NIUM + Visa. Building the Open Money network

There are a lot of companies that need the capability to be a fintech. Whether you’re an ecommerce site, offer online travel services, or if you’re a big retailer, sending and receiving money is crucial. But needing to be a fintech and having the capability of being one are two different things. And that’s where Singapore-based company, Nium discovered their niche.

When Nium created InstaReM, a product that simplifies cross-border remittances for consumers, they quickly realized that in addition to creating a wildly successful product, they had created something else that might even be more valuable: an infrastructure. They now have a platform capable of moving money around the world—and they could offer it to anyone who needs it—be it large enterprises, banks or financial institutions.

From the outside, fintech might look glamourous. You’re disrupting existing practices and providing consumers with exciting new choices. But sometimes figuring out how to implement a new process isn’t simple. Plus, working across multiple borders isn’t easy. Every country is different.

So how did they overcome the barriers and develop a platform that delivered on their vision? The answer for Nium was Visa Direct.

Visa Direct was a no-brainer. It solves the acceptance and destination problem. With Visa Direct, we can send money anywhere in the world directly onto a card. It’s a plug-and-play solution for enabling usage and acceptance of money.

—Aditi Sholapurkar, Strategy and Fundraising, Nium