In a move underscoring the convergence of fintech and logistics, Japanese shipping giant NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha) is acquiring Kadmos, a Berlin-based salary payments platform tailored for seafarers. The acquisition will see Kadmos’ digital salary infrastructure integrated into MarCoPay, NYK’s financial services platform for maritime workers launched in the Philippines.
Founded in 2021 by MIT alumni Justus Schmueser and Sasha Makarovych, Kadmos was designed to simplify and secure cross-border salary payments for shipowners and maritime employers. With over 40 enterprise customers and $38 million in capital raised to date, the startup has built an end-to-end system enabling cashless ship operations — including virtual POS devices, peer-to-peer transfers, and flexible, regulation-compliant pricing for international crews.
NYK, which holds an Electronic Money Issuer (EMI) license from the Philippine central bank, has used MarCoPay to offer loans and insurance to Filipino seafarers since 2019. The acquisition of Kadmos represents its strategy to scale beyond a single geography and build a global digital payroll and financial services platform for seafarers of all nationalities.
Kadmos is expected to retain its leadership and team post-acquisition, with the combined platform aiming to support B2B cross-border payments, corporate cards, and future services for cruise operators and shipping firms.