Japanese shipping giant Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) is making a bold move to strengthen its maritime payments services.
The company has confirmed its plan to acquire Kadmos, a Germany-based salary payment platform designed specifically for seafaring workers.
Although the financial terms remain undisclosed, the acquisition deal should close within the next few weeks, pending final approvals.
This strategic step expands NYK’s maritime payments reach far beyond its existing network in Asia and into global shipping operations.
Building on MarCoPay’s Success
Back in 2019, NYK launched MarCoPay, a dedicated financial services platform based in Manila, Philippines.
MarCoPay offers seafaring workers access to loans and insurance, helping their families gain financial security while workers are away.
Since then, NYK secured an electronic money issuer (EMI) license from the Philippine central bank to grow MarCoPay’s scope.
Because of this license, MarCoPay has partnered closely with shipowners and management companies to support Filipino crew members.
Now, with this Kadmos acquisition, NYK aims to expand maritime payments solutions to seafarers from all nationalities worldwide.
Kadmos Brings Global Reach and Innovation
MIT alumni Justus Schmueser and Sasha Makarovych founded Kadmos in 2021 with a clear mission.
They wanted to help shipowners and management companies pay crew salaries transparently and cost-effectively, eliminating hidden fees.
Kadmos quickly attracted attention for its innovative payroll solutions and cashless payment tools designed for vessel operations.
The startup raised a $29.5 million Series A round in 2022, bringing its total capital raised to $38 million so far.
Today, Kadmos proudly serves over 40 enterprise customers, proving strong demand for modern maritime payments technology.
NYK and Kadmos: A Powerful Partnership
Speaking about the deal, Kadmos co-founder Sasha Makarovych expressed strong confidence in the partnership’s future impact.
He shared, “Our plan is to leverage Kadmos’ global reach alongside MarCoPay’s strong foundation in the Philippines.”
Makarovych added, “We will also use NYK’s brand trust to sign new shipping clients quickly and grow faster together.”
Combining Kadmos’ international capabilities with MarCoPay’s success will strengthen NYK’s maritime payments dominance significantly.
Moreover, Kadmos plans to expand beyond payroll into cross-border B2B payments, corporate cards, and even cruise industry services.
This broader suite of financial tools aims to benefit shipping companies, cruise operators, and thousands of seafarers alike.
Standing Apart from Competitors
The market already has players like MarTrust, ShipMoney, and Brightwell offering digital payment platforms for maritime businesses.
However, Makarovych believes Kadmos stands apart thanks to its end-to-end reach and completely cashless ship operations features.
Kadmos enables virtual point-of-sale transactions and peer-to-peer transfers, removing the need for physical cash onboard vessels.
Unlike other solutions, Kadmos issues non-personalized cards with wide acceptance, so companies can deploy them quickly and hassle-free.
Its pricing structure remains flexible, allowing employers to cover crew fees while complying with the Maritime Labour Convention.
Competitors often charge a flat SaaS fee, but Kadmos customizes pricing to match each client’s unique operational needs.
A Promising Outlook for Seafarers Worldwide
Importantly, Kadmos’ team will stay on board after the deal, ensuring smooth operations and minimal disruptions to current customers.
Only slight management structure changes are planned, making the transition seamless for partners and crew alike.
Once integrated, the maritime payments platform will deliver secure, fast, and transparent salary transfers for crew globally.
For NYK, this acquisition marks another major step in digitizing and simplifying financial services across the entire shipping industry.
Therefore, the Kadmos deal strengthens NYK’s commitment to supporting seafarers’ well-being and driving digital transformation at sea.
As the shipping sector modernizes, solutions like this promise more trust, transparency, and efficiency for everyone involved.
Stay tuned as NYK and Kadmos work together to redefine maritime payments for the future of global shipping.