Adam Swartzbaugh, Co-Founder & CEO at Almond FinTech

Company Overview
Adam Swartzbaugh is Co-Founder & CEO at Almond FinTech, a B2B fintech company transforming cross-border payments by empowering financial institutions and their customers with the best possible rates and near-instant settlements across all corridors globally. Learn more at https://www.almondfintech.com/.

Can you tell us a little about your background before starting at your company?

After dropping out of college to travel the world, Adam found his way to Thailand where he managed a disaster relief project following the 2004 tsunami. It was there he learned about human trafficking and child prostitution. After several months, he encountered ex-Special Forces officers running rescue operations for children enslaved in brothels. Inspired, Adam decided to become a Green Beret, returning to America and joining the military.

While completing college and Army ROTC, he started an NGO called The GENESIS Network to build schools and create alternatives for vulnerable communities with historically high trafficking rates along the Myanmar-Thailand border. He commissioned into the Infantry as a Reconnaissance and Sniper Platoon Leader in Europe and the Middle East, then joined the Special Forces and was stationed in Japan.

Adam realized that economic development was essential to solving these issues in a sustainable way and sought a more scalable approach that would benefit the existing entrepreneurial capacities of those with whom he was working. He recognized that financial inclusion was a prerequisite to accomplishing meaningful impact—a lack thereof currently affecting two billion people worldwide. This realization led him to pursue advanced degrees at Brown University, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Harvard Kennedy School.

Education:
• Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Brown University
• Master of Arts in Development Studies from Brown University
• MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management (as a Legatum Fellow and Tillman Scholar, 2019-2021)
• Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School (as a Center for Public Leadership Fellow, 2020-2022)

How did you start at your company? What were the first steps you took to get it off the ground and how did you identify the need for your product/service in the market?

Adam’s belief in financial inclusion as a fundamental driver of economic mobility inspired him to search for solutions that could address these challenges on a global scale. Recognizing the transformative potential of technology, he pursued advanced studies at MIT and the Harvard Innovation Labs, where he developed the foundation for Almond FinTech’s groundbreaking platform.

For Adam personally, Almond is the next step in an ongoing effort to strengthen vulnerable communities against poverty and mistreatment. After learning about child prostitution and exploitation while managing a tsunami disaster relief project in Thailand in 2005, he started The GENESIS Network to counter human trafficking and create alternatives to black market economies in Southeast Asia. It became evident that economic development was essential to solving these issues in a sustainable way.

Market Need Identification:
Realizing he was only having small downstream effects without achieving long-term solutions, his efforts evolved into a prevention focus—building schools through Southeast Asia. He recognized that addressing root causes required economic solutions, and financial inclusion emerged as the critical missing piece.

The company identified that traditional cross-border payment systems often involve high fees—averaging 6-7%—and lengthy processing times, with up to 5% lost per transfer globally, representing $150B+ in annual global FX inefficiencies.

Company Timeline:
• Founded: 2020
• Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts (with office in Singapore)
• Seed Round: $2 million (December 2021)
• Series A: $7 million (November 2023)
• Total Funding: $9 million
• Key Investors: Morningside Ventures, SBXi, Qubic Labs, Valhalla Investment Network, Harvard Innovation Launch Lab

What innovations or unique features set your company apart from others in the industry?

1. Multi-Dimensional Optimization
Almond is the only cross-border transfer technology that leverages the collective power of all available blockchain networks in real time. While big institutions fight for marginal gains in FX rates, Almond beats mid-market rates regularly by optimizing routes across dozens of blockchains and hundreds of digital currencies.

2. The “Google Maps” of Global Payments
Traditional systems are like using a paper map in rush hour. What Almond has built is the Google Maps of global payments, navigating congestion, volatility, and inefficiencies in real time.

3. AI-Driven Routing Engine
Almond’s AI-driven optimization engine uses a vast repository of data to model optimal routing outcomes based on cost, speed, liquidity, and volatility on a second-by-second basis. The engine’s methodology continuously evolves to take advantage of new blockchain developments and newly minted tokens.

4. Comprehensive Multi-Chain Coverage
Currently, Almond’s engine utilizes the combined power of 103 blockchains and cryptocurrencies, providing unprecedented routing options.

5. Near-Instantaneous Settlement
The Settlement Optimization Engine provides near-instantaneous settlement for financial institutions globally, with 24/7/365 availability and T+0 settlement capabilities.

6. Performance Results
• Consistently achieves 10-200 basis points improvement over traditional FX providers
• 95% of settlements completed in under 10 minutes
• All active corridors have an observed vs predicted rate deviation of 10bps or below

7. Awards & Recognition
• CrossTech’s “Pioneering Global FinTech” award
• Multiple-time recipient of Harvard Innovation Lab’s and Qubic Lab’s “Impact Innovation Grant”
• Featured in FXC Intelligence’s Top 100 Cross-Border Payments Companies

What has been the most effective strategy for scaling your business?

1. Regulatory Alignment & Compliance-First Approach
Almond only partners with licensed financial institutions and adheres to country-specific regulatory frameworks, conducting rigorous due diligence and supporting full AML and KYC processes. Because the technology enables real-time settlement, exposure to financial risk is dramatically reduced. This compliance-first design positions Almond for the evolving regulatory landscape including MiCA (EU) and the GENIUS Act (US).

2. Turning Volatility into Advantage
The system mitigates volatility by rotating among stablecoins and other digital assets in real time, depending on performance and market conditions. Rather than being hindered by FX volatility, Almond converts intraday price swings and token inefficiencies into better execution and competitive advantage.

3. Strategic Network Expansion
The $7 million funding secured in November 2023 is being deployed to expand Almond’s rapidly growing network across Asia, the Americas, and Africa, adding new corridors and integration partnerships.

4. Performance-Driven Value Proposition
The company consistently demonstrates 10-200 basis points improvement over traditional FX providers, making the value proposition clear, measurable, and verifiable through real-time benchmarking against mid-market rates.

5. Strategic Partnerships & Infrastructure Integration
Building deep integrations with:
• Licensed Centralized Exchanges (12+ CEX integrations)
• Stablecoin issuers (USDC, PYUSD, EURC)
• On/off ramp providers for last-mile connectivity
• Financial institutions requiring enterprise-grade routing

6. Technology-First Market Positioning
Positioning at the intersection of emerging trends:
• Stablecoin maturity and adoption
• Enterprise treasury automation demands
• Regulatory clarity in key markets
• API-first, programmable finance infrastructure

Looking ahead, what are your goals for the future of your company?

1. Market Leadership & Category Ownership
Position Almond as the definitive “intelligence layer for global money movement” and own the “optimized FX infrastructure” category—similar to how Stripe defined developer payments. Almond aims to be recognized as the industry standard for programmable, multi-chain FX orchestration.

2. Capitalize on Regulatory Momentum
Leverage the changing regulatory landscape where blockchain and digital currencies have already “crossed the chasm” and are on a path to global adoption. Key regulatory developments include:
• GENIUS Act implementation (US, 2025-2026)
• MiCA framework (EU, December 2024)
• Circle (USDC) IPO expected in 2025
• PayPal PYUSD expansion into international corridors

3. Corridor & Network Expansion
• Add 10-15 new high-value corridors, particularly in underserved markets
• Expand support across additional blockchain networks (Solana, Base, Stellar, Polygon)
• Integrate emerging high-performance stablecoins and bridge currencies
• Build out last-mile connectivity with additional on/off ramp partners

4. Enterprise & Institutional Adoption
Deepen infrastructure partnerships to become the embedded FX intelligence layer for:
• Stablecoin issuers (Circle, PayPal)
• Custodians and crypto infrastructure providers
• Major payment networks and aggregators
• Corporate treasury teams seeking automation

5. Technology Evolution & Future-Proofing
Adam envisions a future where Almond FinTech integrates quantum computing to further enhance its computational capabilities, preparing for the demands of a rapidly evolving financial technology sector. Continue advancing:
• AI/ML forecasting models
• Real-time optimization algorithms
• Programmable treasury workflows
• Compliance automation and token/chain risk scoring

6. Series B Funding & Scaling
Execute Series B funding round to:
• Scale operational moat and network effects
• Expand corridor coverage (20-25% of budget)
• Enhance R&D capabilities (20-25% of budget)
• Strengthen compliance infrastructure (15-20% of budget)
• Accelerate GTM and customer success initiatives (15-20% of budget)

7. Data & Intelligence Layer
Monetize Almond’s unique real-time tokenized FX data through:
• FX optimization indexes
• Treasury-grade pricing feeds
• Corridor performance analytics for institutional clients

The Overarching Vision:
“There’s a clear, positive progression where blockchain is not just part of the financial system—it is the infrastructure. And Almond FinTech is helping to build the roads.”

Ultimate Mission: To unify the world’s financial infrastructure, making money movement more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible—with the same speed, precision, and accessibility as data moves today.

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