Qenta x Pipit: A New Era for Cross-Border Payments

Welcome to this edition of Fintech Forward, where we bring you the latest developments shaping the future of financial technology.

In this issue, we’re looking at two major moves in fintech infrastructure:

• Qenta’s acquisition of Pipit Global strengthens cross-border payment access for underserved regions.

• Persona secures $200M in fresh funding to build a global identity verification layer.

Both stories highlight how fintech is tackling the world’s most complex financial barriers—with innovation, scale, and purpose.

Let’s dive in.

Qenta Acquires Pipit Global to Expand Cross-Border Payment Infrastructure

Qenta, a Texas-based payments company focused on financial inclusion and regulated digital transactions, has announced the acquisition of Pipit Global, an Ireland-based B2B cross-border payments platform. This strategic move underscores Qenta’s ambition to expand its global footprint and enhance its infrastructure in support of underserved markets, particularly migrant communities and regions with limited financial access.

With this acquisition, Qenta gains access to Pipit’s extensive network of over one million pay-in points and integrations with mobile money systems across Africa, Latin America, and Europe. These integrations provide Qenta with significant reach and infrastructure, helping to facilitate cash-based and mobile money transactions in areas where traditional banking access remains limited.

As part of the acquisition, Pipit’s Co-Founder Ollie Walsh has been appointed President of Qenta. Walsh brings deep expertise in cross-border remittances, compliance, and financial accessibility. Under his leadership, Pipit developed a global network that includes access to over 300 million mobile money accounts while maintaining strong compliance and fraud prevention protocols. His motivation to improve remittance systems stems from personal experiences navigating inefficient cross-border transfers after moving from Ireland to England.

Qenta’s acquisition of Pipit marks a new phase in the company’s evolution as it looks to bridge traditional financial systems with emerging technologies like blockchain and AI. By integrating Pipit’s infrastructure, Qenta aims to offer more secure, faster, and lower-cost international transfers, catering especially to regions seeking to modernize outdated financial infrastructure.

The integration also strengthens Qenta’s position in a competitive global remittance market by combining cash, mobile money, and bank transfer capabilities with compliance-focused innovation. With the addition of four key team members from Pipit, including CTO Rory Ryan, Qenta is poised to deliver inclusive, transparent, and scalable payment solutions globally.

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Persona Raises $200M to Build the Future of Verified Digital Identity

In a significant boost for identity infrastructure innovation, Persona, a California-based identity verification platform, has raised $200 million in a Series D funding round, bringing its valuation to $2 billion. The round was co-led by Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital, with participation from existing investors such as BOND, Coatue, Chemistry, First Round Capital, and Index Ventures.

Founded in 2018 by Rick Song, Persona has emerged as a vital player in the digital identity space. The company provides identity infrastructure that allows businesses to verify users, automate identity workflows, and stay compliant with evolving regulations—capabilities increasingly critical across sectors such as finance, social media, travel, and AI.

This funding follows Persona’s $150 million Series C in 2021, which had previously valued the company at $1.5 billion. The company reports that it has doubled its customer base in the past year, counting OpenAI, Lime, and Heritage Bank among its clients.

In response to the rapid development of AI agents and automation technologies, Persona plans to use this fresh capital to expand its platform into a “verified identity layer”. This infrastructure will serve as a trusted backbone for businesses looking to verify identities without compromising on compliance or user experience.

The company is also exploring the concept of a “reusable identity” for individuals—an identity profile that can be securely reused across platforms, reducing the need for repetitive data entry and minimizing exposure to data breaches.

In addition to enhancing its core services, Persona has broadened its product suite to include workforce identity security and international Know Your Business (KYB) capabilities. These additions make Persona a more comprehensive identity partner for organizations navigating compliance in multiple jurisdictions.

Fintech at the Intersection of Infrastructure and Trust

Both Qenta and Persona highlight a growing trend in fintech: building resilient, user-focused infrastructure that serves global users without compromising on regulatory or security standards.

While Qenta tackles the inefficiencies in remittances and access to cash-based systems by integrating traditional rails with blockchain, Persona is focused on making digital identity both scalable and reusable across borders and industries. Together, they represent two essential layers of the modern fintech stack: trust and accessibility.

As fintech continues to evolve in response to globalization, migration, and digital transformation, these stories demonstrate how startups are redefining what it means to serve people where they are—digitally and geographically.