Tensec, a company focused on transforming cross-border financial services, has raised $12m in a seed funding round aimed at disrupting the $190tn global payments market.
The investment round was led by Costanoa Ventures, with participation from Quiet Capital, WillowTree Investments, Cambrian VC, Ignia Partners, Montage Ventures, Renegade Partners, and Endeavor Scale Up Ventures.
Tensec offers a real-time, no-integration platform that enables global trading companies to deliver foreign exchange, cross-border payments, treasury services, and transaction banking directly to their clients—primarily small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that are often overlooked by traditional financial institutions.
With the newly secured capital, Tensec plans to accelerate its global expansion, particularly targeting the APAC and EU markets. The firm anticipates supporting $30bn in annual trade volume through its platform, up from the current $10bn. The funding will also be used to enhance product features and scale the company’s infrastructure.
The company’s platform provides end-to-end financial services without the need for APIs or coding, enabling onboarding in minutes. Clients benefit from real-time FX rates, compliance automation, and access to banking services in over 150 countries and 70 currencies, supported in the US through Stearns Bank, Member FDIC.
Tensec CEO and co-founder Helcio Nobre said, “SMBs drive nearly half of global trade but have long been excluded from the financial tools that larger players rely on. We’re flipping the model by empowering global trading companies to deliver these services directly to their partners—making global commerce faster, cheaper and more accessible.”
Costanoa Ventures partner Amy Cheetham added, “Tensec lets global trade companies seamlessly integrate financial services to better serve their clients. It’s a win-win—new revenue for trading companies and modern financial tools for SMBs who’ve been underserved for decades.”
The platform’s holistic approach also includes AI-powered compliance, KYB/KYC automation, USD FX hedging, and unified revenue and risk management capabilities. Tensec’s solution is designed to replace legacy systems like SWIFT that still underpin much of today’s cross-border transactions.
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