PayU is a global payments and fintech company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It operates as a subsidiary of Prosus NV, the Amsterdam-listed consumer internet group spun out of South Africa's Naspers in 2019. PayU was established in its current corporate form in the early 2000s as Naspers expanded its payments operations across emerging markets, and it has grown into one of the largest payment platforms outside China, processing transactions in more than 50 countries across Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Beyond payments infrastructure, PayU runs an active corporate venture and strategic investment arm focused on fintech companies at the intersection of credit, digital payments, and financial inclusion. Its investment thesis targets high-growth markets where traditional banking penetration remains low. The company does not publicly disclose a formal assets-under-management figure for its venture activity, as deals are made from the balance sheet rather than a dedicated fund structure. PayU's parent Prosus reported group net asset value exceeding $100 billion at various points, providing a substantial capital base for strategic bets.
Notable investments
- PaySense – Indian consumer lending platform; PayU led early rounds before merging the business with LazyPay to form a combined digital credit unit.
- LazyPay – buy-now-pay-later and credit product for India; folded into PayU's broader credit business after strategic acquisition.
- Kreditech / Monedo – Hamburg-based AI-driven consumer lending startup operating in emerging markets; PayU backed the company, which later underwent restructuring.
- Iyzico – Turkish online payments company; acquired by PayU in 2019 to anchor its presence in Turkey.
- Red Dot Payment – Southeast Asian payment gateway; PayU acquired a controlling stake to expand into Singapore and the broader ASEAN corridor.
- Wibmo – Indian digital payments security and authentication company; fully acquired by PayU to strengthen its 3-D Secure and fraud-prevention stack.
- ZestMoney – Indian BNPL startup; PayU was among early backers before the company faced financial difficulty in 2023.
Public information on PayU's direct blockchain or crypto-native portfolio positions is limited. The company has explored crypto payment rails and stablecoin settlement for its merchant network but has not publicly announced dedicated crypto-fund investments as of early 2026.
Team
Mario Shiliashki has served as CEO of PayU, taking over leadership as the company repositioned its strategy following a collapsed merger with Indian payments giant BillDesk. The $4.7 billion BillDesk deal – announced in 2021 – was called off in 2022 after the Competition Commission of India did not grant approval within the required window, marking one of the most significant setbacks in PayU's history. Laurent le Moal, a long-serving executive who shaped PayU's global expansion, departed following the strategic reset. The company has not publicly named a formal Chief Investment Officer for its venture activity; investment decisions are coordinated through business unit heads and the Prosus group strategy team in Amsterdam.
Recent activity
After the BillDesk collapse, PayU shifted focus toward consolidating its existing markets rather than pursuing large-scale acquisitions. In India – its largest single market – the company concentrated on growing its credit portfolio and integrating LazyPay and PaySense. In Latin America, PayU expanded merchant coverage in Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil. Prosus has simultaneously been buying back Naspers shares using proceeds from asset disposals, which has reduced the capital available for aggressive new bets and pushed PayU toward organic growth.
In 2024 and 2025, PayU continued to selectively explore fintech partnerships in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, two regions where its payment volume has grown but where it lacks the dominant position it holds in India. There has been no announced major acquisition since the BillDesk failure. The company faces intensifying competition in India from Razorpay, Cashfree, and Juspay, all of which have attracted large venture rounds from global investors.
As a strategic corporate investor, PayU brings distribution and regulatory infrastructure to portfolio companies rather than pure capital. Its strongest advantage is merchant access across 50-plus markets. The failed BillDesk deal exposed the limits of its M&A ambition under regulatory scrutiny, and the company's near-term outlook is more modest – focused on profitability and integration of existing assets rather than transformative deals. Investors and observers can track Prosus group disclosures through the Prosus investor relations page and PayU's own corporate site.