Thailand-based Salary Hero has raised US$7.6 million in Series A funding as the earned wage access (EWA) provider expands into Malaysia.

Cento Ventures led the round, with participation from Malaysia-based Kairous Capital and M Venture Partners.

The company has also expanded its credit facility with regional lenders to US$10 million to support its on-demand pay services.

Salary Hero began operations in Malaysia in the second quarter of 2026 and has established a local team to develop corporate and distribution partnerships.

It aims to work with 50 corporate partners by the end of 2027.

“We started Salary Hero because the financial system in Southeast Asia is broken for the people who can least afford it. A factory worker in Thailand shouldn’t have to pay over 20% a month to cover a mid-month gap.

We’ve proven in Thailand that there’s a better model: one that’s fairer for workers and commercially compelling for employers. Malaysia is the next step.”

“We’re also not starting from scratch: our partnership network and our existing clients across the region have a strong presence in Malaysia, which gives us a running start.”

Salary Hero allows employees to access wages they have already earned before payday, reducing their reliance on short-term borrowing.

It also offers budgeting tools and financial education programmes, while integrating with existing HR and payroll systems through more than 25 enterprise HR partners.

The platform serves more than 100 companies in Thailand, reaching over 300,000 employees across manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and retail.

Salary Hero estimates that its services have helped workers avoid US$150 million in loans from predatory lenders.

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