Kadmos

What Kadmos does

Kadmos is a Berlin-based fintech founded in February 2021 by MIT graduates Justus Schmueser and Sasha Makarovych, with a UK subsidiary (KDMS Payments Limited) holding FCA Electronic Money Institution authorization. The company operates an end-to-end digital salary payment platform for cross-border workers, with the maritime shipping industry as its anchor vertical — serving shipping companies, ship managers, and their international crews with an employer-facing web portal (Kadmos Company Portal), an employee mobile app, an EU-based multi-currency e-wallet (USD/EUR/GBP), and a Visa-branded global debit card. Specialist features include KadPay (free, instant wallet-to-wallet transfers between users), KadPos (a digital point-of-sale for onboard seafarer expense settlement up to 1,000 USD/EUR/GBP), a Business-to-Business Payments module (SWIFT and SEPA rails), and local wallet integrations such as GCash in the Philippines for Filipino seafarer payouts. The platform is delivered via direct enterprise sales, self-serve mobile onboarding of invited seafarers, and — post-acquisition — through NYK Line's MarCoPay platform in Manila.

The business model is transactional: employer onboarding is free, the app is free for employees, and Kadmos monetizes bank transfer fees (especially non-SEPA/SWIFT), ATM withdrawals (3 EUR/USD/GBP per withdrawal), and foreign exchange margins on currency conversion, with shipping companies optionally sponsoring employee transaction fees. The company is FCA-authorized as an EMI in the UK, GDPR compliant, and headquartered at Rosenthaler Straße 36, Berlin, with a UK regional hub and operations presence in Manila. To date Kadmos has raised approximately €37.3M in venture funding across a March 2022 seed led by Addition and a July 2022 Series A led by Blossom Capital; in June 2025 Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) acquired 100% of Kadmos Holding GmbH, integrating it with NYK's MarCoPay platform to pursue a global seafarer payroll franchise of all nationalities.

Name

Kadmos

Legal name

Kadmos Technologies GmbH

Website

https://kadmos.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kadmos is a Berlin-based fintech providing digital salary payment infrastructure for cross-border workers, primarily seafarers. Its platform combines an employer payroll portal, employee mobile app, multi-currency digital wallet, and global Visa debit card, serving 40+ enterprise shipping clients and now operating as a subsidiary of NYK Line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-border payroll payments

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

akta.pro primary industry

Contractor / Freelancer Payments (FSAMAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG), Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF)

Keywords

• Cross-border payments
• Payroll automation
• Remittance solutions
• Digital wallet issuance
• Salary disbursement platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bank Transfer Fees: Fees charged for bank transfers, particularly SWIFT international transfers and non-SEPA transfers. Free EUR payouts to SEPA countries and free GBP payouts to UK. Details available in-app pricing section.
2. ATM Withdrawal Fees: Flat fee per ATM withdrawal: 3 EUR, 3 USD, or 3 GBP depending on wallet currency, in addition to any ATM operator fees
3. FX Markup on Currency Conversion: Revenue generated from foreign exchange spreads when seafarers convert and transfer money to their home currencies. Kadmos offers market-leading FX rates as a differentiator, but still generates revenue through exchange rate margins

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kadmos delivers an end-to-end digital salary payment platform that lets shipping companies pay seafarers and other cross-border workers instantly through a web application for employers and a mobile app for employees, backed by a multi-currency e-wallet and a global Visa debit card. The stack additionally provides KadPay for free instant wallet-to-wallet transfers between users, KadPos for digital onboard point-of-sale settlements on vessels, and a Business-to-Business Payments module over SWIFT and SEPA rails, all operated under FCA-authorized Electronic Money Institution status in the UK.

Product overview

Kadmos operates as a unified fintech platform offering end-to-end salary payment solutions for cross-border workers, primarily targeting the maritime industry. The core platform consists of the Kadmos Salary Payment Platform (employer web portal) and Kadmos Mobile App (employee interface) connected through an e-wallet system. The platform integrates a Visa debit card for global spending and ATM access. Key product modules include KadPay (free wallet-to-wallet instant transfers between users), KadPos (digital point-of-sale for onboard maritime expenses), Business-to-Business Payments (extending the platform to supplier/vendor payments), and local wallet integrations like GCash for Filipino seafarers. Following acquisition by NYK Line in 2025, the platform is being integrated with NYK's MarCoPay system to create a global salary payment solution for seafarers of all nationalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KadPay: Wallet-to-wallet instant payment solution allowing Kadmos users to transfer funds to each other instantly without transaction fees
• KadPos
• Kadmos Business-to-Business Payments

Products and services

• Kadmos Salary Payment Platform End-to-end digital salary payment platform for shipping companies to pay international seafarers globally, comprising an automated web application for employers, API integration with crewing software, real-time payment tracking, and supporting functions for employee onboarding and compliance.
• Kadmos Mobile App Employee-facing mobile application providing seafarers with access to their Kadmos e-wallet, salary viewing, international money transfers, FX services, debit card management, and onboard POS settlement features.
• Kadmos E-Wallet Digital multi-currency stored-value wallet allowing seafarers to hold balances in USD, EUR, and GBP (maximum balance 100,000 USD), perform instant transfers, convert currencies, and transact with other Kadmos users.
• Kadmos Visa Debit Card Global Visa debit card linked to the Kadmos e-wallet enabling in-store and online purchases, ATM cash withdrawals worldwide, contactless payments via Google Pay, and access to market-leading FX at point-of-sale.
• KadPay (Wallet-to-Wallet Instant Payments) Instant, zero-fee peer-to-peer payment feature enabling any Kadmos user to send and receive funds from another Kadmos user instantly via QR code or payment link, primarily designed for onboard crew transfers.
• KadPos (Digital Point-of-Sale for Maritime) Digital point-of-sale solution for the maritime industry allowing seafarers to settle onboard ship expenses via QR code or Kadmos user tag and allowing shipping companies to issue mass pay requests for onboard purchases, with transactions capped at 1,000 USD/EUR/GBP.
• Kadmos B2B Payments Business-to-Business Payments module enabling shipping companies and other enterprises to make supplier, vendor, agency, and other corporate payments alongside employee salaries from a single Kadmos Company Portal using SWIFT and SEPA payment rails.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced administrative costs through payment automation and removal of intermediaries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• MarCoPay (NYK subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2025MarCoPay is NYK's financial services platform in Manila offering loans and insurance for Filipino seafarers. With EMI license from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, it is the only digital-salary payments provider for Filipino seafarers. Kadmos will integrate with MarCoPay to expand beyond Filipino seafarers to all nationalities.
• NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 June 2025Japanese shipping company NYK acquired 100% of Kadmos Holding GmbH on June 12, 2025, with completion expected within weeks. Kadmos to be integrated into NYK's existing MarCoPay platform in Manila. NYK aims to unify Kadmos and MarCoPay to create the world's leading digital-salary payments provider for seafarers of all nationalities.
• The Mission to SeafarersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2023Kadmos partnered with The Mission to Seafarers to sponsor the WeCare Financial Wellbeing course. The course educates seafarers on financial wellbeing topics including money management, investing, and financial stability. Launched through United Marine Training Centre in Philippines with 12 qualified trainers.
• GCashcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 March 2023First local wallet integration allowing Kadmos to leverage GCash's 60+ million user network covering 83% of Filipino adult population. Enables companies to pay Filipino seafarers via GCash for faster salary disbursements and family support. Gentenox used this integration to reduce payment processing time significantly.
• NSB GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2022German shipping company NSB Group (headquartered in Buxtehude with offices in Singapore, Philippines, Korea, and China) chose Kadmos to digitalize and automate salary payments for seafarers. Managing fleet of over 70 ships with 1,700 seafarers.
• Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2022CSM, a global ship management company with over 40 years of experience and 15,000 employees on land and sea, partnered with Kadmos to automate and digitalize seafarer salary payouts. CSM provides crews with EU-based e-wallets and worldwide debit cards.
• International Maritime Employers' Council (IMEC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 June 2022Kadmos joined IMEC as affiliate member, gaining access to organization bringing together international shipping companies employing approximately 300,000 seafarers globally, with over 250 member companies in UK and Philippines.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Remitly:
• Wise (TransferWise): Global cross-border payments platform offering multi-currency accounts and low-cost international transfers to consumers and businesses. While not focused on maritime payroll, Wise's Business product competes for the FX and cross-border payout layer that Kadmos wraps with seafarer-specific UX.

Direct peers

• Deel: Global payroll and contractor payments platform serving employers paying cross-border workers. Like Kadmos, Deel addresses employer-side payroll compliance and cross-border payments to international workers, though Deel focuses on remote tech workers rather than seafarers.
• Remote: Global HR and payroll platform for international contractor and employee payments with built-in multi-currency wallets. Comparable business model to Kadmos in serving employers paying cross-border workers, with overlapping employer-side value proposition around compliance and FX optimization.
• MarCoPay: NYK's Filipino seafarer financial services platform offering loans, insurance, and salary payments with a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas EMI license. Now being integrated with Kadmos post-acquisition, it is the most direct functional peer — both specialize in seafarer payroll in the same maritime vertical.
• Papaya Global: Global payroll and Employer of Record platform handling cross-border worker payments in 160+ countries. Similar in providing employer-side payroll infrastructure with built-in payment rails, though focused on knowledge-worker verticals rather than maritime.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KadmosGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kadmos-io

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kadmos