Why We Invested in Caliza

Why We Invested in Caliza
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Originally published by Jake on LinkedIn here.

We’re excited to be partnered up with Caliza!

Alongside our friends at Abstract VenturesQED InvestorsRaliCap, and a number of international fintech founders, we're thrilled to help build the future of international fintech infrastructure.

I’m a strong believer in a future where borders are fluid and permeable, for both people and capital. And that allowing both to flow around the world more seamlessly can be a huge boon to reducing poverty and improving human outcomes globally.

I see Caliza as a core piece of infrastructure to allow people all over the world, from all walks of life, to participate in U.S. economic dynamism and level the playing field.

Financial institutions outside of America don't make US dollar accounts widely available to individuals or small businesses because of cost and complexity, so companies and individuals in places like Brazil and Mexico pay a premium for access to international merchants and services ranging from Amazon Web Services and Slack to Walmart and Apple. Nor do they have easy access to invest in US treasuries or US equities.

Caliza is changing this by becoming the first company to build infrastructure for a suite of compliance, banking, and payment services through USD Coin. 

Ezra Kebrab has been passionate about this space for years, since his time at Visa, and his passion is contagious. He’s pulled together an amazing team, as well as an amazing group of investors, partners, and initial customers, to put the groundwork in place for such an ambitious undertaking. 

Can't wait to see what's next! 🚀 🚀


Jake is a Founding Partner of BTV, which also runs The Mint, the pre-seed program for fintech founders. They accept applications and introductions on a rolling basis. Jake was also Co-Founder of NerdWallet.