In 2014, Elias Ghanem and Sirish Kumar founded Telr as they saw that emerging markets were in need of good, effective local solutions to enable buyers and sellers to trade in local currencies. The young startup sought to enable merchants to provide online payments through its 100% owned technology platform and its bank partnerships.

After their initial funding of Telr, iMENA quickly began leveraging their extensive network to help Telr hit the ground running.  iMENA went with an all hands on deck approach to support Telr’s operations, funding, and strategy.

“The investor pool behind iMENA is what makes them fantastic partners for us, from telecos to banks to big corporations. These are door openers and businesses themselves.”
—Elias Ghanem, Telr co-founder

Telr is adamant on expanding and finding an alternative solution to cash on delivery as the banked population in its key markets makes its transition online.

Today, Telr stands to be more than a payment gateway as it provides customized payment solutions critical to the growth of online businesses.

“We are committed to working hand in hand with our merchants to provide them with all the necessary tools to grow their consumer base without the need for them to invest too much into their technical infrastructure. Our success is derived from theirs, so we will continue to provide all the necessary support to help them grow”.
— Sirish Kumar Kumar, Telr co-founder and CEO