09:42 | 19.09.15 | Interviews | exclusive 5247

Alix Murphy: WorldRemit is excited to be in Armenia

Recently, mobile money transfer service WorldRemit has announced its launch in through VivaCell MTS subsidiary MobiDram.

With the help of WorldRemit (headquartered in London), people 52 countries make around 300,000 transfers every month.

Itel.am talked to WorldRemit’s senior mobile analyst Alix Murphy on to their debut in Armenian market.

-Is the Armenian Diaspora the main reason to enter the Armenian market?

-Yes, the Armenian case is really interesting. More Armenians live outside of their country: thus, money transactions from abroad make up a huge percentage here. We are excited to work in Armenia.

With the app, people in more than 52 countries can now send money to Armenia. Money is sent instantly to MobiDram mobile wallets from WorldRemit’s account.

Transactions can be performed on the website as well as in the app – App Store and Google Play.

-Do you intend to expand your company in the region?

-At this moment, we are present only in Armenia in the South Caucasus region. Although I have to mention that we regularly launch new countries and offer new ways to transfer money. As for other CIS countries, we are always looking to expand into new countries. For instance, airtime top-up is already possible in Kazakhstan.”

-What makes WorldRemit different from other similar systems?

-We are unique because we are bringing money transfers online, making it faster, easier and safer. We offer to send money to friends and relatives abroad with the help of a computer, smartphone and tablet. Money could be received via bank account, cash as well as via Mobile Money option. By the way, a lot of people prefer Mobile Money option nowadays.

Let me add that Accel Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures, early investors of Facebook, Dropbox and Spotify, invested USD140 million from 2014 in WorldRemit.

Narine Daneghyan spoke with Alix Murphy