A global entrepreneur can land in Miami with millions in assets and a spotless credit history, and still get treated like they have no financial past in the U.S.
Karta just raised $140M to attack that mismatch with U.S. credit cards built for international, creditworthy travelers. The underwriting angle, and why Miami is a perfect test market, is the part to watch.
https://t.co/fkie2d79ty
#RefreshMiami #MiamiTech @conkarta
. @conkarta just raised $140M, but the structure tells the real story. $15M Series A led by @galaxyhq Ventures + a $125M credit facility from CIM.
The product? A premium US-issued credit card built for the world's wealthiest non-American consumers - distributed through 80+ private banks and brokerages (Raymond James, Itaú, Interactive Brokers, XP, Insigneo).
Here's the insight most people miss 👇
Millions of HNW individuals hold serious assets at US institutions, have decades-long banking relationships at home - and are still effectively invisible to the US credit system.
No SSN, no ITIN, no unsecured credit. They're stuck with debit, prepaid, or foreign cards that tax every swipe abroad (Brazil alone: 3.5% IOF before FX spreads).
Amex killed its International Dollar Card. Karta walked straight into the gap.
The mechanics:
→ Stablecoin rails under the hood
→ Underwriting against verified assets at partner institutions, not FICO
→ AI concierge over WhatsApp that books, disputes, and spins up virtual cards
→ Distribution through the banks that already own the relationship - not paid acquisition
The growth curve backs it up: Galaxy reports 10x revenue + payment volume in 2025, then another 4x in Q1 2026 alone.
My read on volume: cumulative payment volume has crossed ~$147M since Aug 2024, with monthly volume hitting a ~$34M peak in May. For a credit product targeting F1 drivers and World Cup champions, that's not breadth - it's depth per user. That's the whole thesis.
"Distribution, distribution, distribution" is the new "location, location, location" in fintech. Karta gets it.
Galaxy Ventures co-led @conkarta's $140M Series A alongside CIM.
Karta reported growth 10x in 2025, with revenue and total payment volume (“TPV”) up another 4x quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2026 alone and a target of $1.2B in annualized TPV by year-end.¹
This is a new US credit card with premium benefits for the global traveler, no SSN required.
It is unbelievable how valuable 1 person can become simply by mastering how to use AI properly. From the founder to cleaner of the office.
Genuinely the biggest opportunity of our time.
Karta is one of the best examples of how far you can go by solving problems for a specific subset of users.
They don’t have an X presence, and it’s pretty amusing knowing they charge around $300 yearly for card insurance.
Which honestly has to be one of the highest fees people would pay for a card in a space where CT users are used to getting cards almost “for free.”
But it works because they know exactly who their customers are.
Karta is positioned as the first premium credit card designed for global non-residents with access to a U.S. bank account.
Most high-net-worth non-residents traditionally relied on debit cards, prepaid cards, cash, or local cards with terrible FX and travel fees.
With Karta, users can apply using a U.S. bank account instead of needing an SSN or ITIN like traditional U.S. credit cards require.
They also help users build U.S. credit history while accessing U.S.-level interest rates and avoiding expensive travel fees.
And for qualified users, credit limits can go as high as $200k.
What’s even funnier is that they manage most of the experience directly through WhatsApp with AI agents handling clients 24/7.
To even qualify for an account, users need at least $100k in assets held in U.S. financial institutions.
That alone tells you the kind of clientele they’re targeting.
Most of their customers come from LATAM regions they even have a dedicated Brazil-focused website.
That’s what happens when you deeply understand your customer and build specifically around their pain points.
Karta is competing with banks.
“I’m not smarter than anybody else, but I can outwork you.” 👏🏻
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