The Stellar Development Foundation's Enterprise Fund hosted a panel featuring four portfolio companies: Tala, Shift Markets, Punto Red, and Cash Abroad. Each discussed their business models, how they leverage Stellar for financial inclusion in emerging markets, and their fundraising experiences with the SDF.
Daniel Kassanis, Head of Investments at the SDF, moderated a panel discussion with four SDF-backed portfolio companies. Tala uses blockchain to expand credit access to underserved populations globally. Shift Markets is building an FX marketplace on blockchain to reduce fees and settlement times in the $7 trillion daily FX market. Punto Red operates a large agent network across Latin America serving 20 million people monthly, now exploring blockchain for lower-cost payments and savings solutions. Cash Abroad is building a trade finance platform on blockchain offering 24/7 payments, faster onboarding, and better currency conversion rates for exporters and importers. The panelists emphasized that blockchain's real value lies in solving concrete problems like high fees, slow settlement, and market access, not speculation. They shared their fundraising journeys, highlighting how the SDF's four-pillar evaluation approach (financial inclusion, fundamentals, technical compatibility, legal due diligence) differs from typical VC funding and better aligns with their missions.
