“Can a BVNK founder replicate Europe's virtual IBAN infrastructure in MENA to become the go-to cross-border payments layer for global companies entering the region?”
Founded in 2023 by the co-founder of BVNK, Fuse targets the MENA region's fragmented cross-border payments infrastructure. The company's core insight is that virtual IBANs — commoditized in Europe — are nearly absent across the Middle East, creating a greenfield opportunity for API-first infrastructure. Unlike BVNK's crypto-native approach, Fuse focuses on fiat cross-border rails (USD virtual accounts + dirham IBANs) for global businesses expanding into MENA.
Fuse's lending and capital products are provided by Hokodo.
Fuse was founded by George Davis (CEO, ex-co-founder of BVNK) and James Smith (CTO) and is founded in 2023, headquartered in Dubai, UAE.
Fuse has raised $6.6M in total (latest round: Seed, April 2025).
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Fuse and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.