# Prajit Nanu

> Prajit Nanu is the co-founder and CEO of Nium, the Singapore-born fintech unicorn that has quietly become the plumbing behind global money movement for banks, airlines, and digital platforms. Starting with a frustrating attempt to wire INR 40,000 for a friend's bachelor party in Phuket, he built what is now a $1.4 billion payments infrastructure company processing over $8 billion annually across 190+ countries in 100 currencies. A commerce graduate from Mumbai with a sales background rather than a fintech pedigree, Nanu turned that outsider status into competitive advantage - building what incumbents told him was impossible.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Nium
- **Organizations:** Nium, InstaReM
- **From:** Mumbai, India
- **Nationality:** Indian
- **Education:** Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com), Economics, University of Mumbai, Secondary Education, Cardinal Gracias High School
- **Known for:** Co-built Nium into a fintech unicorn valued at $1.4 billion, Named to Forbes Fintech 50 twice, Named to CB Insights Fintech 250 three times

## Career timeline

- **2002** — Joined Agilisys India as Project Leader
- **2005** — Moved to Adventity as Manager of Sales and Support
- **2007** — Joined Capita Plc as BPO Solution Architect
- **2009** — Became Vice President of Sales and Account Management at WNS Global Services
- **2013** — Joined TMF Group as Director of Global Business Development
- **2014** — Co-founded InstaReM (Instant Remittances) in Singapore with Michael Bermingham after personal frustration with costly overseas transfers
- **2015** — Officially launched InstaReM consumer remittance platform
- **2016** — Introduced B2B payments platform alongside consumer offering
- **2017** — Processed $1B in transactions; expanded to UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia
- **2018** — Launched card-issuing platform; real-time delivery reached 50+ countries
- **2019** — Rebranded company to Nium (from Sanskrit 'neeyam' meaning 'rules'); InstaReM continued as consumer brand
- **2021** — Raised $200M Series D at $1B+ valuation, achieving unicorn status; acquired Ixaris and Wirecard Forex India
- **2022** — Acquired SoCash; company valuation reached $2.1B; net revenue grew to $80M+
- **2023** — Focused on strategic restructuring; projected revenues of $160-180M; announced US IPO ambitions
- **2024** — Raised $50M Series E at $1.4B valuation led by Brunei Investment Agency; revised IPO timeline to end of 2026
- **2025** — Launched Diners Club card for travel partners; joined Visa stablecoin settlement pilot with USDC
- **2026** — Appointed new CTO, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, and CMO to strengthen leadership team ahead of IPO

## Achievements

- Co-built Nium into a fintech unicorn valued at $1.4 billion
- Named to Forbes Fintech 50 twice
- Named to CB Insights Fintech 250 three times
- Annual inclusion on Financial Times High-Growth Companies list
- Built payment network spanning 190+ countries and 100 currencies
- Grew Nium's net revenue from ~$31M (2021) to projected $160-180M (2023)
- Led $200M Series D raise at $1B+ valuation in July 2021
- Set up Nium operations in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, UK, and the US
- Implemented $15M employee share buyback program
- Expanded Nium's card issuance to 34 countries
- Joined Visa's stablecoin settlement pilot for USDC cross-border payments

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Appointed three new C-suite executives: CTO Chandrasekhar Cidambi, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer Amaresh Mohan, and CMO Danielle Gotkis, as part of IPO preparation.
- **2025-11** — Nium joined Visa's stablecoin settlement pilot, enabling USDC-based settlement on supported blockchains for cross-border payments.
- **2025-03** — Nium announced partnership with G2 Travel to provide virtual card payments to hotel partners globally in 20+ local currencies.
- **2025-01** — Nium launched a Diners Club International card for global travel partners, expanding payment network options for online travel agents and airline partners.
- **2024-09** — Revised US IPO timeline from Q2 2025 to end of 2026, citing need to strengthen leadership team for public listing readiness.
- **2024-06** — Raised $50M Series E led by Brunei Investment Agency at $1.4B valuation — a 30% reduction from the 2022 peak of $2.1B.

## Links

- Website: https://nium.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/prajitnanu
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/prajitn
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/NiumOpenMoney

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/prajit-nanu
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-24