Wagely

Expanding Financial Resilience of Indonesian Workers

PROBLEM:

A majority of Indonesia’s 140 million workers live pay cheque‑to‑pay cheque¹ and struggle to respond to unplanned financial expenses. Managing cashflow is the most pressing everyday issue for lower‑ and middle‑income workers. With little to no savings and limited access to conventional financial services, many people are often forced to turn to loan sharks for emergency funds. Given predatory interest fees and limited financial literacy, many borrowers cannot repay their loans on time, leading to escalating amounts and a cycle of debt.

SOLUTION:

Earned wage access provides employees with financial stability in times of uncertainty. It is a crucial factor in creating long‑term resilience.

Wagely provides instant access to short‑term financing at a substantially lower cost than existing alternatives, the ability to track earned wage in real‑time and access to financial literacy training. Employers also benefit from increased employee productivity and higher retention rates. It also provides an emergency funding option for workers who live in climate vulnerable areas, which frequently experiences flooding and other climate‑related shocks.

Impact Thesis:

Through this investment, ADB Ventures hopes to help the company improve its technology stack and develop a holistic financial wellness platform for lower‑ and middle‑income workers that includes other financial services, including savings and insurance.

About Wagely:

The company initially focused on offering Indonesian workers access to their already earned, but unpaid wages. The platform has now expanded its fintech solutions in Bangladesh to cater for blue collar workers (usually focused on manual labor but can also include skilled or unskilled workers) in the textile sector. It already has a total of 45000 registered users on its platform.

¹ The World Bank, Labor force, Indonesia, 2021. The World Bank, Poverty and Equity brief, Indonesia, 2020.

Theme:

Financial Resilience

Investment Executed:

June 2021

Impact SDGs:

Target Impact:

Climate Resilience, Financial Inclusion & Gender Equality