28 Dec 2016 07:00
Tinkoff Bank Buys MyPocket App
Moscow, Russia - 28 December 2016. TCS Group Holding PLC (TCS LI) (the "Group"), Russia's leading provider of online retail financial services, including Tinkoff Bank and Tinkoff Insurance, today announces that Tinkoff Bank has closed a transaction to acquire MyPocket (VKarmane), an app that allows users to store any data and scanned documents right on their smartphones.
The service was launched in May 2013 and is available for iOS, Android, and Windows devices. MyPocket has 700,000 downloads to date and 150,000 active users across the platforms.
Tinkoff Bank plans to customise the app and integrate it into the infrastructure of the Tinkoff.ru financial supermarket.
Maxim Yevdokimov, Vice President of Mobile at Tinkoff Bank, commented, "There is a huge potential in the products and services enabling collection, storage, and digitalisation of documents, bank and loyalty cards, and other personal identifiers. MyPocket will complement our services and make them even more convenient. The new app will make any transaction faster and easier by eliminating the need to enter the data manually: all the users have to do is store the data in the app. After that, it will be uploaded automatically when Tinkoff.ru services are used."
Artem Yamanov, Senior Vice President at Tinkoff Bank, said, "MyPocket fits perfectly into the Tinkoff.ru ecosystem. There is a lot we are doing on our own, but at the same time we keep a close eye on the market to check out new services and solutions that might have synergies with our platform. This deal is also important for us in terms of cooperating with startups and integrating external solutions into our services."
Sergey Pakhandrin, the creator of MyPocket, commented, "We are happy to see the three years of hard work evolve into this highly successful deal. Our product is in the right hands and will continue improving."
Dmitry Maslennikov, the founder of the Disruptive.vc accelerator, MyPocket's shareholder, said, "The sale of MyPocket has been one of the most important developments of 2016 across the whole startup ecosystem in Russia. First, it features an accelerator's exit from a portfolio company, which is quite uncommon, and second, it is a deal between a startup and a corporation - something that our market is lacking. We are particularly pleased to close the deal with Tinkoff, which means our service has been highly appreciated: the bank is well-known for its in-house development of banking solutions."
The users of MyPocket can upload images, document details, and any other data to the app, process it, and send to their contacts. With MyPocket, all user data is securely protected.
The deal value has not been disclosed.
For enquiries: | |
Tinkoff Bank Darya ErmolinaHead of PR + 7 495 648-10-00 (ext. 2009) media@tinkoff.ru | |
About the Group
TCS Group Holding PLC is an innovative provider of online retail financial services operating in Russia through a high-tech branchless platform. The Group has also developed a "smart courier" network covering almost all cities and towns in Russia which allows next day delivery to many customers.
Tinkoff Bank's product range includes credit, debit and prepaid cards, deposits, co-branded cards, agent-based mortgage products and investment services. With its special focus on mobile, the bank offers mobile applications both for its customer base (Mobile Bank) and beyond it (Traffic Fines, MoneyTalk, Card 2 Card instant money transfers).
As per its five-year strategy, the Group has the ambition to become a financial marketplace, offering both own brand and partner products.
As at 1 November 2016, the bank was the second largest player in the Russian credit card market, with a market share of 9.9%. The Group's 9M 2016 IFRS net income amounted to RUB 7.3 bn.
In October 2016 Tinkoff Bank was named the largest independent global direct bank by Frost & Sullivan. In 2015 and 2016, the Global Finance magazine named Tinkoff Bank as the Best Consumer Digital Bank in Russia. In 2016, the bank also won Global Finance's Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site award and was named the Best Digital Bank in the CEE by Euromoney. The bank's mobile application was recognised as the best in Russia by Markswebb Rank & Report for three consecutive years in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and by Deloitte for four consecutive years from 2013 to 2016.