Here’s Paywatch. They’re an employee benefit platform and earned wage access provider (EWA) based in Malaysia. 

• Now, they just completed their Series A equity round with $20M!

Investor check. Artem Ventures and Kakao Pay joined the round. 

• The early tranche of the equity round was led by Third Prime and a consortium of investors including Vanderbilt University and the University of Illinois endowment funds.

‍

💰 Flexibility is key

Paywatch helps companies deploy EWA as an employee benefit, empowering salaried people to get more control over their earned wages. 

• How it works. Paywatch and their bank partners cover the funds accessed by employees. 

‍

Why it matters. Employees might need flexible payroll because of emergencies and other financial reasons. 

‍

⭐ Some more detail

Founded in 2020, Paywatch operates in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. 

• Their tech is used by Genting Group, Shangri-La Hotels, Shake Shack, Lotte Group, and more!
• They’ve also reportedly processed more than $200M in EWA transactions. 

‍

🔝 Coming soon

Paywatch will strengthen their suite of employee benefits solutions and core competencies. 

They’re also going to build their platform to become a multi-product fintech platform. 

• They’ll integrate their own proprietary cross-border remittance infrastructure, rewards system, micro-insurance, bill payments, and more! 

‍

Throwback. PayWatch raised a $30M Pre-Series A in 2024.