KEO World
KEO World is a Miami-based B2B fintech that provides all-digital inventory financing and payment solutions under its Workeo platform, issuing revolving credit lines as American Express virtual cards to SMBs across the Americas that lack traditional credit access.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersMiami, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What KEO World does
KEO World, founded in 2020 in Miami, is a B2B fintech that delivers digital inventory financing and payment solutions under its Workeo product, targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the Americas that lack access to traditional credit. The company's core technology is an all-digital B2B Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and supply-chain inventory financing platform that issues revolving lines of credit in pesos or dollars as KEO American Express Virtual Cards, enabled by a card-issuance license that made KEO the first non-bank financial institution (NBFI) granted such a license by American Express in Mexico. Workeo is integrated within American Express Business Link™ as multi-product payment and collection rails, supports multi-currency domestic and cross-border transactions, and settles via card, ACH, wire, or blockchain. AI-based credit risk and NLP/deep-learning models, led by a CTO with a PhD in Computer Science, automate underwriting for thin-file SMBs that traditional banks reject.
KEO makes money through a combination of interest and fees on its revolving credit lines, merchant/supplier fees on financed invoices, FX margin on cross-border multi-currency transactions, and card-network economics from Amex-issued volume — i.e., transaction-fee, usage-based, and licensing/interchange revenue streams. Its go-to-market is hybrid: a direct, contact-form-gated B2B sales funnel qualifying SMB leads, plus enterprise channel partnerships with Ingram Micro (Mexico), BTG Pactual (Brazil), and Golden Eagles (emerging markets). The company operates through wholly-owned entities in the U.S. (KEO World Inc., Florida), Mexico (KEO WORLD MEXICO S. de R.L. de C.V. and KEO WORLD S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., regulated by CNBV), and Brazil (KEO Brazil Tecnologia LTDA.), and supports 16,000+ SMB customers across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Brazil with a 112-person, multi-national team. In October 2025, the company announced a $680M business combination of its Global Trade Card (GTC) program with Maha Capital AB, which plans to acquire KEO's credit operations and launch SEK 300M in capital raises — a material strategic shift that may redefine operating ownership of the credit book.
KEO World firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KEO World
- Legal name
- KEO World Inc.
- Website
- https://keoworld.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- KEO World is a Miami-based B2B fintech that provides all-digital inventory financing and payment solutions under its Workeo platform, issuing revolving credit lines as American Express virtual cards to SMBs across the Americas that lack traditional credit access.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KEO World industry classification
Industry- Product category
- B2B Fintech / B2B Payments and Lending
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trade & Invoice Payments (Cross-Border B2B) (FSAMAIAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG)
Keywords
Where KEO World is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
KEO World business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- B2B BNPL / inventory financing interest and fees: Generates revenue from its Workeo B2B BNPL inventory financing program by extending revolving credit lines in pesos or dollars to SMB buyers; revenue is driven by interest/financing charges on the credit lines plus merchant/supplier fees on each financed invoice, leveraged via a KEO American Express Virtual Card.
- Cross-border / multi-currency payment and FX margin: Revenue from cross-border B2B payments in domestic and cross-border transactions, including FX-related margin on multi-currency transactions (reduced FX cost and flexible forex purchase planning as value prop).
- Card-issuance / network interchange (via American Express partnership): Operates as a card-issuance licensee of American Express in Mexico (first non-bank financial institution granted such license by Amex in Mexico); volumes processed through the Amex Business Link™ platform generate network/interchange-type economics on transactions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based BNPL/inventory financing for SMB buyers and suppliers; pricing customized per business. |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
KEO World product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KEO World operates Workeo, a B2B digital payment and inventory financing platform that delivers revolving lines of credit (BNPL) to small and mid-sized businesses so they can purchase inventory and supplies from suppliers. The platform combines an AI-driven underwriting engine with American Express-branded virtual card issuance and multi-currency settlement rails to underwrite, transact, and finance B2B commerce flows across the Americas.
Product overview
KEO World operates as a unified B2B fintech platform anchored by Workeo, its core all-digital revolving line of credit for SMB inventory financing. The platform combines the Workeo B2B BNPL product, the Global Trade Card (GTC) program for cross-border commerce, and the issuance of KEO American Express Virtual Cards under an American Express card issuance license in Mexico. Workeo operates within the Amex Business Link™ digital payments ecosystem, providing multi-product payment and collection rails to systematize trade receivables, manage accounts payable/receivable, and automate supplier/buyer transactions across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Latin America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Workeo: KEO World's B2B all-digital revolving line of credit / inventory financing product issued as a Workeo American Express Card for SMBs.
- Global Trade Card (GTC)
Products and services
- Workeo
Quantifiable outcome
- Supporting over 12,000 SMB businesses across six countries via Workeo as of Feb 2022
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use KEO World
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KEO World technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
KEO World partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Golden EaglesflagshipStrategic alliance integrating KEO's fintech platform into Golden Eagles' global commercial ecosystem to provide real-time access to working capital and enhance cross-border operations across Brazil, LatAm, U.S., Mexico, Europe and the Middle East.
- Michal CieplinskicoreCo-Founder & Chief Business Officer of Pipe; former SVP at Lending Club and co-founder of Fundbox. Joined KEO's Board of Advisors to support fintech strategy and growth.
- Len PagoncoreChairman and CEO of Next Sparc Growth Partners. Joined KEO's Board of Advisors to support growth strategy. Named 2007 EY Entrepreneur of the Year; previously founded Brulant (sold in 2009).
- James CareycorePartner and Head of Originations at Next Sparc Growth Partners; former SVP at Peterson Partners and Director at H.I.G. Capital ($55B+ AUM). Joined KEO's Board of Advisors.
- Ingram MicroflagshipPartnership to offer Workeo as a non-traditional banking / digital revolving credit solution to Ingram Micro's technology-sector customers in Mexico, providing extended financing terms for recurring inventory purchases.
- American ExpressflagshipCard-issuance license partner: KEO was the first Non-Bank Financial Institution (NBFI) granted an issuing license by American Express in Mexico. Workeo American Express Card is issued by KEO under license from American Express. Co-marketing, joint Amex Business Link™ launch and Workeo multi-product payment/collection rails integration. KEO has launched the Workeo B2B Platform with American Express in both Mexico and Brazil.
- BTG PactualflagshipOfficial partnership launch in São Paulo, Brazil, to bring Workeo B2B financing and payment solutions to Brazilian SMB customers through BTG Pactual's distribution network.
- AlantracoreIndependent global mid-market investment bank that advised KEO on the arrangement of both the seven-year Hayfin $500M debt facility and the $20M growth equity financing round.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
KEO World competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pipe: Pipe offers B2B SaaS revenue financing and trading; while its core thesis is recurring-revenue financing, it overlaps with KEO in digital B2B working-capital products for SMBs. Michal Cieplinski (Pipe co-founder, ex-Lending Club SVP) is now a KEO board advisor, evidencing direct comparability.
- Resolve AI (now Footer): Resolve offers B2B net terms / buy-now-pay-later for SMBs and integrates with accounting platforms. Direct competitor to KEO's Workeo in the SMB BNPL category with similar supplier/buyer workflows.
- Hokodo: Hokodo is a European-headquartered B2B Buy Now Pay Later and trade credit platform for SMBs and marketplaces. Comparable to KEO in extending invoice-based credit to SMB buyers and embedding into supplier ecosystems.
- Fundbox: Fundbox provides SMB working-capital advances and lines of credit tied to invoices and recurring receivables. Comparable to KEO's Workeo in targeting underbanked SMBs with AI-driven underwriting and revolving credit lines.
- BlueVine: BlueVine provides SMB banking, lines of credit, and invoice factoring. Comparable to KEO in digital SMB lending and revolving working-capital products, particularly for underserved small businesses.
- TreviPay (formerly Apruve): TreviPay offers B2B trade credit and embedded payments for SMB buyers and suppliers. Direct competitor to KEO's Workeo in extending net-terms financing to SMBs and integrating into supplier/buyer workflows.
- Behalf: Behalf provides SMB working capital and net-terms financing through a digital platform for B2B buyers and suppliers. Directly comparable to KEO's Workeo inventory financing proposition targeting underserved SMBs.
Broad incumbents
- Brex: Brex is a broad incumbent in SMB corporate cards and spend management with embedded credit. Comparable to KEO in virtual-card-based SMB credit and B2B payments, but with a much wider product suite and US-centric focus.
- Ramp: Ramp provides corporate cards, bill pay and spend management to SMBs and mid-market companies. Comparable to KEO in virtual-card issuance and B2B payment workflows, though operating as a broader incumbent in spend management.
Regional players
- MangoPay: MangoPay provides multi-currency payment infrastructure, e-wallets and IBAN services primarily in Europe. Comparable to KEO's multi-currency, multi-rail B2B settlement capability, but Europe-focused rather than Americas-focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KEO World social profiles
Digital presenceKEO World compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
KEO World financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KEO World leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
KEO World subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
KEO World funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KEO World M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KEO World
What does KEO World do?
KEO World operates Workeo, a B2B digital payment and inventory financing platform that delivers revolving lines of credit (BNPL) to small and mid-sized businesses so they can purchase inventory and supplies from suppliers. The platform combines an AI-driven underwriting engine with American Express-branded virtual card issuance and multi-currency settlement rails to underwrite, transact, and finance B2B commerce flows across the Americas.
Is KEO World a public or private company?
KEO World is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was KEO World founded?
KEO World was founded in 2020. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is KEO World based?
KEO World is headquartered in Miami, United States, in the North America region.
How does KEO World make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. B2B BNPL / inventory financing interest and fees are the primary driver. The others are cross-border / multi-currency payment and FX margin and card-issuance / network interchange (via American Express partnership).
Who are KEO World's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pipe, Resolve AI (now Footer), Hokodo, Fundbox, BlueVine, TreviPay (formerly Apruve) and Behalf. Broad incumbents are Brex and Ramp. MangoPay is listed as a regional player.
Does KEO World have an API?
No public API is recorded for KEO World.
What industry is KEO World in?
KEO World's product category is B2B Fintech / B2B Payments and Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAIAL, Trade & Invoice Payments (Cross-Border B2B), with a secondary code of FSAMAIAG, Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services.