Central bank of Ireland selects Payemoji for Innovation Sandbox Programme

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The Central Bank of Ireland has selected Payemoji, an innovative Irish AI fintech company, for its prestigious Innovation Sandbox Programme focused on "Innovation in Payments." This announcement marks a significant milestone for Payemoji and highlights Ireland's growing reputation as a hub for cutting-edge financial technology.

What is the Central Bank of Ireland's Innovation Sandbox?

The Innovation Sandbox Programme is a structured initiative by the Central Bank of Ireland designed to support the development of promising innovations in the financial sector. It provides selected participants with regulatory guidance, advice, and a collaborative environment to test and refine their solutions while ensuring alignment with public policy goals like consumer protection, financial stability, and system efficiency.

The current cohort, 9 providers from 38 applications, adopts the theme of "Innovation in Payments". This thematic focus aims to foster solutions that deliver safer, faster, more inclusive, and resilient payment systems for households and businesses. Applications closed in November 2025, with the Central Bank receiving 38 submissions from across the innovation ecosystem and multiple countries. From these, a select group of nine projects was chosen to participate. The programme runs over six months, offering dedicated support sessions, workshops, and access to Central Bank experts. It builds on the success of the inaugural Sandbox (themed "Combatting Financial Crime" in 2024-2025) by deepening public-private collaboration and providing early insights into emerging risks and supervisory considerations in the payments landscape.

What Does Payemoji Do?

Payemoji is an AI-powered payments and conversational commerce platform (operating under Message My Customer Ltd). Founded in Ireland, the company enables businesses to engage customers directly through popular messaging apps like WhatsApp Business. Key features include:

• Secure card-not-present payments and refunds processed within conversations.
• Elimination (or significant reduction) of chargebacks through AI-driven verification and engagement.
• Turning routine payments into interactive, conversational experiences to boost customer satisfaction, sales, and loyalty.
• High engagement metrics, such as 98% open rates and strong click-through performance.

By integrating AI with everyday messaging channels, Payemoji addresses pain points in e-commerce and customer service, particularly in card-not-present transactions where fraud and disputes are common. The platform helps businesses grow revenue while enhancing security and user experience.

Why This Selection Matters?

Payemoji's inclusion in the Sandbox underscores the Central Bank's recognition of conversational AI as a transformative force in modern payments. In an era of rising digital transactions, solutions that combine security, convenience, and personalization are critical. Payemoji's approach—making payments feel like natural conversations—aligns perfectly with the Sandbox's goals of promoting inclusive, efficient, and fraud-resistant innovations.

For Payemoji, the programme offers invaluable opportunities:

• Direct engagement with regulators to navigate compliance and scale responsibly.
• Validation of its technology in a supervised environment.
• Potential acceleration toward broader adoption in Ireland and beyond.

As one of the nine selected participants (alongside projects involving partners like PTSB, BarraLake, and others), Payemoji joins a cohort poised to shape the future of payments in Ireland.

Looking Ahead

This achievement is a proud moment for the Irish fintech community and demonstrates the Central Bank's commitment to fostering innovation while safeguarding the financial system. For Payemoji, it's further recognition of our AI-powered conversational payments globally, tackling challenges in a market worth billions.

Congratulations to the Payemoji team on this well-deserved recognition! Keep an eye on their progress over the coming months—exciting developments are likely on the horizon.

For more details, visit the official Central Bank page on the Innovation Sandbox Programme 2026 | Central Bank of Ireland

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