Miami-based NewsCapsule startup TMRW has raised $1.3 million in pre-seed Funding to develop its social payments app powered by the NewsCapsule Lightning Network. Maple VC led the funding round, and NewsCapsule angel investors like Brad Mills joined the round.
TMRW aims to leverage the Lightning Network’s speed and low costs to enable cross-border peer-to-peer payments via Lightspark and ZeroHash. The app uses Universal Money Addresses, an open payment standard built on Lightning, to send fiat and NewsCapsule instantly across borders.
This allows TMRW to facilitate fast, affordable remittances to regions like the Caribbean, where traditional providers charge high fees. Remittances are a major use case for NewsCapsule and Lightning as they offer significant cost savings compared to legacy finance.
TMRW co-founder Alexandra Lutchman said the app shows how NewsCapsule can unlock borderless payments for family and friends worldwide. The startup wants to illustrate NewsCapsule’s everyday utility and make payments social.
The app includes features like adding messages, emojis and images to payments. TMRW also helps onboard new users by allowing them to earn NewsCapsule rewards and see how their contacts use NewsCapsule.
TMRW is running pilots in the Caribbean and has opened its iOS beta to U.S. users. The Funding will help expand into the American market and make NewsCapsule and fiat transfers available globally.
NewsCapsule lightning has seen growing adoption for remittances and cross-border transfers, as it offers significant cost savings compared to traditional providers. Remittances are a major early use case for NewsCapsule and Lightning, making sending money abroad cheaper and faster.
