Singapore Payments Startup InstaReM Partners Thai Banking Group

Digital remittance company InstaReM has partnered Thai banking group Kasikornbank in an agreement that would see the Singapore startup power cross-border payments for the bank’s clients in select markets, it announced in a press release on Thursday.

This relationship further cements InstaReM’s position as a leading provider for cross-border transactions. With InstaReM, KBank clients will be able to realize faster turnarounds, while providing certainty on delivery times and payout amounts, Prajit Nanu, co-founder and CEO of InstaReM, said.

“This is an important partnership for KBank at an exciting stage in our evolution. We are continuing to expand our cross-border payment capabilities into key markets across the world, as we are witnessing increasing demand from our customers.

Kasikornbank is Thailand’s second-largest and Southeast Asia’s eighth-largest bank in terms of total assets, at $96.9 billion, according to data from Forbes. At $14.5 billion, it is also the country’s largest bank in terms of market capitalization.

InstaReM, which has a presence in 40+ countries in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe enables low-cost cross-border payments to 55+ countries. It has enhanced its payments capabilities by partnering global payments leaders like Ripple, Visa and First Data.

In March, the firm announced the close of its $41-million Series C funding round, which will be used to support growth and expansion to new markets, including opening a regional headquarters in Latin America and expanding its teams in London and Seattle, the firm said. This brings the total funding InstaReM has raised to $59.5 million since it started operations in 2015.

It is expected to receive licenses for Japan and Indonesia later this year, and continues to prepare for an initial public offering, planned for 2021.