LONDON , April 23,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To accelerate its growth in
the United States and its presence
in the fast-expanding online gaming market, Thunes, a global
cross-border payments company, is proud to announce that it signed
a definitive agreement to acquire Tilia LLC, an all-in-one payments
platform. Tilia is licensed in 48 U.S. states and territories and
offers payment solutions (acceptance and pay-outs) for online
games, virtual worlds, creator economies, and in-app purchases.
Upon closing of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory
approvals, Thunes' bespoke global network to accept and pay in
real-time through four billion bank accounts, three billion digital
wallets and 550 Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) will become
available to merchants across the United
States, including current Tilia customers. Using Tilia's
technology, Thunes will be able to offer Visa, MasterCard, American
Express, JCB and UnionPay acceptance to Thunes' customers.
As part of the transaction, Thunes and Linden Research, Inc.
("Linden Lab"), the current majority owner of Tilia, have agreed to
an exclusive five-year partnership in which, post closing, Thunes
will provide payment processing and pay-outs to Linden Lab,
leveraging Thunes' global network – allowing gamers to pay, and to
receive money real-time, in a more cost-efficient way and with
increased transparency.
Floris de Kort, CEO of
Thunes, says, "The acquisition of Tilia demonstrates our ambition
in the United States. This
investment will enable us to leverage Tilia's capabilities to
provide merchants with direct money movement solutions in and out
of the United States. Furthermore,
Tilia's deep expertise in online gaming, virtual worlds and
token-based payments will greatly accelerate our growth into that
fast-growing, exciting industry."
Brad Oberwager, CEO of
Linden Lab, says, "Thunes is an exceptional company that directly
connects nearly every payment method and market worldwide. The
combination of Tilia and Thunes will give Linden Lab's customers
more payment choices, and the ability to receive pay-outs in real
time, anywhere, into the wallet or bank account of their choice. It
will be business as usual for our people and our customers as we
bring Tilia and Thunes together."
Subject to regulatory approval, after the acquisition closes,
Tilia will be rebranded as Thunes and will remain based in
San Francisco.
Contact:
Flo Holt, PR Account Manager, Headland,
fholt@headlandconsultancy.com,
+44 (0)7311 369 938
Rebecca Hackworth, Director,
Corporate Communications, Thunes, rebecca.hackworth@thunes.com, +44
(0)7447 459 656
About Thunes:
Thunes is a global payment innovator enabling seamless, instant
and transparent money movement for the 21st century. Through our
expansive network, we empower our customers to Accept and Pay in
real-time, closing the gap between payment systems worldwide.
Thunes currently facilitates payments in 84 currencies across
133 countries, using over 550 payment methods, including 129 mobile
wallets like PayPal, M Pesa and Orange Money, gig economy giants
like Uber and Deliveroo and super-apps like Grab and WeChat.
Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes
has offices in 14 locations, including Beijing, Nairobi, Riyadh, Dubai, San
Francisco, Sao Paulo,
London, Paris, Barcelona and Manila.
With a mission to connect the world's population so that
commerce can operate in a borderless, frictionless way, Thunes'
network is powering the next chapter of the digital economy. For
more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/
About Tilia:
Tilia LLC is the all-in-one payments platform for digital
economies. Through its payments infrastructure technology and as a
licensed money transmitter in the U.S., Tilia is unlocking the full
potential of online economies by providing secure, regulated
transactions at massive scale. For more information, visit
www.tilia.io.
About Linden Lab:
Linden Lab develops platforms that empower people to
create, share, and benefit from virtual experiences. Founded in
1999, the company first launched Second Life, the ground-breaking
virtual world enjoyed by millions around the globe, in 2003, which
has since gone on to boast nearly two billion user creations and a
vibrant $500 million (USD) economy.
For more about Linden Lab, its products, and career opportunities,
visit its website.
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SOURCE Thunes