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Kadmos provides an end-to-end salary payment platform that facilitates secure and efficient cross-border transactions for international employees. The company's core offering streamlines payroll processes for employers, particularly within the maritime industry, while ensuring that migrant workers receive their wages reliably and without excessive delays or fees. Kadmos leverages technology to digitize salary disbursements, aiming to modernize global compensation flows for a geographically dispersed workforce.
The company was founded in 2021 by Sasha Makarovych and Justus Schmueser, who met while pursuing their Master's in Finance at MIT. Their entrepreneurial vision emerged from a shared understanding of the significant financial challenges faced by migrant workers and seafarers, who often encounter prohibitive costs and prolonged processing times when receiving international salary payments. This critical insight underscored the need for a dedicated solution addressing these specific pain points.
Kadmos primarily serves shipping companies and other businesses employing international staff, alongside the global migrant worker population. The platform enhances the financial well-being of employees by ensuring timely access to their earnings and offers employers a simplified, cost-effective method for managing complex international payrolls. Kadmos aims to become the definitive standard for transparent and equitable global salary payments, improving financial access for workers worldwide.
Kadmos has raised $47.1M across 3 funding rounds.
Key people at Kadmos.
Kadmos was founded in 2021 by Sasha Makarovych (Co-Founder) and Justus S. (Co-Founder) and Hambard Galstian (Founder's Associate) and Barnim Kühl (Founders Associate).
Kadmos has raised $47.1M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Kadmos was founded in 2021 by Sasha Makarovych (Co-Founder) and Justus S. (Co-Founder) and Hambard Galstian (Founder's Associate) and Barnim Kühl (Founders Associate).
Kadmos has raised $47.1M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Kadmos's investors include Alex Lim, 468 Capital, Addition, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, IVP, Lowercarbon Capital, Mato Peric, Rolf Schrömgens, Atlantic Labs.
Kadmos is a Berlin-based fintech company founded in 2021 that provides an end-to-end digital platform for salary payments, targeting migrant workers, particularly seafarers in the maritime industry.[1][2][3][4] It offers employers an automated web app for payroll management, instant payments to employee mobile apps, global debit cards for spending and withdrawals, and tools for international transfers with low fees and favorable FX rates, solving issues like high costs, delays, cash risks, and intermediaries for cross-border employers and their crews.[4][5] The company has shown strong growth, raising $38M total funding including a $29M Series A, and was acquired 100% by NYK in June 2025 to expand global seafarer payments alongside NYK's MarCoPay.[2][3]
Kadmos was founded in 2021 by MIT graduates Justus Schmueser and Sasha Makarovych, alongside experienced Head of Engineering Sergio Lopez (ex-tech co-founder at Moss), in Berlin with additional presence in London.[1][2][5] The idea emerged from recognizing how traditional finance restricts migrant workers—employers face global payroll complexity and fees, while workers endure payment delays, scams, or cash risks—aiming to deploy cutting-edge tech for universal access, even envisioning future Mars colonies.[5] Early traction built rapidly as a solution for seafarer payroll, leading to $29M+ Series A funding and the 2025 full acquisition by NYK, enabling seafarer-focused global scaling.[2][3][4]
Kadmos rides the surge in cross-border payments for migrant labor, projected to hit massive volumes amid 169 million international workers facing financial exclusion, particularly in maritime where seafarers power global trade.[3][5] Timing aligns with digital transformation in shipping—post-pandemic labor shortages, regulatory pushes for seafarer welfare (e.g., ITF standards), and fintech adoption reducing cash reliance amid rising FX volatility.[2][7] Market forces like e-money growth in emerging hubs (e.g., Philippines) and NYK's acquisition amplify its reach, influencing the ecosystem by standardizing efficient payroll, boosting crew well-being, and accelerating industry-wide digital payments adoption.[2]
Post-2025 NYK acquisition, Kadmos will unify platforms with MarCoPay to dominate global seafarer payments, targeting market-wide adoption and expanded e-money services.[2] Trends like AI-driven payroll, blockchain for remittances, and maritime sustainability (e.g., better crew retention amid talent wars) will propel growth, potentially extending to other migrant-heavy sectors like construction or agriculture.[3][5] Its influence could evolve from niche innovator to ecosystem leader, redefining financial inclusion for essential global workers and setting benchmarks for employer-employee fintech. This positions Kadmos as a fintech powerhouse transforming salary journeys from pain points to seamless empowerment.
Key people at Kadmos.
Kadmos has raised $47.1M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $29.0M Series A in July 2022.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 2025 | Moments Lab | $24.0M Other Equity | Gökçe Ceylan | Elaia, Orange Ventures, Supernova Invest |
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2022 | $29.0M Series A | Alex Lim, Alex Lim | 468 Capital, Addition, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, IVP, Lowercarbon Capital, Mato Peric, Rolf Schrömgens, Atlantic Labs |
| Mar 24, 2022 | $9.1M Other Equity | Addition | Atlantic Labs |
| Jan 1, 2022 | $9.0M Seed | Addition, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital |