Decentro rewards early employees with ESOP buyback after crossing Rs 45,000 crore in payment volume

Decentro, the rapidly scaling API banking and data infrastructure platform, has announced its first employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) buyback program, marking a significant milestone for the five-year-old fintech startup that now processes over Rs 45,000 crore in annual payment volumes.

The buyback initiative, available to early team members who joined during the startup's foundational years (~ 2020), offers employees the opportunity to liquidate up to half of their vested stock options at valuations delivering 3X to 10X returns on original strike prices.

From bootstrap to buyback: A founder's journey

"This moment represents more than just financial returns – it's a big validation for the belief our early team had in our vision when we were just another startup with big dreams," said Rohit Taneja, Co-Founder and CEO of Decentro.

"Having personally experienced the journey in my previous startup (Mypoolin), from working without salary during bootstrap phases to navigating cash crunches and then finally an exit, I understand the leap of faith that early employees take. This buyback is our way of honouring that faith & also helping unlock liquidity at specific milestones during the company’s journey."

The announcement comes on the heels of Decentro's recent Rs 30 crore Series B funding round, led by InfoEdge Ventures, positioning the startup among a select group of Indian fintechs that offer partial liquidity to long-tenured employees as a major reward for sustained contributions.

Riding India's fintech wave

Decentro's ESOP buyback arrives at a pivotal moment for India's fintech ecosystem, which has witnessed unprecedented growth and maturation over the past five years.

The startup's journey from inception to processing Rs 45,000 crore in annual payment volumes while serving over 1,600 enterprise customers, including NBFCs, banks, insurers, fintechs, and e-commerce platforms, mirrors the broader transformation of India's financial services infrastructure.

Strategic confidence in the Indian fintech ecosystem

Decentro's is also progressing on the flip of its parent entity from Singapore to India within the next 12 months, a move that underscores the company's long-term commitment to the Indian market and its confidence in the country's regulatory environment for financial technology companies.

This "reverse flip" strategy, increasingly adopted by successful Indian startups, signals Decentro's belief in India's capacity to nurture and scale global financial infrastructure companies. The startup is positioning itself not just as a domestic player, but as an Indian fintech with global ambitions.

Decentro's maiden ESOP buyback positions it alongside prominent Indian fintech names, such as Razorpay, Pine Labs, and Paytm, which have previously offered employee liquidity programs. These initiatives have become hallmarks of mature, high-growth fintech companies that prioritise employee ownership and long-term value creation.

The optional nature of the buyback, allowing employees to choose between immediate liquidity and potential future upside, demonstrates Decentro's confidence in its continued growth trajectory while providing flexibility for diverse employee financial needs.

"Fintech empowerment via infrastructure has been our north star from day one," emphasised Taneja. "This buyback is as much about rewarding past loyalty as it is about energising our team for the exponential growth ahead."