Cyber attack hits Safexpay in FY24: revenue shrinks 67%, losses double

Entrackr · 12h

Fintrackr All Stories Cyber attack hits Safexpay in FY24: revenue shrinks 67%, losses double Mumbai-based fintech company Safexpay faced a tough fiscal year in FY24, with its revenue dropping sharply by 67% after its payment gateway was hacked in October 2023. Meanwhile, the company's losses doubled during the same period. Safexpay's operating revenue declined by 67% to Rs 88.5 crore down from Rs 269.5 crore in FY23, as per its consolidated financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Safexpay operates as a fintech company providing payment gateway solutions, digital banking, and API-based payment infrastructure for businesses, enabling secure transactions, recurring payments, and multi-currency support across various payment methods. The steep decline in revenue was mainly due to a sharp reduction in payment gateway transaction volumes, which led to a 79.57% drop in related income. Notably, the company's payment gateway was hacked, leading to significant financial and reputational damage. According to media reports, the Thane Police are investigating a Rs 16,180 crore scam linked to the breach. On the cost side, Safexpay’s total expenses decreased by 52.41% to Rs 143 crore in FY24 from Rs 300.5 crore in FY23. Employee benefit expenses fell by 17.46% to Rs 26 crore, while payment gateway charges, the firm's largest cost component, dropped by 79.57% to Rs 48 crore. Due to a hack in its core payment gateway business, legal expenses surged 5.5X to Rs 11 crore, while bad loans increased nearly tenfold to Rs 16 crore. The company also incurred a cost of Rs 21 crore after hackers breached Safexpay’s account and siphoned off the funds. Despite cost-cutting measures, Safexpay struggled to offset revenue declines, causing its net loss to widen to Rs 44 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 22 crore in FY23. Its Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and EBITDA margin deteriorated to -186% and -42.12%, respectively. On a unit level, the firm spent Rs 1.62 to earn a single rupee in FY24. The Mumbai-based company reported current assets worth Rs 77 crore in FY24 which included Rs 10.5 crore in cash and bank balance. According to TheKredible, Safexpay has raised a total of $6 million of funding to date having Ardor Advisors and Choithram International as its lead investors. The company’s founder owns 44% of the company. The hit that Safexpay is having to endure is the kind of blow that can be fatal. Especially in the fintech business where one could argue that credibility is worth a lot more than money in the bank in this case. Safexpay faces a battle for survival no doubt, and one would have to say that the odds are lengthening unless it can find a long-term backer.