RemotePass, the UAE-founded global employment, payroll and spend-management platform, has raised $17.4 million in a Series B round led by EBRD Venture Capital, the company announced on 20 May 2026 (per Wamda). The funding brings total capital raised by the Dubai-headquartered startup to more than $30 million and will be used to accelerate market entry into Europe and the United States.
The round
EBRD Venture Capital led the round, with participation from 500 Global and existing backers Oraseya Capital, 212 VC, Access Bridge Ventures and Khwarizmi Ventures (per Gulf Business). The transaction is one of the larger MENA fintech rounds of the year and marks EBRD Venture Capital's continued push into Gulf-based employment and payments infrastructure.
What RemotePass does
Founded in 2021 by Kamal Reggad and Karim Nadi, RemotePass operates a platform that enables businesses to hire, pay and manage contractors and full-time employees across more than 150 countries (per Tech.eu). The system bundles employer-of-record services, multi-currency payroll, contractor onboarding, tax and compliance automation, and embedded fintech products such as cards and benefits.
Scale and milestones
The company says it has scaled to more than 35,000 workers managed on the platform and has facilitated over $800 million in cross-border payroll flows to date, according to its newsroom announcement carried by PR Newswire. RemotePass also says it reached profitability in early 2025 before choosing to reinvest into global expansion, AI capabilities and product development a rare position among growth-stage HR-tech startups.
Use of funds
The Series B will fund three priorities: geographic expansion into Europe and the US, deeper compliance and tax infrastructure in regulated markets, and a step-up in AI investment across the hiring, onboarding and payroll stack (per Business Today Middle East). The company has framed the move as a convergence of 'global employment and fintech,' positioning itself against larger US-based competitors such as Deel and Remote.
Why it matters for the UAE
RemotePass is one of a small cohort of UAE-built B2B software platforms operating at meaningful international scale, and the round reinforces Dubai's standing as a base for cross-border HR and fintech infrastructure. The capital raise also lands as the UAE tightens private-sector payroll rules from June 2026, increasing demand for compliant, automated payment systems among employers managing distributed and hybrid workforces.
