Primer expands in APAC with Singapore launch, new tools

Primer has incorporated in Singapore as it pursues further growth in the Asia-Pacific region, reporting a 239% year-on-year increase in payment volume for the area.

The company, which positions itself as a unified infrastructure provider for global payments, cited Asia-Pacific as its fastest-growing territory. The move to formally incorporate in Singapore is part of Primer's regional expansion plans and is intended to support its ambitions within the payments ecosystem.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Gabriel Le Roux commented on the company's outlook in the region: "APAC is our fastest growing region globally. Highly fragmented and dominated by local players, the payments landscape is in need of disruption, as businesses increasingly seek to leverage payments to drive growth. Primer continues to hold a unique position in the ecosystem. Built to be agnostic and global from day one, we're redefining how payments are accepted, optimised, and managed. By strengthening our presence in Singapore, we're gearing up for another strong year in the region."

The company's growth over the past year has been buoyed by partnerships with regional businesses such as Pelago by Singapore Airlines, the India-based online travel agency HappyEasyGo, and crypto infrastructure provider Banxa. Primer has also expanded its integration portfolio, adding 17 new partners, including J.P. Morgan Chase and Airwallex.

Primer forecasts that its infrastructure will see rising adoption in China, driven by interest from industries such as gaming, travel, and the creator economy. The company states that it enables Chinese merchants to access local integrations and strategic partnerships, aiming to help them scale into new markets and improve authorisation rates. Tencent invested in Primer in late 2023, supporting the company's growth and expansion in China.

Operating a remote-first model across 30 markets, Primer has managed its growth without a physical office. Incorporating in Singapore is expected to ease access to the local talent pool, with the company's headcount there having more than doubled in the past four years.

The company's approach to organisational structure and work environment was addressed by Caitriona Staunton, Vice President of People, who joined the company following roles at Atlassian and Google. She said, "Singapore offers a unique mix of skilled, globally connected talent. Our APAC team includes multilingual experts who bring deep local payment knowledge and a global outlook essential for supporting merchants across diverse markets. As a company that's been remote since day one, we've had the freedom to build a team around the best talent, not limited by location, which has been a real advantage in serving our customers."

The company operates with a flexible work policy, providing access to co-working spaces in Singapore, holding biannual international "Workations", an annual company-wide retreat, and offering an unlimited vacation policy to its staff.

Responding to increased interest from emerging markets, Primer recently launched an initiative called "Primer for Growth", which is tailored to empower startups. This offering is designed to provide startups and scaleups with access to the company's suite of products and services, including one year of complimentary access to its intelligence tools for qualifying businesses.

According to Primer research, 94% of startups—defined as businesses with 50 people or fewer—do not expect their current payment setup to meet their future needs within the next 12 months. This finding underscores the objectives of the new initiative.

Le Roux addressed this, "More startups are seeing that how they handle payments can help them grow, and we want to be the partner that helps them make the most of it. With Primer for Growth, we're making it possible for startups to access the same powerful tools as global enterprises, from fraud prevention and smart routing to performance monitoring and optimisation."

"We're seeing strong interest in Primer's capabilities from tech-savvy startups and scaleups, particularly in fast-growing markets like China. By extending our offer to these companies, we're helping them build on the best payment stack from day one, with the flexibility, support, and expert guidance they need as they grow and scale."