Remittances to Lebanon are a $6 billion annual lifeline, a figure that has become a grim economic constant. The mechanics of sending that money home, however, are anything but. For the diaspora, it’s a choice between high fees, opaque exchange rates, and the profound uncertainty of a collapsed banking system. MillionBridges, a Barcelona-based fintech founded in 2020, is betting its wedge is a combination of transparency, a social mission, and a proprietary financial tool that sidesteps Lebanese banks entirely [thebeiruter.com, 2026].
Its core product is a remittance platform focused solely on Lebanon. Senders pay a flat 2% transfer fee. The company claims 100% of the profit from that fee is donated to three Lebanese charities, with proof of receipt provided [millionbridges.com]. The recipient gets funds via cash pickup or e-wallet top-up through a partnership with Whish Money [LinkedIn]. The real structural bet, though, is the BridgeAccount™.
The structural wedge: The BridgeAccount™
When a transfer is initiated, MillionBridges opens a free USD account for the beneficiary in Europe. This account, the BridgeAccount™, allows the recipient to store, withdraw, and spend U.S. dollars without ever touching the Lebanese banking system [millionbridges.com]. It is a direct answer to the country’s capital controls and hyperinflation. Beneficiaries can spend at an expanding network of merchant partners with no fees, or withdraw cash for a 2% charge [millionbridges.com]. For a population locked out of its own dollar deposits, the offer is not just convenience, but a form of financial preservation.
The company says it operates under EU banking standards and is authorized by the Bank of Spain and Banque du Liban [LinkedIn]. It is licensed under EU banking regulations, a claim supported by its app store listing as a regulated remittance platform [the961.com, 2026] [apps.apple.com, Aug 2026]. This regulatory footing is its license to operate the BridgeAccount™ system.
The team behind the bridge
The founding team brings a mix of consumer goods, entrepreneurship, and technology experience, though not from traditional fintech.
| Role | Name | Background Note |
|---|---|---|
| Founding Partner, Executive Chairman | Fadi Chidiac | Former Ralston Purina manager; co-founded Nikidom, a Barcelona-based children's products manufacturer [millionbridges.com]. |
| Founding Partner, Board Director | Nabih Salem | Senior technology and AI transformation executive with over 30 years of experience [LinkedIn, 2026]. |
| Co-founder, CMO | Ramzy Abou-Ezzeddine | Co-founded Novo Foods, a Kuwait cloud-kitchen concept, and remains a managing partner [millionbridges.com] [contactout.com, 2026]. |
Chidiac has spoken publicly about the systemic challenges faced by Arab entrepreneurs, framing MillionBridges within a broader narrative of building access [creators.spotify.com, 2026]. The team’s operational experience appears grounded in building and running businesses, rather than in payments compliance or forex trading.
Traction beyond the individual sender
While targeting the Lebanese diaspora is the core B2C motion, MillionBridges has demonstrated an early ability to land institutional clients. Its most significant public partnership is with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). In April 2024, RevoluPAY announced a deal to provide the financial technology platform for transactions between the NRC and MillionBridges, facilitating humanitarian-aid transfers and direct mobile-wallet delivery to beneficiaries [GlobeNewswire, April 2024].
This move beyond peer-to-peer transfers into the aid-distribution pipeline is a logical, high-volume extension of its model. It also provides a layer of reputational validation. The company has also expanded its merchant network within Lebanon, increasing the utility of the BridgeAccount™ for daily spending [LinkedIn, March 2024].
The counterfactual: Scale and sustainability
The model presents clear, interlinked questions on the path to scale.
- The profit-math for growth. Donating 100% of profits is a powerful marketing tool and differentiator. It also means the company must fund its technology, compliance, and expansion costs entirely from the 2% transfer fee itself, before profit is calculated. The margin for error is thin, especially when competing with larger, global remittance players on price.
- The single-corridor concentration. MillionBridges is a one-country play. Its entire operational and regulatory framework is built for Lebanon. This focus allows for deep local integration, as seen with the Whish Money and merchant partnerships. It also represents a massive concentration risk. Any positive shift in Lebanon’s banking stability or political economy could undermine the core problem it solves.
- The verification gap. The social mission is central to its brand, but the claim of donating 100% of profits with documented proof is listed with low confidence in the available data. For the model to sustain trust at scale, transparent, regular auditing of those charitable flows will be non-negotiable.
The company’s answer likely hinges on volume. By securing more high-volume institutional partners like the NRC and driving consumer adoption through its social mission, it can achieve the transaction scale needed to make the unit economics work within the 2% fee. The BridgeAccount™ creates a sticky product that discourages churn, potentially increasing customer lifetime value.
The next twelve months
MillionBridges has secured seed funding from 4Founders Capital, though the round size and valuation are undisclosed [shizune.co, 2026]. The company is estimated to have between $1M and $5M in revenue and employs a small team of one to ten people [ZoomInfo.com] [LinkedIn]. The next phase will be defined by two clear milestones: proving the unit economics of its social-donation model at a higher transaction volume, and expanding its B2B pipeline for aid and corporate disbursements.
The bet is that in a market defined by distress, a transparent fee and a tangible social impact can win share. And that a USD account held outside the country is more valuable than a slightly cheaper transfer. For a diaspora sending billions annually, is the premium on trust and stability worth a 2% fee? The next funding round will measure investor conviction on that exact question.
Sources
- [thebeiruter.com, 2026] Remittance inflows to Lebanon forecast | https://www.thebeiruter.com/
- [millionbridges.com] Company website and FAQ | https://millionbridges.com/
- [LinkedIn] Company profile and partnership announcements | https://www.linkedin.com/company/millionbridges/
- [the961.com, 2026] Article on MillionBridges licensing | https://www.the961.com/
- [apps.apple.com, Aug 2026] MillionBridges app store listing | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/millionbridges-money-transfer/id6448966418
- [creators.spotify.com, 2026] Podcast featuring Fadi Chidiac | https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/leadership-choices/episodes/Ep--130-Erika-Regnet--wie-verndert-KI-unser-Lernen-e3atsfi
- [contactout.com, 2026] Profile for Ramzy Abou-Ezzeddine | https://contactout.com
- [GlobeNewswire, April 2024] RevoluPAY partnership with NRC and MillionBridges | https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/04/29/2871529/36545/en/RevoluPAY-Enhances-Financial-Solutions-for-Humanitarian-Aid-with-MillionBridges-and-the-Norwegian-Refugee-Council.html
- [shizune.co, 2026] Investor profile for 4Founders Capital | https://shizune.co/investors/fintech-vc-funds-spain
- [ZoomInfo.com] Company overview and estimated metrics | https://www.zoominfo.com/c/millionbridges/556076225