Palla, a Miami-based fintech that facilitates instant international payments, has raised $14.5 million in a Series A funding round to grow its platform across new markets. The round was led by Washington, D.C.-based Revolution Ventures, with participation from a mix of U.S. and international investors including Y Combinator (California), Ardent (Canada), Cowboy Ventures (California), Meta Fund (Latin America), and DeepWork Capital (Florida).
The company’s technology allows banks and fintech firms to embed real-time cross-border payments directly into their own apps, bypassing the need for third-party transfer platforms. The model is aimed at streamlining how financial institutions serve customers sending money abroad, especially in regions with limited access to modern banking infrastructure.
Palla currently partners with over 30 financial institutions and distributors, mainly across Latin America and the Caribbean, reaching a combined end-user base of more than 150 million people. The company plans to expand into additional markets in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
David Golden of Revolution Ventures and Heidi Miller, former president of JPMorgan International, will join Palla’s board.
CEO Enrique Perezalonso, who previously worked in retail banking in both Mexico and the U.S., said the funding will go toward opening new payment corridors and introducing additional money transfer tools.
The platform is part of a broader trend of fintechs trying to modernize the international payments sector, long dominated by slower, fee-heavy legacy providers.
The lease replaces MSC’s prior agreement, in place since 2004, and maintains Port Everglades Terminal, LLC as the terminal operator. “This agreement strengthens our role as a vital global gateway for trade,” said Port CEO Joseph Morris.
The operation is expected to generate more than $161 million in annual business service revenue and support 425 jobs, with an estimated $10.5 million in state and local taxes projected in the first year alone, based on 85,000 container moves. Those figures are anticipated to grow over time.
The deal also transfers several permanent terminal upgrades to Port Everglades, including an office building, refrigerated container racks for 450 reefers, crane pads, and shore power infrastructure for 116 refrigerated containers. These assets are not being abandoned; rather, they remain in active use under the new lease terms and will become port-owned infrastructure.
Port Everglades, a key cargo hub linking the U.S. to Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, handles over one million TEUs annually. It is also one of the nation’s busiest cruise ports, welcoming over four million passengers in fiscal year 2024 – a 39% year-over-year increase. Overall, the port supports more than $26.5 billion in economic activity and nearly 193,000 jobs statewide
