Thunes
Thunes enables businesses to move money globally across 130 countries in real-time.
Thunes is a global payments infrastructure platform that enables real-time cross-border payments across 130 countries and 80 currencies through direct integrations with 350+ financial institutions and mobile wallets. The platform serves fintech companies, payment providers, and enterprises like PayPal, Revolut, and Uber by eliminating reliance on aggregator chains and delivering 90% instant transaction settlement with transparent FX rates. What differentiates Thunes is its direct connections to local payment endpoints (like M-Pesa and GCash) combined with its SmartX Treasury System, which automates FX execution and eliminates idle capital requirements across payment corridors.
Problem solved
Businesses struggle with slow, expensive cross-border payments due to fragmented payment networks, intermediary chains, and lack of real-time settlement infrastructure.
Target customer
Fintech platforms, payment service providers, digital wallet operators, and enterprises requiring high-volume cross-border payments with real-time settlement and transparency.
Founders
P
Peter De Caluwe
Co-Founder & CEO
Former CEO of Ogone (acquired), led Payments at Naspers supporting PayU's growth, and co-founded DT One before establishing Thunes.
E
Eric Barbier
Co-Founder
Limited public background information available.
Funding history
Series A
$10M
May 2019
Led by GGV Capital
Series B
$60M
September 2020
Led by Helios Investment Partners
· Checkout.com, GGV Capital
Series B Extension
$60M
May 2021
Led by Insight Partners
Series C
$72M
2023
Led by Marshall Wace
· Visa, Bessemer Venture Partners
Series D
$150M
April 28, 2025
Led by Apis Partners, Vitruvian Partners
Total raised:
$362M
Industries
Pricing
Not publicly available. Enterprise B2B pricing model with custom quotes based on transaction volume and usage.
Notable customers
PayPal, Revolut, Uber, Deliveroo, Grab, Remitly, Western Union, Visa, Adidas, Sephora, TikTok, Airbnb
Integrations
Direct integrations with 350+ financial institutions and digital wallets including GCash, M-Pesa, local banks across 130 countries, Tilia (acquired June 2025)
Tech stack
jQuery Migrate (JavaScript libraries)
jQuery (JavaScript libraries)
Flickity (JavaScript libraries)
Swiper (JavaScript libraries)
ZURB Foundation (UI frameworks)
Intercom (Live chat)
Zendesk (Documentation)
RSS
Open Graph
DocuSign
WordPress (Blogs)
Google Ads Conversion Tracking (Analytics)
Google Analytics (Analytics)
Crazy Egg (Analytics)
Linkedin Insight Tag (Analytics)
Twitter Emoji (Font scripts)
Font Awesome (Font scripts)
Nginx (Reverse proxies)
PHP (Programming languages)
Google Workspace (Email)
jsDelivr (CDN)
6sense (Marketing automation)
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Marketing automation)
MySQL (Databases)
Google Ads (Advertising)
Google Tag Manager (Tag managers)
Linkedin Ads (Advertising)
Twitter Ads (Advertising)
Elementor (Page builders)
Amazon Web Services (PaaS)
CookieYes (Cookie compliance)
Website
Competitors
Airwallex
Broader global fintech platform with API-first approach, but less focused on direct banking integrations and real-time settlement.
Wise
Consumer and SMB-focused remittance platform with lower transaction volumes; Thunes targets higher-volume enterprise and fintech use cases.
NIUM
Multi-corridor payments player but relies more on partner integrations; Thunes emphasizes direct bank and wallet connections for faster settlement.
Ebury
Traditional correspondent banking model; Thunes uses modern real-time payment networks and digital wallets for faster execution.
Why this matters: Thunes raised $150M in Series D (April 2025) during a challenging capital market, signaling strong investor confidence in real-time payments infrastructure. The company's focus on direct banking integrations and treasury automation positions it well against traditional cross-border payment players as enterprises demand faster settlement, better transparency, and reduced working capital requirements.
Best for: Fintech platforms, payment service providers, and enterprises that need reliable, real-time cross-border payments at scale without maintaining idle balances across multiple corridors.
Use cases
Gig Economy Payouts
Uber and Deliveroo use Thunes to pay drivers and delivery partners across multiple countries instantly. A case study with nsave showed a fourfold increase in payout volumes and 50% faster payment processing within two months of integration.
Regional Fintech Expansion
Paydek partnered with Thunes to process local currency transactions across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia for their clients. The integration expanded their payment breadth and efficiency without building custom integrations for each region.
Remittance and Cross-Border Transfers
Remitly and similar fintech platforms leverage Thunes' 4B mobile wallets, 8B bank accounts, and 15B card endpoints to deliver instant payouts globally. The SmartX Treasury System ensures funds arrive instantly without locking working capital.
Treasury Optimization
Large enterprises use Thunes' SmartX Treasury to automate FX execution and payment routing without maintaining idle balances in destination markets. This improves cash flow efficiency and reduces operational complexity.
Alternatives
Wise
Best for consumer and SMB remittances with mid-market pricing; less suitable for high-volume enterprise payment infrastructure needs.
Airwallex
Better for all-in-one fintech platform needs including invoicing and expense management; Thunes is more payment-infrastructure-focused.
NIUM
Similar positioning but less emphasis on real-time settlement and direct banking integrations; better for issuance-heavy use cases.
FAQ
What does Thunes do? +
Thunes is a global payments infrastructure platform that enables real-time cross-border payments across 130 countries through direct integrations with 350+ financial institutions and digital wallets. It serves fintech platforms, payment providers, and enterprises that need instant, transparent, low-cost international fund transfers without reliance on intermediary chains.
How much does Thunes cost? +
Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Thunes uses enterprise B2B pricing with custom quotes based on transaction volume, corridors, and settlement requirements. Contact Thunes directly for a pricing proposal.
What are the main alternatives to Thunes? +
Key alternatives include Wise (remittance-focused), Airwallex (broader fintech platform), NIUM (multi-corridor payments), and Ebury (traditional correspondent banking). Choice depends on use case, transaction volume, and feature requirements.
Who uses Thunes? +
Thunes serves fintech platforms (PayPal, Revolut, Remitly), gig economy companies (Uber, Deliveroo), super-apps (Grab), major enterprises (Visa, Western Union, Adidas), and digital wallets. Target customers are businesses requiring high-volume, real-time cross-border payments.
How does Thunes compare to Wise? +
Wise is primarily a consumer and SMB remittance platform with transparent, competitive FX rates. Thunes is enterprise-focused infrastructure enabling 90% instant settlement through direct bank integrations. Thunes is better for high-volume payment operations; Wise is better for individual transfers.
What makes Thunes different from competitors? +
Thunes' core differentiator is direct integrations with 350+ financial institutions and mobile wallets, bypassing aggregator chains for faster settlement (90% instant). Its SmartX Treasury System automates FX and payment execution while eliminating idle balance requirements across corridors—a competitive advantage over traditional correspondent banking.
How many countries does Thunes cover? +
Thunes operates across 130+ countries and 80+ currencies with direct connections to local payment endpoints including mobile money (M-Pesa), regional banks, and global card networks.
Tags
cross-border payments
real-time settlement
payments infrastructure
fintech
global money movement
treasury automation
digital wallets