Celeris is a digital trade settlement platform that combines cross-border payments and trade documents on a single rail, replacing slow correspondent banking and paper bills of lading. It offers escrow-protected transactions with local currency in and out, plus MLETR-compliant electronic bills of lading that transfer title in seconds. The platform charges 0.1% to 0.5% on currency conversion.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Cross-border trade still relies on correspondent banking chains and paper documents that physically travel between parties, causing settlement delays of 2–5 days and adding 3–6% in fees and FX markups. When paper bills of lading are stuck in transit, cargo sits at port accruing demurrage costs of up to $150 per day, exposing both importers and exporters to significant financial risk.
Solution
Celeris provides a unified digital platform that puts payments and trade documents on the same rails, eliminating the correspondent bank chain and courier-dependent paperwork. Buyers pay from their own bank in their local currency, and a licensed partner pays the seller in their currency at a conversion cost of 0.1% to 0.5%, with neither party touching crypto. Funds are held in escrow from deal agreement and release automatically when title to the goods transfers via an MLETR-compliant electronic bill of lading. The platform issues eBLs that are cryptographically held, impossible to duplicate, and approved by the International Group of P&I Clubs, allowing title to transfer in seconds rather than weeks. Every transaction runs through a guided six-step workflow on a single deal screen, with compliance checks, document signing, and tracking all handled in one place.
Target Audience
Primary customers are importers and exporters engaged in cross-border trade, particularly in corridors such as South Africa to Italy, Mexico to the United States, Brazil to Spain, and South Africa to Brazil, along with the freight forwarders and logistics providers supporting these transactions.
Features
- Escrow controlled by a trustless, non-custodial smart contract visible to both parties, releasing funds only when verified trade conditions are met
- MLETR-compliant electronic bills of lading recognized as legal equivalents of paper originals and accepted at customs across all serviced corridors
- eBL system approved by the International Group of P&I Clubs, ensuring standard cargo insurance coverage remains valid
- Local currency in and out with licensed partner conversion at 0.1% to 0.5%, eliminating intermediary bank fees and marked-up exchange rates
- Automated KYC/KYB and sanctions screening on both parties before any transaction proceeds
- Unified deal screen with six-step guided workflow covering setup, escrow funding, invoicing, eBL issuance, title transfer, and release