Cashfree Payments Celebrates 10th Anniversary with ESOP

Cashfree Payments has announced a significant Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) buyback program.

The move, aimed at rewarding those who fueled the company’s journey from a startup to a major fintech player, will benefit over 400 employees, including both current and former staff members.

Cashfree Payments Wealth Creation for ‘Cashiens’

The buyback initiative is particularly inclusive, covering 175 former employees who helped lay the foundation of the company over the last ten years.

By offering liquidity for vested stock options, Cashfree joins a select group of Indian startups providing tangible wealth creation opportunities despite a broader slowdown in the funding environment.

CEO and Co-founder Akash Sinha emphasized that the program is more than a retention strategy.

“We see ESOPs as a tangible way for our team to participate in the outcomes of our growth,” Akash stated.

This announcement coincides with the company’s move into a new 80,000-square-foot headquarters in Bengaluru, signaling a new chapter of physical and operational expansion.

Strategic Growth Amid Financial Shifts

While the specific valuation of the buyback remains undisclosed, the timing is strategic.

The company recently secured $53 million in funding led by the South Korean gaming giant Krafton.

This capital injection supports Cashfree’s aggressive push into the cross-border payments market, where it recently became the first fintech to secure the RBI’s PA-CB (Payment Aggregator – Cross Border) license for both import and export flows.

Financially, Cashfree reported an operating revenue of ₹640 crore for FY25.

Although the company faced a 14% widening in net losses to ₹154 crore due to increased marketing and tech investments, the management remains optimistic.

The cross-border segment already contributes 10% of total revenue, with a target to scale this to 25% by 2030.

The 2026 ESOP Landscape

Cashfree’s move is the third major liquidity event in early 2026, following substantial buybacks by healthtech firm Innovaccer ($75 million) and SaaS leader BrowserStack ($125 million).

These events suggest a maturing ecosystem where established players are prioritizing “shared prosperity” to maintain talent in a competitive AI and fintech market.

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