FINANCIAL institutions and large enterprises in Jamaica are about to gain access to new, tech-powered payment and financing solutions as US-based fintech firm KEO World expands its global footprint to the island.

The company, which specialises in business-to-business (B2B) payments and inventory financing using artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, is entering the Jamaican market as part of a broader international push into 12 new territories over the next year.

“We are launching a very big programme together with American Express called the Global Trade Card, and this programme will also reach Jamaica,” said Paola Fidanza, CEO and founder of KEO World, during a recent investor forum hosted by Mayberry Investments.

As part of its growth strategy, KEO is also preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) and has expressed interest in a local listing.

“We’re targeting an IPO in the near future, hopefully within the next two or three years,” Fidanza confirmed.

Jamaica is among new markets as KEO ramps up efforts to increase its presence in the estimated US$125-trillion global B2B payments space. While KEO World’s current share of the global payments market is small, Fidanza said the company is positioning itself as a modern alternative to traditional transactions such as bank wires, cheques, and cash. He noted that the KEO ecosystem delivers stronger returns for banks than conventional lending programmes, improves financing options for buyers, and ensures faster and more efficient settlements for suppliers.

“All the other fintechs or propositions in the B2B financing space really target a different segment; they present a solution to very small businesses, and they normally use technologies linked to a consumer credit card. This represents a very small percentage of B2B, a single digit of the B2B transactions,” said Fidanza.

He explained that KEO’s solutions are designed to meet the complex needs of large-scale businesses. Unlike credit card-based systems, KEO’s platform involves no payment cycles or chargebacks. Each solution is tailored to the specific client, with terms determined by the company’s size, industry, and transaction needs.

The targeted companies within this segment require more efficient ways to finance purchases and manage invoice payments, along with better infrastructure for handling both cross-border and local transactions. Key features of KEO’s offering include integration with ERP systems, instant payment capabilities, and greater transaction transparency, allowing businesses to incorporate payment data directly into their accounting systems. Its digital payments solution, powered by AI and blockchain, has been adopted by American Express as its official non-card B2B payment platform. The system is currently live and processing transactions in Brazil and Canada.

“They [banks] all share a number of common needs. The success we’ve had in Mexico, and now in Brazil and Canada, shows that this model can be effectively replicated in any country around the world,” he shared confidently.

The company is already generating revenue in eight markets across North and South America, the UK, and the EU. It operates under two core business models. The first, WorkKEO, is its proprietary lending programme. The second, KEO B2B-as-a-Service, is a licensing model that allows financial institutions to use its payments and lending infrastructure.

Founded in Miami in 2020, KEO World initially positioned itself as a lender and became the first non-financial institution to obtain a card-issuing licence. It later launched WorkKEO, its lending programme, in Mexico, where it has since transacted close to US$1 billion. The company generates about 50 per cent of its revenue from merchant fees, with value created across all parties involved in the transaction process, including lenders, buyers, and sellers.