Startups Directory

Stripe is a developer-first payments platform that simplifies accepting payments online and in-person through a simple seven-line API integration. Beyond payments, it provides a comprehensive suite of tools for treasury management, billing, fraud prevention, and compliance, enabling businesses to manage the full complexity of operating online. Founded by Patrick and John Collison, Stripe serves everyone from startups to enterprise companies across 195+ countries with a platform designed for both simplicity and scale.

Checkout.com is an enterprise-grade API-based payment platform that provides end-to-end payment processing, risk management, card issuing, and payment routing for global merchants. The platform supports multiple payment methods including cards, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and local payment networks (Alipay, SEPA, bank transfers). It serves exclusively enterprise customers, with 63 merchants processing over $1B annually on the platform, and differentiates through a lean sales operation (13% of headcount) while dedicating two-thirds of staff to product and engineering.

Klarna is a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) platform that enables customers to split purchases into interest-free installments or pay within 30 days, while merchants get paid upfront. The platform serves e-commerce retailers globally and offers additional features like price comparison, cashback rewards, and price tracking. Klarna differentiates itself by not charging late fees on its popular 4-installment payment method and has integrated with 24 of the top 100 US retailers, more than any competitor.

Bolt is a cloud-based checkout and payment processing platform that uses AI and machine learning to streamline eCommerce transactions across web and mobile. The platform recognizes returning customers through its Universal Shopper Network (80M+ customers) to enable password-free checkout, while offering 100% fraud coverage through analysis of 200+ transaction variables. It charges 0% fees for first-time customers and 2% for repeat purchases, helping retailers increase checkout conversion rates by 10-20% while reducing fraud risk.

Balance is a B2B eCommerce payments platform that enables businesses to process payments via check, card, or bank transfer with flexible terms (net 30/60/90, payment plans). Founded by PayPal alums, it addresses the $2 trillion offline B2B payments market by offering an omni-channel checkout with real-time risk assessment and instant settlement. The platform combines B2B payments, trade credit, AR management, and marketplace capabilities in a modular stack tailored for digital commerce at scale.

Wise is a fintech platform that enables individuals and businesses to send money internationally at real mid-market exchange rates with transparent, low fees (starting at 0.35%). Using a peer-to-peer matching system and local bank accounts across countries, Wise eliminates the need for physical currency conversion and traditional banking intermediaries. The platform solves the international payments problem that traditional banks created through hidden fees and unfavorable exchange rates, making cross-border money transfers faster, cheaper, and more transparent.

Airwallex is a unified financial platform that consolidates global payments, spend management, digital banking, and FX into a single API-driven infrastructure for B2B companies. The platform processes $265B+ annually across 150,000+ customers and has saved them over $1.3B in fees. It enables businesses to generate local account numbers in 60+ countries, accept 160+ payment methods, and manage multi-currency operations with 95% of transactions settling within hours or same-day. Airwallex positions itself as the 'AWS of financial services'—replacing fragmented legacy banking with modern, developer-first financial infrastructure.

GoCardless is a global bank-payment platform enabling businesses to collect payments directly from customers' bank accounts through direct debit schemes (ACH, Bacs, SEPA, BECS, PAD, Autogiro) across 30+ countries. The platform handles recurring payments, single transactions, and invoicing with real-time tracking, reporting, and AI-powered retry optimization. It serves 100,000+ businesses processing $130 billion annually, with significantly lower fees than card-based processors and a focus on subscription and B2B payment collection.

Navan (formerly TripActions) is an integrated platform combining corporate travel booking, expense management, and smart corporate cards into a single solution for global businesses. The platform uses real-time data to proactively monitor employee travel, alert users to disruptions, and provide 24/7 support—cutting average booking time from 60 minutes to 6 minutes. It integrates with major ERP systems like SAP, NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics to give finance teams real-time spend visibility. The company serves 5,000+ customers including Zoom, Lyft, Wayfair, and Adobe, with 90% adoption rates post-purchase.

Xendit is a fintech platform that enables businesses across Southeast Asia to accept payments through 100+ methods (cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, QR codes) and disburse payouts to 450+ banks and e-wallets. Built specifically for the region's payment diversity—where credit card penetration is only 4%—Xendit serves SMBs, e-commerce platforms, and enterprises like Grab, Lazada, and Samsung Indonesia. The company differentiates through local in-market teams, transparent transaction-based pricing, and graduated tier discounts as volume increases.

Remote is a global Employer of Record (EOR) platform that enables companies to hire, manage, and pay employees across 70+ countries without establishing legal entities. The platform handles employment contracts, payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance through in-house operations rather than third-party networks. Remote serves mid-market to enterprise companies looking to build distributed teams while avoiding costly subsidiary setup and contractor misclassification risks.

SpotOn is an integrated restaurant management platform that unifies point-of-sale, online ordering, labor management, kitchen operations, and payment processing into a single system. The company serves restaurants of all sizes—from local establishments to MLB stadiums—with flexible software tiers and optional payment processing. SpotOn differentiates by allowing merchants to choose their payment processor or use existing systems, avoiding vendor lock-in common with competitors like Square and Toast. Founded by payment industry veterans Matt and Zach Hyman alongside Doron Friedman, SpotOn has raised $923M and serves thousands of restaurants seeking integrated operations without forced processor dependencies.

PayFit is Europe's leading cloud-based payroll and HR software that combines the control of in-house payroll with the expertise of outsourced services. It automates payroll calculations, tax deductions, and social contributions while offering integrated HR capabilities including absence management, time tracking, expense tracking, and onboarding. The platform targets SMBs with 20-300 employees across Europe, with particular strength in France and the UK, serving over 6,500 companies.

Ripple operates the XRP Ledger, a decentralized blockchain enabling cross-border payments that settle in 3-5 seconds with near-zero fees. The platform serves financial institutions, payment providers, and digital asset custodians seeking faster, cheaper alternatives to traditional settlement networks. Ripple's differentiator is its energy-efficient consensus protocol, institutional-grade custody solutions, and direct integration with legacy banking infrastructure through products like xCurrent and on-demand liquidity (ODL).

Flutterwave is a pan-African payment infrastructure platform that enables merchants and payment service providers to accept payments across multiple African countries through a single integration. The platform processes 500,000+ payments daily across 15+ payment methods including cards, mobile money, bank transfers, and digital wallets. It serves over 900,000 businesses globally and solves the critical problem of payment system interoperability across Africa, where local solutions rarely work across borders. Beyond core payments, Flutterwave offers remittances (Send App), card issuing, and business incorporation services (Grow).

Incode Technologies is an AI-powered identity verification platform that uses facial recognition, liveness detection, and document analysis to prevent fraud in real-time. The company serves financial institutions, fintech platforms, hospitality, and government agencies with a fully automated omnichannel solution that processes 4.1B+ identity checks annually. Incode's proprietary AI achieves 99% facial recognition accuracy, detects deepfakes instantly, and is 8.8x more accurate at identifying AI-generated documents than traditional methods. The platform is distinguished by its iBeta PAD Level 2 certification and zero-human-in-the-loop automation, making it faster and more fraud-resistant than competitors.

Tipalti is a global accounts payable automation platform that enables mid-market and enterprise companies to pay contractors, employees, suppliers, and vendors across 190+ countries in 120+ currencies. The platform automates the entire payment workflow—from supplier onboarding and invoice processing via OCR to multi-step approvals, payment execution, and reconciliation—eliminating up to 80% of manual AP work. Unlike payment processors focused on collections (PayPal, Stripe), Tipalti specializes in mass disbursements, handling compliance, tax forms, and local regulatory requirements at scale.

Paddle is a Merchant of Record (MoR) platform that handles payments, billing, taxes, and compliance for SaaS and software companies globally. Rather than requiring businesses to build their own payment infrastructure, Paddle acts as the merchant of record, processing transactions across 200 markets while managing currency conversion, tax remittance, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance. The platform processes 122M+ transactions annually and has remitted $89M in sales taxes, serving 3,000+ customers including Verizon, ServiceNow, and Fortinet.

Pleo is a European spend management platform that issues smart corporate payment cards (physical and virtual) integrated with real-time expense tracking and accounting software. It automates the entire employee spending workflow—from card transactions to receipt capture to invoice management—while giving finance teams budget controls and fraud detection. Pleo serves 40,000+ small and medium-sized businesses across 14 European markets, positioning itself as the dominant player in a spend management category worth $80B+ globally.

Moniepoint is an all-in-one financial platform providing payment processing, digital banking, credit facilities, and business management tools for small and medium-sized businesses across Nigeria and expanding internationally. The company operates a network of payment terminals integrated with mobile banking apps, allowing merchants to accept payments, manage inventory, and access working capital loans underwritten by transaction data. With 1 billion+ monthly transactions and $22 billion in annual payment volume, Moniepoint has become Nigeria's largest agent banking player, serving 10 million businesses and individuals.

Dojo is a fintech company providing card payment solutions, hardware, and business services for small and medium-sized businesses across the UK and Ireland. The company offers the Dojo Go card machine (processing 58% faster than industry average), payment links, online payment options, and integrated tools like booking platforms and business funding. Dojo differentiates itself through transparent pricing, flexible contracts, next-day payouts (including weekends), and 450+ EPOS integrations, targeting merchants frustrated by traditional payment providers' complexity and hidden fees.

Melio is an all-in-one bill pay and invoicing platform that digitizes business-to-business payments for small and mid-market businesses. It enables companies to pay vendors via ACH transfers, credit cards, or debit cards—even when vendors only accept checks—while automating accounts payable and receivable workflows. With features like batch payments, approval workflows, virtual cards, and international payments across 80 countries, Melio transforms traditionally manual payment processes into streamlined, automated operations that improve cash flow management and save teams 15+ hours monthly.

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.

PayCargo is a cloud-based payment settlement platform that automates freight payments across air, sea, and land logistics. It connects shippers with over 4,000 vendors including major carriers like Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, and Air France, enabling cargo release within an hour of payment approval. The platform reduces processing costs and delays while offering integrated financing options for companies that prefer deferred payment.

AtoB is a fintech platform modernizing payments infrastructure for trucking and logistics companies. It provides zero-fee fuel cards, instant payroll, and real-time vendor payments built on Mastercard's network rather than legacy closed systems. The platform serves fleets of all sizes with transparent pricing, fuel discounts averaging 42¢ per gallon, and anti-fraud tools designed specifically for the transportation industry.

JUMO is a Banking as a Service platform that uses AI to power financial services in emerging markets. The platform provides end-to-end banking infrastructure (Core) and an AI processor (Unify) that makes credit decisions using non-traditional data points like GSM records and mobile wallet transactions. JUMO enables credit access for entrepreneurs without prior financial history, partnering with mobile network operators and banks across Africa to disburse loans and reach underserved populations.

CloudPay is a global payroll SaaS platform that processes payroll, payments, and workforce management for multinational organizations across 140+ countries. It handles 3+ million payslips annually and over $24 billion in payment transactions, consolidating fragmented payroll processes across geographies, currencies, and regulatory environments. The platform automates calculations, ensures local compliance, and provides centralized visibility into payroll costs and performance. CloudPay serves enterprise customers including Visa, Wayfair, Wells Fargo, Expedia, and the London Stock Exchange.

Spendesk is an all-in-one spend management platform that consolidates corporate cards, expense reimbursements, invoice payments, budgets, approvals, and reporting into a single solution. It serves mid-market and enterprise businesses across Europe, particularly SMBs, eliminating fragmented spending processes and giving finance teams visibility and automation across all employee spending. The platform processed €20 billion in spend in 2024 and is trusted by over 5,000 businesses including Algolia, Soundcloud, Doctolib, and Gousto. What differentiates Spendesk is its unified 7-in-1 approach versus point solutions, combined with European compliance focus and recent AI agent capabilities.

Capchase is a revenue-based financing platform that provides non-dilutive growth capital to B2B SaaS companies with $1M+ ARR. Through its Capchase Grow product, companies can access up to 70% of their annual recurring revenue as upfront capital, while Capchase Pay enables B2B buy-now-pay-later functionality for their customers. The platform has deployed over $2 billion to nearly 3,000 customers since 2020, offering 24-48 hour funding decisions without restrictive covenants or equity dilution.

Speedchain is a commercial credit card and expense management platform purpose-built for construction companies. It combines a Mastercard World Elite card program with AI-powered receipt capture, project-level spend visibility, and accounts payable automation to help construction firms reduce manual processing costs, prevent fraud, and optimize financial workflows. The platform has processed over $2 billion in payments and delivers 5%+ realized benefits through improved controls, enhanced visibility, and industry-leading rewards.

ConnexPay is a unified payment platform that combines merchant processing and virtual card issuance on a single contract with one API, eliminating the traditional 24-48 hour settlement delay. It serves intermediaries—companies like travel platforms and marketplaces that sit between consumers and service providers—enabling instant access to authorized funds for supplier payments. The platform reduces operational costs by 50%, automates reconciliation, and includes AI-powered fraud detection through Kount integration.

Solutions by Text is a compliance-first enterprise text messaging platform that enables real-time payments through SMS—the only end-to-end solution combining native text and payment capabilities for consumer finance. Built on FinText™ technology, it helps lenders, servicers, and collection agencies conduct compliant customer communications and accept payments directly through text messages. The platform serves over 1,500 customers in regulated industries, with 60% of new customers previously avoiding SMS due to compliance concerns.

Pismo is a cloud-native core banking and payments platform that unifies real-time payments, card issuance, digital wallets, and banking services through a microservices architecture. It serves banks, fintechs, and retailers across Latin America, Europe, North America, and Asia with a single SaaS platform rather than fragmented legacy systems. The platform processes over 4 billion API calls monthly and hosts 25+ million accounts handling $3B+ in monthly transactions. NOTE: Pismo was acquired by Visa in January 2024 for $1 billion and now operates as a Visa subsidiary.

RedotPay is a stablecoin-based fintech platform that combines crypto payment cards, cross-border payout rails, and multi-currency accounts into a unified financial app. It serves consumers in emerging markets facing currency instability and limited banking infrastructure by enabling global spending and transfers using cryptocurrencies without fiat conversion. With 6+ million users across 100+ countries and $10B+ annualized payment volume, RedotPay has achieved unicorn status ($1B+ valuation) in under 3 years, backed by tier-one investors including Lightspeed, Coinbase Ventures, and Goodwater Capital.

M2P Fintech is an API infrastructure platform that enables banks, fintechs, and digital platforms to embed financial products into their customer journeys. The company offers a 'bank-in-box' solution with core banking systems, loan management, payment processing, and compliance tools that connect to public infrastructure, incumbent banks, and NBFCs. Operating across 30+ markets in Asia Pacific, MENA, and Oceania, M2P powers 200+ banks, 300+ lenders, and 800+ fintech engagements serving 50+ million end users.

PalmPay is a digital banking platform built for Africa's informal economy, serving 40 million users across Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. It offers instant onboarding, zero-fee transfers, savings (up to 22% APR), credit products, and business tools for merchants and mobile money agents. The company processes 15 million transactions daily and has built a network of 1 million agent merchants, positioning itself as the largest transaction processor in Nigeria by volume.

Fundbox is an embedded capital platform that uses machine learning to provide working capital solutions to small businesses. The platform offers credit lines and term loans to SMBs based on revenue analysis and credit assessments, with transparent pricing and fast automated approval decisions. Fundbox solves the problem of capital tied up in unpaid invoices—over $1 trillion in the U.S. alone—by connecting businesses with credit when they need it. The company positions itself as a pioneer in embedded working capital, integrating directly into business software platforms like QuickBooks and FreshBooks.

Global Processing Services provides GPS Apex, a multi-award-winning issuer processing platform that enables fintechs, digital banks, and embedded finance providers to process and manage credit, debit, and prepaid card transactions globally. Built by payment experts, the platform integrates seamlessly with issuers, program managers, card manufacturers, and service providers, powering next-generation payment segments including BNPL, expense management, B2B payments, crypto, and open banking. As of January 2022, GPS services operate in 48 countries, have processed 1.3+ billion transactions, and support 190 million issued cards across 180+ clients using 150+ currencies.

SumUp provides mobile payment infrastructure that enables small and medium-sized businesses to accept card payments via wireless card readers connected to smartphones or tablets. The company processes transactions within 1-2 business days and transfers funds directly to merchant bank accounts. SumUp operates in 36 markets across Europe, the US, Latin America, and Australia, serving over 4 million merchants from single-person operators to major event spaces. The platform differentiates through simplicity, accessibility for non-technical users, and the lowest transaction fees in its category.

Stronghold creates virtual payment networks that instantly settle transactions and enable interoperability between legacy banking systems and blockchain-based payment rails. The platform offers card processing, ACH transfers, merchant financing, and checkout services, with the unique ability to bridge traditional and modern payment infrastructure. They specifically serve high-compliance industries like gambling and alcohol that struggle to access financial services, rewarding transaction volume with SHx tokens that offset fees.

Clip is Mexico's leading mobile point-of-sale and digital payment platform that enables small businesses and independent merchants to accept card payments via smartphones and tablets. The platform eliminates traditional barriers to payment acceptance—monthly fees, minimum transaction requirements, and excessive paperwork—while addressing Mexico's cash-heavy economy where 80% of personal consumption expenditure occurs offline. Beyond card readers, Clip offers inventory management, online commerce solutions, payment links, and business financing services, serving over 1 million merchants.

Fazz is a B2B neobank and payment infrastructure platform serving businesses across Southeast Asia, from warungs to Fortune 500 companies. The platform enables businesses to accept payments (e-wallet, bank transfer, credit card), maintain business cash accounts with 4% interest, access corporate cards, and utilize lending products like invoice financing. Fazz addresses the $300 billion funding gap for MSMEs by providing enterprise-grade financial tools at accessible price points, processing over $6 billion in annualized GTV.

Tranch was an invoice-to-payment platform that enabled enterprises to optimize cash flow by offering flexible payment options to their clients. The platform provided three payment methods: Pay Now (instant bank transfers via FedNow), Pay by Card (virtual terminals for billing teams), and Pay Later (invoices spread over 2-12 months). Tranch served law firms, SaaS companies, consulting firms, and agencies, allowing suppliers to get paid upfront while customers settled invoices worth up to $500,000 on flexible terms. **IMPORTANT: Tranch was acquired by Elite on January 3, 2025, and is no longer independently operating.**

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.

TerraPay is a mobile-first international payment network that interconnects financial services providers—banks, mobile wallets, money transfer operators, and payment platforms—through a single API. Operating as an asset-light, network-heavy model, TerraPay enables seamless cross-border fund transfers to 139 receive countries with access to 7.5+ billion bank accounts and 2.1+ billion mobile wallets. The platform reduces integration friction for partners while capturing transaction routing and settlement economics, positioning itself as a preferred rails provider for remittances, gig platforms, and marketplaces in emerging markets.

MFS Africa is Africa's largest mobile money interoperability hub, connecting over 400 million mobile wallets and millions of bank accounts across 40+ countries through a single API. The platform enables enterprises—from fintech companies to NGOs—to scale digital payment strategies by providing seamless cross-border transfers, merchant payments, bulk payouts, and bank-to-wallet services. With partnerships spanning 180+ mobile money operators and global remittance providers like Western Union and MoneyGram, MFS Africa has become the infrastructure backbone for digital payments across the continent.