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PRO tellijale
Eesti e-poodidele makselahendust pakkunud Leedu tehnoloogiafirma Kevin pankroti kohta tehti hiljuti ootamatu kohtuotsus. Ent idufirma pankrot jäi juba enne uute detailide selgumist silma leedukate üllatavalt kärme ja karmi tegutsemise poolest – kulus vaid mõni kuu, et kapitalinõuete rikkumisest ja aruannete tähtaja ületamisest jõutaks tegevusloa piiramiseni. DigiPRO-l oli võimalus Vilniuses kohtuda Leedu finantstehnoloogia ettevõtete assotsiatsiooni Fintech Hub LT juhi Greta Ranonytėga, kes rääkis, kas niivõrd kiire ja range tegutsemine on Leedus tavapärane, ning kirjeldas protsessi lähemalt. Palusime Leedu praktikat kommenteerida ka Eesti finantsinspektsioonil, et kahe riigi lähenemisi võrrelda. Leedu fintech Kevin pakkus oma klientidele sisuliselt pangalingi teenust, vahendades e-poe ja panga vahel toimuvaid makseid. Eestis konkureeriti näiteks Maksekeskuse ja Montonioga, põhiliselt kasutasid Kevini lahendust väiksemad e-poed. Oma kogemusest Keviniga on DigiPRO-le varem rääkinud ka arvutimängude veebipoe Punktid.ee juht Hannes Niid. See lugu on PRO tellijatele. Telli PRO esimeseks kuuks soodushinnaga3 €
2.-3. kuu 12.50€/kuu

Leedu idudele ei halasta, Kevini kõrgele lennule järgnes karm lõpp. “Kui midagi juhtub, tegutsetakse väga kiiresti”

The comedies Titanique and Here You Come Again pay homage to two superstars in quirky style. Actors Lauren Drew and Tricia Paoluccio explain what it’s like to portray their idols – and take on their iconic songs
Last modified on Tue 28 Jan 2025 06.51 EST
Most biodramas about musicians sing from the same hymn sheet: chart the rise to fame and any fall from grace, flit between studio and stage, make room for relevant lovers and demons. Then add the hits. Two new musicals may find Céline Dion belting out My Heart Will Go On and Dolly Parton warbling I Will Always Love You. But theatregoers should also prepare for this wild-eyed version of Dion to raise merry hell on the Titanic and this particular Parton to miraculously appear in the childhood bedroom of a depressed 40-year-old called Kevin. The off-kilter spirit of the shows, Titanique and Here You Come Again, make them more akin to the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man , featuring a CGI chimpanzee, than Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar-tipped turn as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown . Titanique, which opened this month at the Criterion theatre in London, stars Lauren Drew as the Canadian legend who we first meet gatecrashing the Titanic museum to give her own version of the ocean liner’s fatal 1912 voyage. (Turns out she was onboard – who knew?) Drew is joined by a game cast – including Layton Williams as the villainous iceberg – for a brilliantly bizarre show. How does she describe this outlandish concoction to those who haven’t seen it? Celine Dion in concert in 1997, the year that Titanic was made. Photograph: L Busacca/WireImage
“It’s a parody of the Titanic movie with all of the characters that people know and love, like Jack and Rose [played in the film by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet]. However, Céline Dion decides to make an appearance and is like: ‘Oh, no, no, no! This is not how it happened.’ And then it’s just 100 minutes of unapologetic, crazy joy.”
As well as becoming the ringleader for some raucous comedy, Drew has to deliver a string of the singer’s intimidating hits. “It’s hilarious because you think to yourself, ‘OK, I’ve done that big one. Oh no, now I’ve got I Surrender coming up. Oh, straight into My Heart Will Go On. Here we go, better pop a Jakemans [throat sweet] quick!” And she is performing eight shows a week: “I’ve probably never looked after myself to this degree on a job before.”
Drew was already a Dion superfan when she got the gig. Seeing the powerhouse singer perform at Hyde Park in London in 2019 remains “one of the best nights of my life”. But Dion has been more than a vocal inspiration for her. “It’s mainly because of how well she’s always come across as a human being that I’ve loved her so much.” The comedy was created before the documentary I Am: Céline Dion , in which the singer reveals her experiences living with stiff person syndrome. “You see her away from the stage, and see how she was with people, even in those really dark times – she’s still so kind and wonderful and warm.”
Likewise it is Dolly Parton’s personality, as much as her music, that is celebrated in Here You Come Again, which is on tour. “People look to her for words of wisdom and a bit of guidance,” says Tricia Paoluccio, who plays Dolly. In the play, the singer arrives smelling of “bubble bath and honey”, summoned up by Kevin during the pandemic. His boyfriend is treating him badly, his career is going down the toilet and he has just moved back into his parents’ house where he is drinking too much and self-isolating in the attic. Kevin’s room is covered in Parton paraphernalia and one day she steps out of a poster to serve up some supper, soothe him with a rendition of Hush-a-Bye Hard Times and turn his wine into water. It’s as warm as Titanique is wild: unlike the ribald Céline, Dolly sweetly feigns ignorance when the audience snort at the script’s double entendres. Paoluccio says the show is designed for those “who need it” much as Kevin needs a dose of Dolly. “I think in order to receive the show, you have to have that openness to it.” Like Titanique, which Paoluccio saw in New York and calls “a real romp, very fun and silly”, Here You Come Again ambushes audiences with an unexpected storyline for its superstar subject. Paoluccio not only plays Dolly but co-wrote the musical (much like Titanique’s co-creator Marla Mindelle originated the role of Céline). Her aim, says Paoluccio, was to introduce audiences to an icon in an everyday setting, giving “a sneak peek of what she might really be like” away from the cameras. “I love that she’s in full glam and yet we see Dolly making the bed and serving humble food.”
‘I just wanted to be Dolly Parton’ … Tricia Paoluccio with Steven Webb as Kevin in Here You Come Again. Photograph: Hugo Glendinning
Paoluccio grew up with Parton’s music. When she was young, living on a farm in California, she heard Here You Come Again and “knew I needed to memorise that song”. She learned not just the lyrics but how to capture “that little crackle and scratch” in Parton’s voice, that same vibrato. Her Dolly voice became a parlour game: “I’d be in a serious play, a Chekhov, in costume and all, and then I’d suddenly [she adopts the unmistakable twang] start talking like Dolly! And the cast would like it.” In 2001, she played Parton and other supporting characters in a show about Tammy Wynette directed by Paoluccio’s husband, Gabriel Barre, at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. She longed to play Dolly again. “But I didn’t want it to be like: ‘I’m Tricia and I love Dolly.’ I just wanted to be Dolly Parton.” Here You Come Again was written with Barre (who also directs) and Bruce Vilanch. “We set it in the pandemic because that’s when we wrote it. And one of my best friends in England was living in his parents’ attic during the quarantine.” (Its UK production is relocated to Halifax in an adaptation by British playwright Jonathan Harvey.) Their script was dispatched to Dolly who has developed her own, separate bio-musical. She read it, watched a video of Paoluccio performing and gave her blessing. “I’m probably the happiest actor you’ll ever interview,” she tells me. “Can you imagine that – the person you loved and admired your whole life? To have her say yes really means a lot.”
She describes her performance as channelling, rather than impersonating, Parton – “letting her shine through me”. She found it surprisingly easy to go off script, too. For Drew, who is also required to do some crowd work in Titanique, improvising in character was part of her audition. She went in “full throttle”, even walking through the door as Dion. “I wore a Nadine Merabi playsuit: sequins, feathers, the full shebang.” In the final audition, she was asked to extemporise: “Can you just vamp on the piano? Just be Céline Dion …” The result was chaotic, she admits, but a lot of fun – much like the show itself.

My heart will go onstage: Celine Dion and Dolly Parton celebrated in outlandish musicals

Fintech in Lithuania in 2024: Foxpay Collapses, Kevin Declares Bankruptcy, AML Compliance Remains a Challenge
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2024 was a challenging year for Lithuania’s fintech landscape, marked by high-profile scandals, regulatory scrutiny and significant market shifts. Jekaterina Govina, an ex-regulator of the Lithuanian financial market and a prominent figure in the country’s fintech scene, provided insights into key events that shaped the industry, highlighting the collapse of Foxpay, the bankruptcy of fintech darling Kevin, and intensified anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement, as major developments in the ecosystem in 2024. The Foxpay scandal
The Foxpay scandal emerged as one of the most prominent financial investigations in Lithuania’s financial sector. Allegations of money laundering, fraud and corruption dominated the narrative, and in October, pre-trial investigations led to the detention of seven individuals, including Ieva Trinkunaite, Foxpay’s owner; her partner Vilhelmas Germanas; and Mindaugas Navickas, the husband of former Social Security Minister Monika Navickiene. The investigation established that the suspects had laundered EUR 17 million between 2023 and 2024, paid over EUR 100,000 in bribes to AML officers, and misappropriated ownership of foreign cryptocurrency mining equipment worth EUR 24 million, reported Lrt.lt. Authorities seized EUR 500,000 million in cash, cryptocurrencies and luxury goods, with assets valued at around EUR 3 million. The Bank of Lithuania revoked Foxpay’s Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license on November 22. Founded in 2009, Foxpay provided various payment services. Notably, the company acted as a payment intermediary for various state institutions via the CENTROLink system. The end of Kevin
Once seen as Lithuania’s next unicorn, payment software startup Kevin declared bankruptcy in September  2024 The Vilnius District Court formalized the bankruptcy, and the Bank of Lithuania subsequently revoked the company’s Payment Institution (PI) license. Prior to its failure, Kevin had positioned itself as an innovator in the fintech space, offering a brand-agnostic white-label account-to-account (A2A) payment solution. The solution was designed to bypass traditional card networks, reducing costs for merchants and streamlining payment processes by allowing consumers to pay directly from their bank accounts. Despite having raised approximatively US$75 million in venture capital (VC) funding, Kevin failed to establish a sustainable business model. An analysis by Flagship Advisory Partners, a Dutch consultancy and mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, highlighted structural issues with Kevin’s business model, including high friction, usability limitations, and low margins. Expansion efforts were poorly executed, leading to wasted resources, while regulatory challenges, including delayed annual reports, prompted the Bank of Lithuania to block Kevin from taking on new clients in July 2024. According to Flagship Advisory Partners, Kevin’s bankruptcy underscores the revenue model challenges of A2A payment systems, particularly in physical environments. It also highlights the criticality of strategic partnerships, robust margins, and executional efficiency to thrive in the competitive payment landscape. A decline in fintech licensing
One particular trend observed by Govina in 2024 is the slowdown in new fintech license approvals, with only a few notable developments in the financial sector. Among them, DriveWealth stood out by securing a financial brokerage license. This startup provides an innovative software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for brokerage firms to offer fractional shares trading. Another significant development involved fintech company ABC Projektai. The company, which operates under the trademark Bruc Bond, achieved a significant legal victory, with the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) and the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (SAC) ruling in July 2024 that the Bank of Lithuania had wrongly revoked its license. The license was reinstated thereafter. Bruc Bond operates as a payment institution, providing services such as online transactions and payment processing. AML compliance challenges
In contrast to Bruc Bond, UAB Finolita Unio’s appeal to overturn the Bank of Lithuania’s 2021 decision to revoke its license was definitively rejected by SAC in November 2024. The court upheld the central bank’s findings, which include eight serious violations among which failures in money laundering and terrorist financing prevention, as well as breaches of capital requirements. Several fintech companies saw their licenses revoked last year over failures in AML and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) prevention. Majestic Financial’s license was revoked in April, accompanied by a EUR 50,000 fine for a former board member. Meanwhile, Phoenix Payments, an EMI in Lithuania, was fined a whopping EUR 970,000 for significant breaches in AML and CFT regulations, according to Lithuanian law firm Ecovis ProventusLaw. The company, which offers alternative banking and payment solutions, relied on partners for AML/CTF measures whom were found to be ineffective, especially for high-risk clients and international correspondent relationships. Since 2022, six electronic money or payment institutions have lost their operating licenses for serious violations of money laundering and terrorist financing prevention, and more than twenty participants have been fined over EUR 4 million, according to the Bank of Lithuania. Solaris exits Lithuanian market
2024 also saw the exit of German embedded finance platform Solaris from the Lithuanian market. The company announced in September a series of restructuring efforts, including the discontinuation of “major parts” of its EMI business formerly known as Contis, a UK-based company with a license in Lithuania. Solaris said it had been through “some tough times” amid the loss of key partners and troubles signing new businesses. However, it is now “on the right track” after making job cuts and structural changes, Tech.eu reported . The closing of the Lithuanian business came amid increased scrutiny. In November 2023, the company was fined EUR 840,000 by the Bank of Lithuania for failing to comply with the requirements for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as information security and business continuity risk management. Crypto providers prepare for MiCA
In 2024, crypto companies prepared for the landmark Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA). The regulation, which officially applied from December 30, 2024, establishes uniform operational requirements for crypto-asset service providers across the EU. Its goals are to encourage innovation in the crypto sector while maintaining financial stability and protecting consumers from potential risks. Though MiCA includes a transitional period until July 01, 2026 to allow service providers to adapt to the new requirements, Lithuania proposed a shorter transitional period until June 01, 2025, citing risks of money laundering, terrorist financing, circumvention of international sanctions and fraud inherent to the emerging sector. Over the past years, Lithuania has seen its crypto sector surge. According to data from the Lithuanian company register, there are now more than 700 Virtual Currency Exchange Operators and Depository Virtual Currency Wallet Operators in the country. Lithuanian fintech ecosystem welcomes new prominent members
In 2024, the Lithuanian fintech ecosystem welcomed new prominent members. Mykolas Majauskas, a former member of Parliament, was elected in September as a member of the board and the president of the Crypto Economy Organisation. The Crypto Economy Organisation is an independent, government-supported association established to represent the interests of the crypto economy professionals. Majauskas brings extensive expertise from a career spanning international banking, real estate, and public service. His professional experience includes roles at Barclays Capital in London, Cushman & Wakefield in Sydney, and various positions in the Lithuanian government. Last year, he took part in the Vilnius mayoral elections, where he finished third. Meanwhile, Gintare Verbickaite-Baciuliene, the winner of this year’s Lithuanian Fintech Leader award, was named the new CEO of Unicorns Lithuania. Unicorns Lithuania is an association established in April 2021 that units more than 110 tech startups. Verbickaite-Baciuliene has over 15 years of experience in business and startup consulting, economic development and foreign direct investment attraction. During her highly successful career, she has worked in the private, public and non-profit sectors in Australia, Estonia and Lithuania. Lithuania and South Korea formalize collaboration
Finally, 2024 saw Lithuania strengthen its fintech ties globally. In October, the country inked a partnership with South Korea to promote the development of innovative services and exchange knowledge on financial market trends.

Fintech in Lithuania in 2024: Foxpay Collapses, Kevin Declares Bankruptcy, AML Compliance Remains a Challenge

Photographer: Patrick Doyle/Bloomberg
this week said it would discontinue work on a CBDC and would increase research and development on cross-border payment projects with other central banks, along with other ongoing initiatives to improve the country's payment infrastructure. Canada has spent the past several years researching the potential structure and uses for a digital currency, focusing on a wholesale CBDC, a form that is primarily designed for large transactions between banks or other enterprises. "The Bank will continue to monitor global retail CBDC developments and publish some related research, but the focus will be on preparing for the evolution of payments both in Canada and around the world, through policy research and analysis," the Bank of Canada said in a release. Canada's central bank made its announcement shortly after
Photographer: Carlos Jasso/Bloomberg
UK regulator to rollout new late payment guidance later this year
The Small Business Commissioner in the U.K. is looking to change its guidance for late payments and reward companies that pay small businesses and suppliers faster. The new Fair Payment Code is expected to replace the Prompt Payment Code later this year, the SBC said on Sept 20. The Prompt Payment Code is a
for businesses that was first established in December 2008 and set standards for payment practices between companies and their suppliers with a particular emphasis on small businesses. Companies found to be noncompliant are removed from the list. Currently, more than 5,000 companies have pledged to keep payment practices within the existing framework set out by the SBC that requires payment to at least 95% of their suppliers within 60 days and to 95% of small suppliers within 30 days. The Fair Payments Code will be "more ambitious in setting higher standards" and go "beyond the existing Code's requirements," according to the SBC's website. Additionally, new reward tiers will be rolled out based on how quickly payments are made. Gold tier will be awarded to companies who pay 95% of suppliers within 30 days; silver tier will go to companies that pay 95% of small business suppliers within 30 days and all other suppliers within 60 days; and bronze tier will be awarded to businesses that pay 95% of all suppliers within 60 days. —Joey Pizzolato
Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
Global Payments stock fell more than 6% following Tuesday's
has updated its strategy to boost technology in B2B payments, where it competes with fintechs like Stripe and Block that sell payment technology to small to medium-sized businesses. This week, Global Payments told investors that it is unifying its merchant solutions business globally, placing its point of sale products under a common brand called Genius, and using its distribution channels to power global expansion. Its issuer solutions business will focus on cloud technology and cross-selling, and it will evaluate strategic objectives for its issuer division. "We think the biggest point of concern for investors is the expected deceleration in the merchant segment growth to mid-single digits in 2025 (from 7% in the second half of 2024) driven largely by the newly defined core payments subsegment," Morgan Stanley said. "This compares to an expected acceleration in 2026-27 back to current trends. We think this could be in large part due to conservatism as management seeks to establish a beat and raise cadence for coming quarters by resetting expectations lower, but we think the cadence makes it hard for investors to explain what's driving the implied decel." Global Payments did not reply to a request for comment. —John Adams
Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg
DailyPay plans to take earned wage access beyond the US
New York-based payroll automation firm DailyPay will offer earned wage access to clients with operations outside of the U.S. The launch is scheduled for later this fall, with DailyPay offering the product to clients that have operations in the U.K.
DailyPay has expanded its EWA business in the U.S. through
, including BMO, PNC, Santander and TD Bank. DailyPay has additionally partnered with Visa and the Bancorp Bank to offer reloadable prepaid cards that are integrated with EWA, providing a way for workers to make transfers, locate no-fee ATMs and link to mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay. EWA is an older product that has grown during the pandemic and subsequent economic challenges such as higher prices, with advances totalling $22 billion in 2023, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. EWA is also driving growth in real-time payments, with DailyPay transactions accounting for more than 5% of all RTP network transactions, according to The Clearing House. In the U.K., more than 16 million workers missed payments on household bills, according to the UK's Money and Pensions Service, which creates an addressable market for EWA, DailyPay contends. "Many of our clients and partners are multinational, and they have increasingly expressed the need to offer this valuable benefit to their employees beyond the U.S.," said Josh Durodola, vice president of international at DailyPay, in a release. —John Adams
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Visa, Singapore tech firm plan crypto push
Visa and digital payments fintech dtcpay will partner to launch a payment card that enables users to convert cryptocurrencies into traditional currency with rates set in real-time. The traditional currency can then fund the card, which will include future payment products designed for ultra-high-net-worth consumers and businesses. Singapore-based dtcpay's digital payments technology will integrate with Visa's network, including more than 130 million merchants in about 200 countries and territories. Visa is attempting to address a major hurdle to
by enabling fast conversion between crypto and traditional currency before transactions reach merchants, which usually refuse crypto payments. "We are empowering consumers and businesses who use dtcpay to convert their digital currencies into fiat and make digital payments seamlessly," said Adeline Kim, country manager for Singapore at Visa, in a release. "We continue to redefine the payments experience for businesses and consumers, offering them greater choice, security, and convenience when they make contactless payments. More importantly, we empower them with a seamless payment experience and ensure it is easy for them to pay and be paid." Mastercard, Visa and other payment companies with large consumer and merchant networks such as Block and PayPal are adding services that cater to crypto investors and traders by providing a scalable method store and then spend their investments.—John Adams
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
Mastercard, African telco push to expand cross-border payments
Mastercard and the Nairobi-based mobile network operator Safaricom have signed an agreement to expand acceptance of remittances and mobile money service. Safaricom operates the M-Pesa system, which has driven
in Africa and other regions for years by enabling mobile phone accounts to fund payments. More than 636,000 merchants support M-Pesa, a roster that will grow by accessing Mastercard's global retail network. The partnership will also enable more remittance corridors and faster transaction processing by accessing Mastercard's payment processing technology. "This collaboration with Mastercard unlocks new opportunities for M-Pesa merchants. By combining our expertise with Mastercard's global acceptance network, we are enabling businesses to provide more efficient and frictionless payment solutions to their customers, both in Kenya and beyond," said Esther Waititu, chief financial services officer for Safaricom, in a release.—John Adams
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg
India B2B payment firm plans expansion to Indonesia
PayMate, an India-based business-to-business payment firm, is expanding into Indonesia through a $400 million acquisition of a subsidiary of fintech-as-a-service company DigiAsia. The subsidiary, DigiAsia Bios, provides
, B2C payments, remittance, POS lending and buy now/pay later, among other services, to enterprise clients. PayMate plans to invest $25 million in cash and will eye a public listing in India for the combined company if the deal is finalized, according to the company
PayMate digitizes B2B payment processes, including accounts payable and receivable, embedded finance and invoice discounting. The company has secured $40.5 million in funding through five rounds, including investments from Visa and Lightbox.—Joey Pizzolato
Photographer: Peter Kollanyi/Bloomberg
Lithuanian payments fintech kevin goes bankrupt
Kevin, a Lithuania-based payments startup was declared insolvent late last week by the Vilnius District Court following allegations that the fintech was unable to meet its financial obligations. "This marks a sad end for a company many had once considered to be the next Lithuanian unicorn," said Lukas Jukabonis, chief business development officer at Lithuania's central bank, in a
. "The innovative idea of disrupting card schemes and facilitating account-to-account payments at POS terminals is now gone. It seems that, for now, the card schemes will remain undisturbed," Jukabonis said. "According to public records, the company owes [about $600,000] to the state social insurance alone, not to mention delays in payments to employees and partners." The company first secured a payments license from the Bank of Lithuania in 2018 and followed in 2021 with a $10 million seed funding round led by OTB Ventures and Speedinvest. In 2022, it introduced its technology that allowed A2A payments at point-of-sale terminals, and in 2023 secured another $65 million in series A funding. Last year, the company expanded to the UAE. Lithuania has been hailed as a European Union's
London-based
startup Yonder has secured 23.4 million pounds ($31.4 million) in fresh capital the company will use in continued growth efforts. The fintech will use the capital to increase its headcount, which currently sits at 45 team members, and fund its product development. Yonder leverages
data to provide Mastercard-branded credit cards to immigrants, expats and other thin- and no-file consumers in the UK, according to the company. Since its founding in 2020, it has raised nearly $150 million through six funding rounds. The company focuses on travel and dining experiences for its rewards, which consumers can redeem through the company's app.—Joey Pizzolato

CBDCs fall out of favor; analysts slam Global Payments

Payments infrastructure start-up Kevin reportedly declared insolvent by court in Lithuania
24th September 2024
The Vilnius District Court in Lithuania has reportedly declared payments infrastructure start-up Kevin insolvent, according to regional news outlet 15min. Kevin reportedly declared insolvent by Vilnius District Court
15min reports that the court has now opened up a bankruptcy case with IS Group appointed as insolvency administrator. The report says the news was confirmed by Lina Nemeikaitė, assistant to the chairman of Vilnius District Court, who told 15min that the court concluded that Kevin is “currently insolvent” and unable to meet its financial obligations “on time”. Meanwhile, Lukas Jakubonis, chief business development officer at the Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos Bankas, the country’s central bank), wrote on LinkedIn that “our local media announced that Kevin has gone bankrupt”. “A court official confirmed that a bankruptcy case has been opened. This marks a sad end for a company many had once considered to be the next Lithuanian unicorn,” he writes. The Vilnius District Court and Kevin have been contacted by FinTech Futures for comment. The news comes after the Bank of Lithuania said in July that it had appointed a “ temporary representative to oversee the activities ” of Kevin and “instructed the institution not to provide payment services to new customers” amid alleged delays around the submission of the fintech’s audited annual reports. Co-founded in 2018 by former banking exec Tadas Tamošiūnas (CEO) and Pavel Sokolovas, Vilnius-based Kevin seeks to replace costly card transactions with its account-to-account (A2A) payment infrastructure. In late 2023, it opened an office in Dubai. “Long-term, our goal is to become the primary payment infrastructure in the Middle East,” the start-up stated on LinkedIn. “By combining our technology with strong local partnerships, we aim to capture a 40-60% market share for in-store and online payments.”

Payments infrastructure start-up Kevin reportedly declared insolvent by court in Lithuania

SME is a brand development agency serving the sports entertainment, higher education and collegiate athletics industries. SME's services include strategy, research, positioning, naming, brand identity & management, messaging, social media, web, events, media planning, advertising, video production and consulting.

kevin. , next-generation payment infrastructure provider , has partnered with SME to create an accessible one-stop-shop for online payments and revenue-based growth financing .

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SME Bank is a Development Financial Institution focused on providing financing assistance and development expertise to small and medium enterprises within various sectors. The bank offers a range of services including business financing solutions, investment treasury services, and programs to enhance vendor capacity and export capabilities. It also provides funding for SMEs to adopt digitalization and automation to improve their business operations. It is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Fintech 100: The most promising fintech startups of 2023

Market Trend Report: Payment APIs & Infrastructure for Vendors

 Companies in this collection provide technology that enables consumers and businesses to pay, collect, automate, and settle transfers of currency, both online and at the physical point-of-sale.

Payments

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The most promising B2B tech startups transforming the retail industry.

Retail Tech 100

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Series A

kevin. specializes in white-label, brand-agnostic payment solutions for various business sectors. The company offers a multi-tenant payment acceptance network that allows businesses to control their payment schemes and customize the customer payment experience, while also providing instant settlement and enhanced security features. It was founded in 2018 and is based in Vilnius, Lithuania. In September 2024, kevin. filed for bankruptcy.

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