank.
“It is our first financing facility dedicated exclusively to social initiatives, including programmes supporting women,” she said, adding that the transaction recognised HDBank’s long-standing commitment to community development through programmes supporting businesses, healthcare, education, culture, sports, women and children.
Tran Hoai Nam, HDBank’s Permanent Deputy CEO, said the proceeds would strengthen the bank’s medium- and long-term funding base while expanding lending to SMEs, particularly women-led businesses.
Earlier, HDBank had secured US$270 million in green financing and US$380 million in sustainable finance from international development finance institutions, including IFC, ADB, Proparco, DEG, LeapFrog, FMO, BII, JICA, FinDev and SMBC.
Hashtag: #HDBank
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Total assets increased 12.3% from the beginning of the year to VND1.04 quadrillion (US$39.6 billion) as of June 30, placing HDBank among the few Vietnamese banks with assets exceeding VND1 quadrillion (US$38 billion).
The bank delivered industry-leading profitability, with ROE of 25.4% and ROA of 2.17%. Total operating income rose 8.8% year-on-year to VND22.68 trillion (US$862.8 million), with non-interest income up 23.1%.
Digital transformation helped reduce the cost-to-income ratio to 24.9%. More than 94% of retail transactions are now conducted digitally.
Outstanding loans grew 18.8% to VND698.36 trillion (US$266 billion), with lending focused on manufacturing, SMEs, agriculture, infrastructure, supply chains and consumer finance. Total funding reached VND932.44 trillion (U$35.5 billion), up 12.1%, while customer deposits increased by more than 20%.
HDBank’s growth is driven by an integrated ecosystem spanning banking, digital finance, securities, insurance, fund management and consumer finance, alongside aviation, real estate, infrastructure, technology and education. Serving over 34 million direct customers and reaching another 20 million through partners, this network supports strong customer acquisition and cross-selling.
Among its subsidiaries, HD SAISON posted pre-tax profit of more than VND804 billion (US$30.6 million), while HD Securities reported VND1.47 trillion (US$55.9 million), up 286% year-on-year, placing it among Vietnam’s 10 most profitable securities firms. Vikki Digital Bank expanded its user base to more than 3.5 million.
HDBank maintained strong financial health, with a Basel II capital adequacy ratio above 14% and a loan-to-deposit ratio of 72%. Basel III liquidity ratios, including the liquidity coverage ratio and net stable funding ratio, remained above 100%.
In Q2, Moody’s Ratings upgraded HDBank’s outlook to positive, while Fitch Ratings assigned the bank first-time Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings of ‘BB-’, placing it among the highest-rated commercial banks in Vietnam.
HDBank has also secured a US$721 million international syndicated social loan, the largest such loan ever successfully raised by a Vietnamese organisation.
With strong momentum across its core businesses, HDBank is well positioned to achieve and surpass its 2026 pre-tax profit target of over VND30.1 trillion (US$1.1 billion), up 41% from 2025.
Hashtag: #HDBank #HDB
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
