PLDT Inc. (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company) is the largest integrated telecommunications and digital services company in the Philippines. Founded in 1928 and headquartered in Makati City, PLDT is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange and counts First Pacific Company Limited as its largest shareholder. With annual revenues exceeding PHP 200 billion and a workforce of more than 15,000 people, PLDT operates fixed-line, mobile (via subsidiary Smart Communications), and broadband networks that reach the majority of the Philippine archipelago.
Over the past decade, PLDT has shifted from pure telecoms into digital services and corporate venture activity. Its primary vehicle for startup investment is ePLDT, the group's digital arm, and Voyager Innovations, the fintech subsidiary that gave rise to Maya Bank and the PayMaya digital wallet. PLDT's corporate investment thesis centers on digital financial services, cloud infrastructure, and blockchain-adjacent technologies that complement its connectivity business across Southeast Asia. With a reported portfolio of approximately five venture-stage positions in the crypto and blockchain space, PLDT operates as a strategic corporate investor rather than a dedicated crypto fund – prioritizing synergies with its payments and banking ecosystem over purely financial returns.
Public information about PLDT's total assets under management in venture capital is limited. The company does not disclose a ring-fenced VC fund size separate from its broader capital expenditure program.
Notable investments
- Maya (Voyager Innovations) – PLDT's flagship fintech bet. Maya Bank and the Maya super-app integrate crypto buying, staking, and digital asset custody for retail users in the Philippines. Voyager raised capital from IFC, KKR, and other institutional investors alongside PLDT's anchor position.
- Celo ecosystem participation – PLDT has expressed public interest in mobile-first blockchain networks aligned with its subscriber base, though specific deal disclosures are not public.
- PayMaya blockchain rails – Internal investment in blockchain-based remittance and cross-border payment infrastructure built on top of the Maya platform, targeting the large overseas Filipino worker (OFW) corridor.
Public information about the remaining specific portfolio companies in PLDT's five-position crypto portfolio is limited. The company has not filed detailed VC disclosures with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission beyond its consolidated financial statements.
Team
Manuel V. Pangilinan (known as "MVP") served as chairman and was the dominant strategic voice behind PLDT's digital pivot for many years. Alfredo S. Panlilio has served as President and CEO, steering the group's digital transformation agenda. On the ePLDT and venture side, Victor S. Genuino led digital infrastructure investments. Day-to-day management of blockchain and fintech portfolio positions sits within the Voyager Innovations leadership team under Orlando B. Vea, who co-founded Voyager and shaped its crypto product strategy. Specific managing partners for a standalone crypto venture unit have not been publicly named.
Recent activity
Between 2024 and early 2026, PLDT refocused capital toward network infrastructure after a period of high debt from its fiber rollout. This constrained new venture spending. Maya Bank received its full digital banking license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and expanded crypto trading pairs available to retail customers, deepening PLDT's indirect exposure to digital assets without requiring new equity checks. PLDT also announced partnerships with hyperscalers on edge computing – infrastructure that underpins blockchain node operations in Southeast Asia.
PLDT's strategic value as a crypto investor lies less in deal volume and more in distribution. Its mobile network reaches over 70 million Filipinos, giving any portfolio company a direct path to a large, underbanked population that is already among the world's most active crypto adopters by percentage of population. As the BSP continues to issue virtual asset service provider (VASP) licenses, PLDT's regulatory relationships and payment rails position it as a credible bridge between traditional finance and on-chain services in the Philippines – provided the group's balance sheet stabilizes enough to resume active venture deployment.