Meet Serhii Zakharov, Founder and CEO of Payment Platform: PayDo

“The future of payments is ecosystem-driven. We are eliminating the complexity and high cost of payment fragmentation by building unified platforms that solve specific industry problems.”

Tell us about PayDo

PayDo is a comprehensive, fully-regulated payment ecosystem designed to unify all online payments in one place. We process over €5B annually by providing businesses with a single solution to manage diverse payment flows, including bank transfers, card acquiring, Open Banking collections, and mass payments. Our direct memberships with SWIFT, SEPA, VISA, and Mastercard allow us to eliminate intermediaries, reduce costs, and provide unprecedented control and efficiency.

The goal is to give businesses one contract, one onboarding, and one integration to handle their entire payment operations, freeing them from the burden of managing multiple, fragmented providers.

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

The idea was born from witnessing firsthand how payment fragmentation holds businesses back. I saw that legal, financial, and technical teams were being overloaded by managing dozens of payment providers, leading to operational inefficiency, strategic distraction, and compliance nightmares. Leadership was distracted from core business growth. I realized that businesses care about scaling and revenue, not about managing multiple counterparties. This led to the vision of building a unified ecosystem—PayDo—that consolidates these complex payment flows into a single, clarity-driven platform.

Tell us about your core product or service?

Our core product is a unified payment ecosystem. PayDo allows businesses to accept all online payments in one place. Key to our innovation is pioneering C2B (Customer-to-Business) Open Banking collection accounts, which revolutionize how businesses receive payments directly from customer bank accounts. Our service is built on direct connections and full regulatory compliance in key regions like the UK, Canada, and the EU.

This includes being a direct SWIFT and SEPA member for efficient international and European transfers, and a VISA & Mastercard Principal member for reduced costs and improved authorization rates.

What most excites you about the payments industry?

What excites me is the shift towards ecosystem-based platforms that progress together with customer demand. We are moving away from outdated, fragmented solutions towards unified systems that drive innovation based on real industry challenges.

I recently discussed this in my keynote speech at the FTT London Fintech Festival, where the core theme was how innovations like the C2B Open Banking collections we pioneered at PayDo are now becoming integral parts of a cohesive ecosystem. The fact that over 73% of users are willing to switch for a better user interface and API demonstrates that modern businesses demand this excellence, and it’s thrilling to be at the forefront of delivering it.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome along the way?

One of the most significant challenges has been guiding the company through major global disruptions such as Brexit, Covid-19, and geopolitical challenges. This required resilient leadership and a steadfast focus on building a stable, reliable platform amidst external volatility. Additionally, architecting a comprehensive ecosystem that seamlessly integrates multiple direct payment rails and maintains the highest standards of regulatory compliance across different jurisdictions is a complex, continuous effort that demands deep industry experience across technical, client-facing, and compliance teams.

What is your number one piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Focus on solving a fundamental and complex problem that creates a real burden for your customers. Don’t just build another app; architect a comprehensive ecosystem that eliminates friction and delivers clarity from complexity. Be a problem-solver through innovation, and build with resilience, as you will inevitably face significant challenges.

The value is in creating a unified approach that removes the need for multiple solutions and allows your customers to focus on what they do best—growing their own business.

What can we hope to see from PayDo in the future?

You will see PayDo continue to deepen its role as the unified payment ecosystem for modern businesses. We will keep driving innovation based on specific industry needs, expanding our suite of integrated solutions to further eliminate complexity.

Our vision is to be the definitive partner for any business that wants to operate globally without the burden of payment fragmentation, providing them with the control, efficiency, and reliability that only a truly unified ecosystem can deliver.