Atum raises $13.5M Series A for open payments network

Atum Raises $13.5M Series A to Scale Open Payments Network

Atum, the operator of an open payments network for global money movement, has raised a $13.5 million Series A round. The funding was announced on September 22, 2026.

What Atum Does

Atum connects payment companies, developers, and enterprises through a coordination layer that handles authorization, routing, and confirmation. The network is designed to move money globally without issuing a currency, running a blockchain, or taking custody of customer funds.

Payment requests on the network are fulfilled by competing settlement providers across supported chains and stablecoins. The platform includes native authorization, reversible payments, and identity verification. It carries both human-initiated and agentic payments through protocols such as x402 and MPP.

Founding and Background

Atum was founded by CEO Pete Cooling, who previously led the crypto product team at Visa. The company launched out of stealth in September 2026.

Investors

The Series A round included participation from:

• PayPal Ventures
• Credibly Neutral
• Charlie Songhurst
• Mirana Ventures
• Variant
• Road Capital
• Abstract Ventures
• First Commit

No lead investor was disclosed for the round.

Why It Matters

Atum's approach positions it as a coordination layer rather than a settlement provider itself. By allowing competing settlement providers to fulfill payment requests across chains and stablecoins, the network aims to support global money movement without the overhead of issuing a currency or operating a blockchain. The inclusion of agentic payment protocols like x402 and MPP signals a focus on emerging machine-to-machine and automated payment use cases.

The company's launch out of stealth coincided with the funding announcement, marking its public debut alongside the Series A.

Acquisition Angle

For acquirers in payments infrastructure, Atum represents a potential entry point into open payment coordination and agentic payment rails. The network's asset-light model—no currency issuance, no blockchain operation, no custody—could appeal to strategic buyers looking to add routing and authorization capabilities without taking on balance sheet risk. The founding team's background at Visa adds operational credibility in the payments space.

With the Series A in place, Atum is positioned to expand its network of settlement providers and payment company integrations.