Cashfree Payments

Overview

Cashfree Payments is one of India's leading payment and API banking companies, providing full-stack solutions that enable businesses to collect payments and make payouts efficiently. Founded in 2015 by Akash Sinha and Reeju Datta, Cashfree Payments has become a significant player in the fintech industry with headquarters in Bangalore, India. The company has raised a total funding of approximately $44 million, with backing from major investors like State Bank of India. Cashfree Payments offers a diverse range of services, including payment gateways, vendor payouts, e-commerce refunds, and more, positioning itself as a robust platform for payment processing and disbursals.

Recent Developments

  • July 2024: Cashfree Payments launched Embedded Payments, a platform-centric payment solution, set to revolutionize how software platforms like ERP, CRM, SaaS solutions integrate payment experiences for end users. This development decreases complexity and improves the user experience.
  • July 2024: Received a Payment Aggregator-Cross Border license from the RBI, enabling the company to facilitate cross-border payment solutions for Indian exporters, freelancers, and global businesses.
  • March 2024: Raised a bridge funding round of ₹130-150 crore from existing investors. This funding is aimed at product enhancements and meeting the demand for new merchant sign-ups.
  • January 2024: Cashfree reported a revenue increase to ₹614 crore for FY23, though losses widened to ₹133 crore due to increased expenditures in payment processing costs and employee benefits.
  • December 2023: The RBI granted a Payment Aggregator license to Cashfree Payments, allowing them to resume onboarding new merchants, a crucial step following a temporary halt on merchant onboarding.

Company Information

AttributeInformation
Founding Date2015
HeadquartersBangalore, Karnataka, India
FoundersAkash Sinha, Reeju Datta
Revenue₹614 crore (as of FY23)
Profits-₹133 crore (as of FY23)
Key InvestorsState Bank of India
IndustryFintech/Payments
Number of EmployeesInformation not publicly available

Early History

Cashfree Payments was founded in 2015 by Akash Sinha and Reeju Datta, emerging from Y Combinator's startup accelerator program. The company was established with the mission to simplify online payment and settlement processes. Initially focused on streamlining payment collections and payouts, it quickly grew to accommodate diverse business needs. Its pioneering solutions like the Payouts API helped businesses manage payments efficiently, gaining early traction from major internet companies. The integration of multiple payment modes such as credit cards, UPI, and wallet options provided Cashfree with a competitive edge, allowing it to establish a strong foothold in the burgeoning Indian digital payments landscape.

Company Profile and Achievements

Cashfree Payments operates a robust business model that provides API-based payment solutions for businesses. It serves over 600,000 businesses, including major players like Zomato, BigBasket, and Cred.

  • 2016: Launched its signature Payouts product, leading in bulk disbursals in India with over 50% market share.
  • 2017-2018: Expanded services to include international payments and enhanced security features for payment gateways.
  • 2021: Achieved a milestone of processing USD 40 billion worth of annual transactions, reaffirming its position as one of India's top three largest Payment Service Providers.
  • 2023: Introduced the FlowWise platform, enhancing payment orchestration capabilities for businesses.
  • 2024: Launched Embedded Payments, a strategic move to integrate seamless payment experiences directly within software platforms. The company has consistently expanded its portfolio to include services such as auto-collect, a virtual account solution to unify inbound payment processing. Their solutions are designed to cater to varied business needs, from small-scale enterprises to large corporations.

Current Operations and Market Position

Currently, Cashfree Payments is highly regarded for its diverse payment solutions, supporting over 150 payment modes. Its API Banking, along with payment gateway services, enables seamless transactions for businesses of all sizes, including many prominent e-commerce and service platforms in India. The company's strategic initiatives aim to capture a larger market share by venturing into the cross-border payment sector, a segment poised for significant growth, especially with the recent PA-CB licensing. Cashfree is known for its customer-centric approach, ensuring high payment success rates and quick settlements, positioning itself as a preferred payment partner in India and abroad.

Conclusion

Cashfree Payments plays a critical role in India's dynamic fintech ecosystem with its innovative payment solutions. The company's ability to integrate seamlessly with various business models, support multiple payment formats, and offer robust API banking solutions has solidified its prominence in the payment technology industry. As Cashfree Payments looks to expand further into cross-border transactions and enhances its product offerings, it is well-positioned to continue leading in digital payment infrastructures, not only in India but globally.

References

  1. Cashfree Press Release
  2. Cashfree Official Website
  3. Crunchbase on Cashfree
  4. Moneycontrol Technology Article
  5. Business Standard Company News