SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Remitly, the mobile-first provider of remittances and financial services for immigrants, today announced a $85 million funding round to fuel the company’s growth as the global demand for digital remittances continues to surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will enable Remitly to expand its suite of digital financial services products at a time its customers need them most.
Existing investor Prosus’s PayU led the round at a $1.5 billion valuation. They were joined by returning partners Generation Investment Management, Owl Rock Capital, Stripes, DN Capital, Top Tier, Princeville Global, and Threshold Ventures.
“As the current health crisis continues to devastate the global economy and disproportionately impact developing countries, immigrants are increasingly turning to digital solutions to address their financial needs and ensure they are still able to send critical funds home to their loved ones,” said Matt Oppenheimer, Remitly Co-founder and CEO. “Remitly was born out of this necessity - to provide the underserved, underbanked and overlooked access to financial services anytime, anywhere. And our digital solutions have never been needed more than they are today. This latest round of funding will allow us to continue meeting our customers’ broad set of financial needs, and providing affordable, convenient and secure solutions as we navigate this uncertain time and beyond.”
While the World Bank forecast global remittances to decline by 20 percent in 2020 due to the economic crisis, Remitly has seen 200 percent new customer growth year-over-year. And customers who once relied on traditional remittance providers are now faced with quarantines, the shuttering of brick and mortar locations and limited access to traditional financial services. Faced with these challenges, customers are rapidly shifting to digital solutions to continue sending money to their loved ones across the world.
“The future of remittances has always been digital, but that shift has accelerated rapidly over the past few months with the demand for safe and convenient solutions to send money,” Oppenheimer said. “And with this investment, we are eager to continue innovating and building superior products that will meet our customers’ needs today and for years to come.”
This investment further strengthens Remitly’s relationship with its investment partners, all of whom share the company’s commitment to inclusive financial services and building sustainable businesses.
“Today’s investment in Remitly marks a further step in our mission to become the world’s leading fintech investor. Since we first invested in Remitly in 2017 we have been impressed by its consistent track record of growth, including during the recent COVID turbulence. The business has scaled into an international organisation while keeping true to its mission of financial inclusion. Our vision of a world without financial borders where everyone can prosper means we are always looking for opportunities to unlock financial services for underserved populations. Remitly is one of those opportunities and we’re a proud partner and investor,” said Laurent le Moal, PayU CEO and member of Remitly’s Board of Directors.
To learn more about Remitly, visit www.remitly.com.
About Remitly
Founded initially to disrupt the nearly $600 billion global remittance industry, Remitly is now transforming the lives of millions of immigrants and their families with the most trusted financial services products in the world. Remitly makes international money transfers faster, easier, more transparent and more affordable through its global network. Remitly’s reliable and easy-to-use mobile app eliminates the long wait times, complexities and fees typical of traditional remittance processes, returning millions of dollars in savings and spending power to immigrants every year. Remitly is also expanding its portfolio to include additional critical financial services for immigrants. The company’s Passbook offering is a modern banking solution that eliminates fees and other common barriers to creating a bank account, and introduces new cross-border money transfer benefits. Established in 2011 and headquartered in Seattle, Remitly is backed by more than a dozen industry-leading investors, including Prosus’s PayU, Generation Investment Management and Bezos Expeditions. The company operates globally, with offices in London, Kraków, Manila and Managua. For more information, visit Remitly.com.
About PayU
A Prosus group company PayU is the payments and fintech business of Prosus, a global consumer internet group and one of the largest technology investors in the world. Operating and investing globally in markets with long-term growth potential, Prosus builds leading consumer internet companies that empower people and enrich communities. Prosus has a primary listing on Euronext Amsterdam (AEX:PRX) and a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (XJSE:PRX), and is majority owned by Naspers. For more information on Prosus and its companies and investments, please visit www.prosus.com.
About FT Partners
Financial Technology Partners served as financial advisor to Remitly on this transaction. FT Partners is the only investment banking firm focused exclusively on providing strategic and financial advisory services to clients and CEOs in the dynamic global financial services and technology sector. For more, visit www.ftpartners.com.