Singapore fintech firm Nium reports $50b annual transactions

Nium, a Singapore-based cross-border payments firm, reported its first EBITDA-positive month in July 2025, said CEO Prajit Nanu.

Nanu said this was the company’s highest month for both revenue and transaction volumes since its founding ten years ago.

He added that Nium now processes nearly US$50 billion in annual payment volume, with most activity coming from enterprise clients.

Nanu also said the company is focusing on integrating AI into its operations, citing its potential to change global money movement in the coming years.

🔗 Source: Prajit Nanu

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Cross-border payment companies face extended paths to profitability despite massive market opportunity

Nium’s milestone of achieving EBITDA positivity after 10 years reflects the challenging economics that fintech companies face in the payments space, even when processing substantial volumes.

The company now moves nearly $50 billion annually yet only recently turned profitable, demonstrating how scale doesn’t automatically translate to profitability in cross-border payments1.

This extended timeline to profitability contrasts with the industry’s massive growth potential, as the cross-border payments market is projected to reach $65 trillion by 20322.

Nium’s journey mirrors the broader challenge in the sector where companies like Nium have raised over $300 million in funding and achieved “Centaur status” with $100 million in aggregate net revenue, yet still required a decade to reach sustainable profitability3.

The gap between revenue scale and profit margins in cross-border payments reflects the significant infrastructure costs, regulatory compliance expenses, and competitive pricing pressures that characterize this market.

2️⃣ AI investment timing aligns with broader financial services transformation

Nium’s CEO emphasizing AI as the next major focus comes at a moment when the banking sector is investing heavily in artificial intelligence technologies.

The financial services sector invested approximately $35 billion in AI in 2023, with banking alone accounting for $21 billion of that investment4.

Currently, 78% of organizations are using AI in at least one business function, indicating widespread adoption across the industry4.