submitted by Tom Phillips, Excel London
LONDON – Financial technology specialist Sokin has announced it has become the Official Global Payments Partner of Excel London.
Sokin will enhance global payments at Excel, soon to be Europe’s largest fully integrated events venue, by streamlining cross-border transactions, increasing efficiencies and reducing costs. Additionally, online payments to the venue will be powered by Sokin’s ecommerce gateway.
The partnership will also see promotion of Sokin to Excel’s four million annual visitors, covering over 400 events and 40,000 exhibiting companies. This includes a million international visitors, making up 25% of London’s business tourism sector.
Recently ranked ninth in the Sunday Times Tech 100, Sokin was founded in 2019 with a mission to remove the barriers, borders, and costs associated with global payments, making it easier and more affordable for businesses to move money worldwide.
Headquartered in the UK, Sokin enables more than $4.5 billion in transactional volume per year, working with businesses across a wide range of verticals from freight and logistics to Premier League football clubs. It enables global businesses to transfer, hold and exchange over 100 currencies with its multi-currency IBAN and local currency accounts – all through one comprehensive platform.
Last summer, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital acquired a $31 million stake in the business to accelerate product growth plans and further global expansion, and this was followed by $15 million in debt funding from Blackrock in January this year. Meanwhile, existing investors in Sokin include former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
The collaboration begins as Excel marks its 25th anniversary in 2025 and will later this year open a 25,000sqm expansion.
James Hannaford, Chief Growth Officer at Sokin commented: “Excel London is an iconic venue which sits at the heart of international business. This is a huge partnership for Sokin that will see us enhancing global payments for the venue and its clients while reaching millions of business visitors that walk through its doors every year.”
Excel London CCO Simon Mills added: “With Excel hosting some of the largest and most important business events in the world, and London ranked as Europe’s number one city for FinTech, we see a hugely exciting opportunity via our partnership with Sokin to meet our mutual objectives. Today’s announcement is another important step in the progression of our partnership programme and aligns Excel with a like-minded brand that supports our mission to be the best event destination in the world.”
For more information on Sokin visit www.sokin.com, or for further details on Excel London and its partners click here.
About Excel London
Excel London, part of ADNEC Group, first opened in 2000, in an area of huge regeneration in London’s historic Royal Docks. 25 years later it has become one of Europe’s largest and most influential event venues, hosting some 400 shows per year and welcoming around four million visitors from every corner of the globe.
From major medical congresses including the European Society of Cardiology, through to the World Travel Market trade show and the all-electric Formula E motorsport championship, Excel hosts an array of events all bringing communities and businesses together through the power of face-to-face. Indeed, events hosted at Excel generate upwards of £4.5 billion in economic impact for London and support approximately 37,500 jobs throughout the events industry.
Over recent years, Excel has seen significant investment by owners ADNEC Group in its facilities, and is currently embarking on an additional 25,000sqm expansion programme opening soon.
More recently, it has played host to an array of immersive experiences such as The Formula 1® Exhibition, inspiration behind Excel’s new Immerse LDN – a kilometre stretch of redeveloped waterfront becoming the London’s newest entertainment district. Excel also prides itself on championing sustainability and is certified carbon neutral – the first UK venue of its kind to achieve the international recognised PAS 2060 status – and has pledged a net zero target of 2050.
