Thailand-based fintech firm Salary Hero has raised US$7.6 million in Series A funding led by Cento Ventures as it expands its earned-wage access business into Malaysia.
The funding round also included Malaysia-based Kairous Capital and M Venture Partners. The company has increased its credit facility to US$10 million to support its on-demand wage payment operations across the region.
Founded by Prabhav Rakhra and Jonathan Nohr, Salary Hero enables employees to access wages they have already earned before their scheduled payday. Its employer-integrated platform also offers financial education and budgeting tools.
The company began operations in Malaysia in the second quarter of 2026 and plans to secure 50 corporate partners in the country by the end of 2027. It is building a local team and developing partnerships with employers and distribution partners.
In Thailand, Salary Hero serves more than 300,000 employees across over 100 companies. The company estimates that its platform has helped workers avoid US$150 million in predatory loans. It also reports that its corporate clients have reduced frontline employee turnover by 15% to 25%.
The expansion comes amid concerns about financial resilience among Malaysian households. According to the 2024 Financial Capability and Inclusion Demand Side Survey by Bank Negara Malaysia, cited by Salary Hero, 61% of Malaysians struggled to raise RM1,000 (approximately US$237) for an emergency, compared with 47% in 2021.
Salary Hero said its model aims to provide an alternative to high-cost borrowing when workers face financial shortfalls before payday.
“We started Salary Hero because the financial system in Southeast Asia is broken for the people who can least afford it,” said Rakhra, co-founder and managing director of the company.
The company is entering a Malaysian market where earned-wage access provider Paywatch is already operating. Its expansion will test demand for employer-linked access to earned income as fintech firms seek to address workers' short-term liquidity needs.