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CashtoCode announces new leadership team and record growth figures

Published

5 years ago

March 10, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

CashtoCode, the instant cash payment service for online merchants, today announced its new leadership team following a hugely successful 12 months. iGaming is a key market for CashtoCode and by offering operators access to a new market sector of customers who prefer cash payments, CashtoCode grew revenues by 500% in 2020. It also added more than 100 new merchants to its platform and can now be used by customers across 150,000 retail locations in Europe (including thousands of Paypoint locations in the UK, as well as gas stations and supermarkets). CashtoCode’s unique approach is its highly controlled, closed loop cash deposit mechanism. The service is designed to make compliance easy for merchants and iGaming operators, and eliminate fraud/money laundering concerns – since its cash deposit codes can only be redeemed by customers verified by the merchant and cannot be transferred between individuals.

The new team consists of three accomplished payments and iGaming professionals, with vast experience building international payment products and navigating complex regulatory landscapes. The objective of the new leadership team will be to continue CashtoCode’s growth trajectory, winning more new merchants, new users, and expanding geographically:

Jens Bader – Chief Executive Officer
Payment industry veteran and entrepreneur. MuchBetter/MIR co-founder, ex-CCO at Secure Trading and paysafecard

Christian Machmeier – Chief Technology Officer
A technology-expert with previous senior roles at Gameforge and Audi

Patrick Lebenbauer – Director of Global Marketing
A marketing leader in the iGaming & payments space with previous leading roles at Tipico & KaFe Rocks.

“CashtoCode offers a second life to cash, which remains hugely popular despite the growth of card, open banking and online payments,” said CashtoCode CEO, Jens Bader. “We enable merchants to target a market sector that they couldn’t reach without an instant cash deposit partner. For example, in iGaming, helping operators capitalise on the growing intersection of iGaming and cash. During the pandemic, many venues and activities that would typically take cash payments were not open, but their customer-base never left. These are people who still prefer to pay by cash wherever possible, for privacy, self-control and security reasons. Many have not switched to online banking, but have instead utilised services like ours to pay with cash for their online activities.”

Alona Shevtsova

Sends CEO Alona Shevtsova moderates Global Gaming Expansion panel in Riyadh

Published

5 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

sends-ceo-alona-shevtsova-moderates-global-gaming-expansion-panel-in-riyadh

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel at The Blockchain show on 29^th June, bringing together experts from entertainment, location-based gaming, and content localisation to examine what it takes to build sustainable gaming ecosystems across emerging markets.

The panel, titled “Global Gaming Expansion: Lessons from Untapped Markets,” will structure its discussion across four themes: the growth dynamics reshaping emerging gaming markets; the role of localisation in creating experiences that genuinely connect with new audiences; the infrastructure and communities needed to build gaming ecosystems beyond the game itself; and the lessons and opportunities that will define successful expansion in the years ahead.

Alona Shevtsova plans to frame the discussion around the central challenge for companies looking to expand globally: entering a new market requires far more than bringing an existing product to a new audience. Understanding local cultures, building communities, adapting experiences, and creating ecosystems that allow gaming to grow sustainably are all as important as the product itself.

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, said:

“The future growth of gaming will come not only from new technologies, but from understanding people — their cultures, communities, and the experiences they want to be part of. Successful expansion will belong to those who can combine global ambition with local understanding.”

The first segment will examine why regions including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia are becoming increasingly significant for developers, operators, and investors — driven by young audiences, accelerating digital adoption, and new entertainment models creating substantial growth potential. Panellists will explore how consumer preferences differ across markets and what trends among younger audiences are shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

The third segment will broaden the lens beyond the game itself, exploring the role of location-based entertainment, gaming centres, esports, and experiential destinations in attracting new audiences and building long-term communities. Panellists plan to address how entertainment ecosystems — spanning physical venues, events, and community infrastructure — accelerate gaming adoption in markets where the category is still establishing itself.

Earlier this month, Alona Shevtsova was shortlisted for the 2026 Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Established Business of the Year category. Her team is also preparing for the Fintech Connect conference in London later this year. Sends will be a leading sponsor of this event.

*Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co .

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