Technology has profoundly transformed global trade. Using the internet, businesses serve customers overseas, teams collaborate across borders, and suppliers partner across the world. However, our financial system has not kept up. Anyone who transacts across borders is left to pay the price — in not only time, but also money.
Each year, businesses are estimated to send $250 trillion in payments across global rails. This money flows through a series of obscure tolls. Slow transfers, exchange rate markups, and transaction fees — these costs quickly add up. The unexpected consequences often include miscalculated taxes, unpaid invoices, or even worse — lost money.
Not long ago, I sent an international wire transfer that never arrived at its destination. Despite no clerical errors on my part, reputable banks lost my money for an agonizing period lasting over three months. Thus began my lesson on what families and businesses worldwide contend with as they navigate a financial ecosystem built for the past.
Solutions to these problems exist, but only for large companies and affluent clients. That is precisely the problem our latest portfolio company, Caliza, aims to address.
Caliza’s B2B payments infrastructure makes global commerce quick, low-friction, and responsive to the realities of our unpredictable world. With Caliza, businesses worldwide now have access to:
- International transfers, settled instantly, 24/7: gone are the days of waiting several days for a payment to clear.
- Digital dollar accounts: with individual credentials to trade, save, and invest globally.
- Embedded compliant workflows: that simplify reconciliation and adherence to regulation.
Caliza’s solution leverages the combination of real-time payments (RTP) and stablecoin technology to form the new infrastructure for instant and programmable money movement.
When we met Ezra Kebrab, we were struck by his passion for democratizing economic opportunity. Having worked at both fintech startups and global financial institutions, such as Visa, he developed a unique perspective on how to bring the best of these worlds together. If you believe in a future with fewer borders, come along the journey and get in touch with Caliza.
