Startups > Kushki

Kushki

Kushki standardizes Latin American payments for businesses to accept and process transactions regionally.

Series B $186M total Founded 2016 Quito, Pichincha 681 employees

Kushki is a regional payments infrastructure platform that standardizes Latin America's fragmented payment ecosystem by integrating credit/debit cards, bank transfers, and 300,000+ cash payment points through a single API. Operating as the first non-bank acquirer licensed in the region, it enables businesses across LatAm to accept payments globally, receive funds in local currency, and process transactions end-to-end with direct VISA/Mastercard connections. The platform provides omnichannel solutions spanning e-commerce, m-commerce, and physical retail through customizable integration options including APIs, SDKs, plugins, and payment buttons.

Problem solved

Latin American businesses face fragmented payment infrastructure with no unified way to accept cards, bank transfers, and cash payments while processing cross-border transactions and receiving local currency settlements.

Target customer

E-commerce merchants, m-commerce platforms, fintech companies, and SMEs across Latin America seeking to accept multiple payment methods and process cross-border transactions in local currencies.

Website LinkedIn Crunchbase

Founders

Aron Schwarzkopf

CEO & Co-Founder

Ecuadorian-American serial entrepreneur focused on mobile operating systems, POS apps, and enterprise APIs; extensive fintech industry experience.

Sebastian Castro

Co-Founder

Founder and COO of Leaf; co-founder of Alpha4 Ventures; board member and angel investor in multiple startups across US and Latin America.

Jose Lopez

Co-Founder

David Mattos

Co-Founder

Funding history

Seed Unknown October 2019 Led by Conexo Ventures · Unknown

Series A $8M 2020 Led by Dila Capital · Magma Partners, Kaszek Ventures, Clocktower Ventures

Series B $86M June 2021 Led by Unknown · Unknown

Series B Extension $100M June 2022 Led by Kaszek Ventures · Clocktower Ventures, DILA Capital, SoftBank Latin America Fund

Total raised: $186M

Industries

Financial Services FinTech E-Commerce Payments

Pricing

Commission-based pricing adapted to transaction volume. Example for cross-border transactions: 4% + $0.30 USD + 1% cross-border fee. No onboarding or affiliate fees. Volume discounts and monthly minimums available through sales negotiation. Contact sales for tailored quotes.

Notable customers

Telefónica, Claro, Credijusto, Rappi, Santander, HayCash

Integrations

API, SDKs, plugins, payment buttons, smartlinks, POS integrations

Website

kushki.com/

Competitors

Stripe

Global payment processing giant with broader market coverage; Kushki focuses specifically on Latin American infrastructure and regional payment methods.

PayPal

Established global payments platform; Kushki offers deeper integration with regional payment networks and local currency settlement advantages.

Conekta

Mexico-focused online payment processor; Kushki operates across 8 countries with omnichannel (online and offline) capabilities and direct acquirer licensing.

Dock

Regional competitor; Kushki's direct VISA/Mastercard relationships and non-bank acquirer licensing provide unique positioning.

Flutterwave

Africa-focused payments platform; Kushki specializes in Latin American payment infrastructure and regional currency settlement.

Why this matters: Kushki is the first non-bank acquirer licensed across Latin America, giving it unique regulatory positioning and direct VISA/Mastercard relationships unavailable to competitors. Its focus on regional payment fragmentation and omnichannel infrastructure (online + offline) makes it essential infrastructure for businesses expanding across multiple LatAm countries.

Best for: Latin American e-commerce and fintech companies needing to accept multiple payment methods regionally, settle in local currency, and process cross-border transactions through a unified platform.

Use cases

Omnichannel Payment Processing for Retailers

A Colombian retailer uses Kushki's platform to accept credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers both online and at 50+ physical locations through a single integration. This consolidation reduced payment processing from multiple vendors to one provider, cutting operational overhead by 40% while enabling real-time settlement in local currency.

Cross-Border Marketplace Expansion

A Mexican e-commerce marketplace leverages Kushki's infrastructure to accept payments from customers across Peru, Chile, and Ecuador while settling revenues in MXN. Merchants on the platform gain access to 300,000+ payment points without additional integrations, reducing time-to-market for regional expansion.

Merchant Cash Advance Collections

HayCash, a fintech offering merchant cash advances, partnered with Kushki to automate collections and enhance their POS offering. This integration enabled 2-3X growth by simplifying cash advance repayment and reducing collection friction for SME borrowers across Mexico.

Alternatives

Stripe Choose Stripe for global scale and extensive developer ecosystem; choose Kushki for deeper Latin American regional payment method coverage and local currency advantages.

PayPal Choose PayPal for established consumer trust and broad international reach; choose Kushki for regional omnichannel infrastructure and direct acquirer control in Latin America.

Conekta Choose Conekta for Mexico-first online payment processing; choose Kushki for multi-country regional expansion and integrated offline payment capabilities.

FAQ

What does Kushki do? +

Kushki is a Latin American payments infrastructure platform that enables businesses to accept credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and cash payments through 300,000+ physical points. It provides a unified API and omnichannel solutions for e-commerce, m-commerce, and physical retail, with direct connections to VISA and Mastercard and settlement in local currencies.

How much does Kushki cost? +

Kushki uses commission-based pricing tailored to transaction volume. For example, cross-border transactions cost 4% + $0.30 USD + 1% cross-border fee. There are no onboarding or affiliate fees, and volume discounts are available through direct sales negotiation.

What are alternatives to Kushki? +

Main alternatives include Stripe (global scale), PayPal (consumer trust and international reach), Conekta (Mexico-focused online payments), Dock, Flutterwave, and Pine Labs. Stripe and PayPal offer broader global coverage, while Kushki specializes in regional Latin American infrastructure.

Who uses Kushki? +

E-commerce merchants, fintech companies, and SMEs across Latin America. Notable customers include Telefónica, Claro, Rappi, Santander, Credijusto, and HayCash. Kushki serves hundreds of customers ranging from startups to enterprise companies.

How does Kushki compare to Stripe? +

Both process payments, but Stripe is a global platform with broader developer ecosystem reach. Kushki specializes in Latin American payment infrastructure, integrates 300,000+ regional cash payment points, offers direct acquirer licensing, and settles in local currency—advantages for LatAm-focused businesses.