As we begin our second year, Maria Chibbaro, company co-founder and head of business development, takes us behind the scenes of Paylume’s growth story, explaining how she and the Paylume team have embraced challenges head-on and pursued every opportunity.
Paylume’s journey in 2025 was a whirlwind. We have been thrilled to enter 2026 in a new and bigger office, and to have implemented transformative change, both internally and externally.
The Paylume team went from 3 members of staff, me, and my fellow co-founders Frederic Barbaix and Kjeld Herreman, in January 2025 to having grown sixfold to a team of 18 today.
In these last 12 months, Paylume has had the privilege of working with 29 customers spanning 5 continents and in next 12 months, we want to grow further.
The First Year
My first year as an entrepreneur has been a thrilling and deeply rewarding journey.
A few weeks ago, I met a friend and found myself reflecting on this new step in my life, and how different it feels to build something of your own, where you can put your own values and ideas to the table. This means that you can build your future with a selected team of people in the direction of your own believes.
I always dreamed of building my own business. Being naturally cautious, it took real courage to take that leap into the unknown.
Looking back at the past year, the journey has been incredibly rewarding, and has seen us build a company from the ground up and pouring my heart and soul into it. This experience has not only been satisfying but has strengthened my belief in what’s possible when you commit fully.
I feel especially fortunate for the level of trust we have earned in the market.
From the very beginning, people in the industry believed in us.
People took risks. These were not only financial ones, but personal ones, and choosing to join our story as partners, clients, and collaborators.
That belief is both humbling and inspiring. It reminds us of our responsibility to create real value, both for those we serve and those we work alongside, while sharing the passion that drives us forward.
Creating Social Impact Through Financial Inclusion
What makes this journey even more meaningful is the impact of our work.
Through initiatives that support financial inclusion and collaboration with institutions such as the World Bank, UNCDF and the UNDP, we are contributing to positive social outcomes all around the globe.
We, for example, placed our trust in the Balkans, and in return, we are helping real people create tangible change. This is helping European countries on their path to EU membership, which will drive economic and social change across the region.
Knowing that our work creates meaningful value for society gives us a profound sense of purpose, and a level of satisfaction beyond what we ever imagined.
Building A World-Class Team
Paylume has been also fortunate to attract outstanding professionals from across the world, creating a truly diverse and dynamic team.
The team brings hands-on experience from diverse backgrounds, including global financial institutions, payments software vendors such as FIS and Finastra, and national infrastructures like SWIFT and Pay.UK.
Their expertise also spans advisory services and even journalism, creating a uniquely well-rounded perspective.
Working alongside top-class talent with a world-class mindset, elevates everything that we do, fostering healthy collaboration, but also the space to challenge each other constructively. This great collaboration creates a vibe of cohesion and fun.
Our team possess expertise across critical areas for payments, both wholesale and retail, and are clued up on significant topics such as the ISO 20022 and instant payment implementation.
We also stay ahead of industry trends, exploring opportunities in stablecoin assets, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and open banking ecosystems.
By bringing together technical excellence with strategic foresight, Paylume’s staff are able to deliver solutions that not only meet today’s needs but anticipate tomorrow’s demands.
It is this culture of teamwork and learning that guarantees that our customers receive exceptional service and transformative outcomes, whatever their ask of us is.
The Year Ahead
Looking ahead to 2026, our vision is one of continued growth and innovation.
I would love that Paylume continues to harness its expertise across different fields such as open banking and cross-border payments, while tackling new challenges too.
We are hiring, growing alongside our customers, welcoming new clients, and will be at key industry events like Sibos and EBAday to stay connected with our customers and the new one we will encounter on the way.
The journey is far from over, and that is what makes it so exciting.
