The payment gateway raises $5m to offer insured USD accounts in South Asian markets
UNB
Publish: 10 Jun 2024, 04:25 PM
Dhaka,
June 09 (UNB)--Elevate, a fintech based in London and Dubai, has raised an
investment of $5 million for expanding the market further into South Asia.
This move is expected to
benefit the freelancers and remote workers active in different South Asian
countries including Bangladesh, said a media statement on Sunday.
There are around one
million freelancers in Bangladesh and the country is home to a large number of
remote talent, according to independent stats.
Elevate Pay offers the
most simplified way of receiving USD payments from the US and international
employers as well as from platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Paypal, Deel, and
Toptal.
"Freelancing and
remote work is going to be a key source of foreign income for emerging markets.
Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and Deel have empowered talent to compete on a
global scale and earn in USD," said Khalid Keenan, CEO of Elevate Pay.
"Our mission at
Elevate is for freelancers and remote workers to quickly and easily get paid at
minimal cost so they keep as much of their hard-earned earnings as
possible."
With its renewed focus
on South Asian markets, freelancers will be able to earn more money, resulting
in spillover effects on the overall economy.
When customers receive
payments into their Elevate accounts, the funds sit with Bangor Savings Bank, a
172-year-old bank located in Maine, the United States. Bangor Savings Bank acts
as the deposit-taking institution, and because they are an FDIC-member,
customer deposits are FDIC-insured up to $250,000.
This makes it the only
service available for people in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the
Philippines to open an FDIC-insured US bank account.
Elevate Pay has so far
raised $10 million in equity and debt from different investors including Y
Combinator, Goodwater, Global Founders Capital and VSQ. Over 150,000 people
have already signed up with this fintech since its inception.
END/UNB/Corr/SIS/ssk
