Outpost

Outpost is a London-headquartered financial technology company founded in 2021 that provides an AI-powered platform for cross-border commerce. The company’s core offerings are its Merchant of Record (MoR) and Tax of Record (ToR) services, which allow businesses to sell products globally without managing the associated tax, regulatory, and operational liabilities. Outpost's platform is designed to function as a legally liable entity for its clients in new markets, handling everything from local payment processing to full tax liability.

The founder and CEO, Will Mahon-Heap, previously led international expansion at Revolut and served as Chief Business Officer at Wayflyer. His background in navigating global market rollouts and licensing applications informs Outpost's mission to simplify international trade for other merchants. The company was established to address the increasing complexities of cross-border commerce, such as fragmented regulations, shifting tariffs, and diverse tax jurisdictions.

Outpost has developed a proprietary AI engine trained on millions of pages of trade regulations. This system monitors over 20,000 tax rates and automatically applies the correct tax treatment and customs classification for each transaction. By establishing dedicated local entities for each merchant, Outpost enables access to domestic payment methods and acquiring, which can lead to higher payment approval rates and lower processing costs. This approach avoids the risks of pooling multiple merchants under one entity. The company takes on full liability for VAT, GST, and sales tax compliance, including filing, audits, and any potential penalties.

The company serves a range of clients, including subscription platforms, consumer software companies, and cross-border e-commerce brands across Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia. Outpost secured $17.5 million in a Series A funding round in March 2026, led by Ribbit Capital, with participation from existing investor Better Tomorrow Ventures and angel investors from companies like Revolut, Uber, and Checkout.com. This followed a $3 million seed round less than a year prior. The capital is intended to accelerate product development, expand jurisdictional coverage, and grow the team.

Keywords: Merchant of Record, Tax of Record, cross-border commerce, global payments, tax compliance, AI-powered compliance, international sales, ecommerce infrastructure, payment processing, regulatory liability, VAT compliance, GST compliance, customs classification, financial software, fintech, Will Mahon-Heap, Ribbit Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures.