- Deepanshu Shokeen founded PayBridge in 2018, raising INR 45 crore in Series A funding by 2021.
- PayBridge offers instant settlement within 5 seconds, supporting over 30 currencies and ISO 27001 compliance.
- Shokeen was recognized by Economic Times as a Top 30 Under 30 innovator in 2021.
Deepanshu Shokeen is an Indian technology entrepreneur known for founding the fintech platform PayBridge and serving as a mentor for several accelerator programs. He launched PayBridge in 2018, raising INR 45 crore (≈ $5.4 million) in Series A funding by 2021, and has since been recognized by the Economic Times as a top 30 under 30 innovator.
Who is Deepanshu Shokeen?
Deepanshu Shokeen was born on March 12, 1992, in Gurgaon, Haryana. After earning a B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Delhi in 2014, he joined a multinational software firm before leaving to pursue his own venture. His early work focused on mobile payment APIs, which later evolved into the comprehensive B2B payment solution offered by PayBridge.
What are the key milestones in Deepanshu Shokeen’s career?
2014‑2016: Early professional experience
During this period, Shokeen worked as a senior developer at Infosys, contributing to the development of cloud‑based ERP modules for banking clients. He authored two internal patents on secure transaction routing, which laid the groundwork for his later startup.
2017: Conceptualizing PayBridge
Seeing a gap in seamless B2B payments for SMEs, Shokeen drafted the initial product roadmap and assembled a core team of three engineers. The prototype was demonstrated at the 2017 India Startup Conclave, attracting seed interest from AngelList investors.
2018‑2021: Funding and growth
- January 2018 – Seed round of INR 12 crore led by Accel Partners.
- June 2019 – Launched PayBridge API suite, onboarding 150 merchants within six months.
- October 2020 – Series A of INR 45 crore, valuation of INR 300 crore.
- 2021 – Expanded to Southeast Asia, establishing offices in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
2022‑Present: Industry influence
Beyond PayBridge, Shokeen mentors startups at the NASSCOM 10,000 Startups program and serves on the advisory board of the Indian FinTech Forum. He regularly speaks at conferences such as FinTech India 2023 and has published three white papers on digital payment security.
How does PayBridge differentiate itself from other fintech solutions?
| Feature | PayBridge | Competitor X | Competitor Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant settlement | Within 5 seconds | 30–60 seconds | 15 seconds |
| API latency | ≤ 20 ms | ≤ 45 ms | ≈ 30 ms |
| Supported currencies | 30+ (incl. INR, USD, SGD) | 12 | 18 |
| Compliance | ISO 27001, PCI‑DSS, RBI‑approved | PCI‑DSS only | ISO 27001 only |
The table highlights PayBridge’s speed, broader currency support, and stronger compliance framework, which are frequently cited by analysts as competitive advantages.
What awards and recognitions has Deepanshu Shokeen received?
In 2020, Shokeen was named “Young Innovator of the Year” by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The following year, Economic Times listed him among the “Top 30 Under 30” in the technology sector. In 2023, he received the “FinTech Pioneer” award at the Global Payments Summit in Dubai.
How can aspiring entrepreneurs learn from Deepanshu Shokeen’s journey?
Three practical lessons emerge from his story:
- Identify a narrow pain point. Shokeen focused on B2B settlement latency, a specific issue that large incumbents overlooked.
- Leverage technical patents early. His patents attracted investors by demonstrating defensible IP.
- Scale with partnerships. PayBridge grew by integrating with regional banks and ERP providers, accelerating user acquisition.
Where is Deepanshu Shokeen now?
As of 2024, Deepanshu continues to serve as CEO of PayBridge, overseeing a team of 220 employees worldwide. He resides in Bangalore and is actively involved in policy dialogues with the Reserve Bank of India on open banking standards.
Philanthropy and social impact
Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Shokeen founded the PayBridge Foundation in 2022, a non‑profit aimed at financial inclusion for micro‑enterprises in rural India. The foundation partners with NGOs to provide free access to PayBridge’s API sandbox, enabling small merchants to accept digital payments without upfront costs. By the end of 2023, more than 4,500 village‑level vendors had integrated the platform, collectively processing over ₹120 crore in transactions. The initiative earned the “Social Impact Award” at the 2023 Indian Startup Awards, highlighting Shokeen’s commitment to bridging the digital divide.
Future vision for PayBridge
Looking ahead, Shokeen envisions PayBridge evolving into a “one‑stop‑shop” for embedded finance. The roadmap for 2025‑2027 includes:
- Launching a Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later (BNPL) module tailored for B2B procurement cycles.
- Integrating AI‑driven risk scoring to reduce fraud losses by up to 30 %.
- Expanding the currency basket to cover African markets, starting with Nigeria and Kenya.
- Building a decentralized ledger layer that complies with RBI’s upcoming tokenisation guidelines.
These strategic moves aim to cement PayBridge’s position as the backbone of cross‑border trade for small and medium enterprises.
Media appearances and thought leadership
Shokeen has become a frequent guest on business‑focused podcasts such as “FinTech Pulse” and “Startup Stories India.” In a 2024 interview with The Economic Times, he emphasized the importance of “regulatory sandboxes” for rapid innovation, a viewpoint later echoed in RBI’s 2025 policy paper. His op‑ed titled “Why APIs Will Redefine Indian Payments” garnered over 150 k reads and is now part of the curriculum at several Indian B‑schools.
Challenges and lessons learned
Every growth phase presented hurdles. During the 2020 pandemic, PayBridge experienced a 40 % spike in transaction volume, straining its cloud infrastructure. Shokeen’s response—migrating critical services to a multi‑region Kubernetes cluster—cut downtime to under 0.2 % and set a new reliability benchmark. Another obstacle was navigating the RBI’s 2021 “Payments and Settlement Systems” amendment, which required extensive compliance re‑engineering. By establishing an internal compliance task force early, PayBridge achieved certification three months ahead of schedule, turning a regulatory risk into a market advantage.
Mentorship philosophy
When coaching at NASSCOM’s 10,000 Startups program, Shokeen stresses three core principles:
- Data‑driven decision making – founders should let transaction metrics guide product pivots.
- Iterate on security – treat compliance as a feature, not a checklist.
- Build ecosystems, not just products – partnerships amplify reach faster than solitary growth.
His mentees credit these insights for securing follow‑on funding and achieving product‑market fit within twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Deepanshu Shokeen born?
Deepanshu Shokeen was born on March 12, 1992, in Gurgaon, Haryana, India.
What is PayBridge's primary product offering?
PayBridge provides a B2B payment API suite that enables instant settlement, multi‑currency support, and real‑time transaction monitoring for enterprises.
Which awards has Deepanshu Shokeen won?
He received CII's Young Innovator of the Year (2020), Economic Times' Top 30 Under 30 (2021), and the FinTech Pioneer award at the Global Payments Summit (2023).
How many employees does PayBridge have as of 2024?
PayBridge employs approximately 220 staff members across offices in Bangalore, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.
What educational background does Deepanshu Shokeen have?
He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from IIT Delhi, graduating in 2014.