// GATEWAY MANAGER - TECH LEAD - SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Ahmad
Akbar

I design and manage white-label payment solutions and build payment infrastructure that operates at scale — from fiat and crypto gateways to AI-driven fraud intelligence systems.
Focused on fintech integrations, wallet infrastructure, open banking, and payment orchestration across Europe, I help businesses launch and grow through secure, compliant, and scalable financial technology — including full payment infrastructure for the iGaming sector.

View My WorkGet In Touch
Sharjil Bin Yousaf

// 01 — ABOUT

Fintech depth.
AI velocity.

Solution-driven software professional with 6+ years of experience in designing, developing, and maintaining robust software systems and architectures. Demonstrated expertise in delivering scalable solutions, optimizing performance, and ensuring high-quality code standards. Strong communication and collaboration skills with proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams. Experienced in partnering with leading fintech and consulting firms across Europe to deliver innovative technology solutions.

The next chapter is applying AI to high-trust financial systems: intelligent fraud detection, compliance automation, risk assessment, payment operations, and LLM-powered workflows built with the same standards as production payment infrastructure—accurate, observable, secure, and audit-ready.

FinTech · Crypto/Fiat Payments · WhiteLabel Solutions · Gateways · Integrations & Support AI-Driven Fraud Detection · Client Services · Scalable Solutions · iGaming Payments Space

6+Years engineering
~1MTransactions per month
10K+Monthly active users
150+High impact features engineered

// SYSTEM METRICS

// 02 — STACK

The precision toolkit.

Languages, Frameworks & Architect
PHPJavaScriptPythonLaravelREST APISOAPMicroServicesMonolithicSolution Architect
Data & Integrations
PostgreSQLSQLMongoDBRedisJSONXMLMemSqlAPI DocumentationAPI Integration
AI
LLM ApplicationsRAG PipelinesAgent WorkflowsAutomationCursor AIClaude Code
DevOps & Testing
DockerAWSBitBucketGit/GitLabSqlmapNmapPostmanBurpSuitPlayWright
Leadership
Leading TeamsLeading CommunicationCode ReviewsTechnical DecisionsStakeholder MgmtClient CommsAgile / Scrum

// 03 — SELECTED WORK

Systems that shipped.

01

RIDM.IO — Fiat-to-Crypto Payment Platform

Open Banking · Multi-PSP Integrations

Feb 2024Launched
Multi-PSPProvider integrations
LiveOpen Banking
RIDM.IO architecture: fiat UI, REST API, PSP and Open Banking flows

// ARCHITECTURE

Developed and integrated multiple Payment Service Providers for seamless fiat-to-crypto transactions. Implemented Open Banking support for secure bank transfers with improved transaction speed. Designed intuitive fiat payment interfaces and built embedded solutions to handle initial live traffic and validate system flow end-to-end.

LaravelPHPOpen BankingPSP IntegrationFiat-to-CryptoREST APIsRedis
02

CardEye — PCI-Compliant Card Acquiring System

PCI DSS · ASV Scans · Merchant Onboarding

Feb 2022Project start
PCI DSSCompliance achieved
QuarterlyASV scans
CardEye: card flow through payment gateway to PCI layer and acquiring bank

// ARCHITECTURE

Transitioned from Software Engineer to Team Lead on this card-acquiring product — driving architecture design from inception. Created flowcharts, architecture diagrams, and full technical documentation. Managed client communication, technical support, and merchant onboarding. Led the team through PCI DSS compliance and executed Quarterly ASV Scans in collaboration with Risk Associates.

LaravelPHPPCI DSSASV ScansMySQLRedisREST APIsMerchant Onboarding
03

INCHARGE — Blixtpay Instant Payout Service

Intergiro BAAS · Merchant Payouts

InstantPayout speed
BAASIntergiro integration
Multi-merchantSupport
INCHARGE payout flow: merchant through Payout API, Intergiro BAAS to InchargeCard

// ARCHITECTURE

Implemented an instant payout solution for merchants using InchargeCard. Led requirements analysis, integrated Intergiro Banking-as-a-Service APIs, and provided architectural guidance throughout. Supported the team with domain expertise in fintech payout flows and technical leadership to ensure reliable, compliant disbursements.

LaravelIntergiro BAASInchargeCardREST APIsFintechPayout Systems
04

FlowSoftware — Crypto Processing & Wallet API

Quantoz · CleanPay · Redoc API Docs

QuantozCrypto provider
CleanPayFiat gateway
RedocAPI docs
FlowSoftware: Wallet API hub connecting Quantoz, CleanPay, blockchain and Redoc

// ARCHITECTURE

Designed and developed crypto processing endpoints using the Quantoz Crypto Solution Provider. Integrated fiat payments via the CleanPay (Cosmo) payment gateway and created comprehensive API documentation in Redoc for WalletAPI services. Assisted in resolving critical system issues and ensured seamless connectivity between crypto and fiat rails.

QuantozCleanPayLaravelPHPRedocYAMLREST APIsCrypto Processing
05

FarmTech — IoT Pest Risk Prediction System

React Native · IoT Sensors · Farmbot

Aug–Nov2021 delivery
IoTSensor-driven
Real-timeRisk insights
FarmTech: IoT sensors through pest risk algorithm to mobile app and Farmbot automation

// ARCHITECTURE

Led backend development for an IoT-powered pest risk prediction system, coordinating closely with the React Native mobile app team. Implemented the pest risk algorithm using temperature sensor data from IoT-enabled hardware. Built an admin panel for farmer onboarding and real-time insights, and integrated Farmbot for automated pest management to optimise farming operations.

LaravelPHPReact NativeIoTFarmbotMySQLREST APIsAdmin Panel
06

Quickbit — Legacy Affiliate & Payment Gateway

REST APIs · Remote Team Collaboration

Jan 2021Project start
LegacySystem stabilised
Multi-TZRemote teams
Quickbit: legacy system enhanced with REST APIs connecting affiliate portal, payment gateway and acquiring

// ARCHITECTURE

Maintained and enhanced the legacy affiliate, account management, and payment gateway system for Quickbit (now Valuno). Led architecture analysis to identify optimisation opportunities and implemented targeted enhancements for performance and scalability. Worked across multiple time zones with remote teams, facilitated knowledge sharing, and integrated new features with minimal disruption to live operations.

LaravelPHPREST APIsPostgreSQLRedisSystem ArchitectureLegacy Systems
07

WhistleIt — Team Collaboration Platform

REST APIs · Programmers Force · Oct–Dec 2020

Multi-WSWorkspace support
OptimisedMsg retrieval
Oct–Dec2020
WhistleIt collaboration platform showing multi-workspace messaging architecture with retrieval module

// ARCHITECTURE

A robust collaboration platform designed to facilitate communication across teams and organisations of all sizes. My primary focus was the backend message retrieval module — optimising it for high performance and reliability — alongside designing scalable solutions for multiple other core modules to ensure seamless system integration.

LaravelPHPREST APIsMySQLBackend ArchitectureMessage QueueProgrammers Force

// 04 — EXPERIENCE

Four roles.
Six years.

May 2026 – Present

Gateway Manager / Tech Manager

Current

Zenithal OÜ · Remote · Estonia

  • Own end-to-end payment gateway operations — uptime, performance optimisation and real-time health monitoring across all transaction flows.
  • Lead PSP, acquiring bank and third-party provider integrations; architect connectivity protocols ensuring compliance and minimal latency.
  • Drive incident management and root-cause analysis for production issues, reducing mean time to resolution and protecting approval rates.
  • Analyse transaction performance and gateway health metrics; surface insights to improve conversion and operational efficiency.
  • Oversee merchant onboarding and technical integration lifecycle, standardising processes to accelerate time-to-live.
  • Act as Technical Manager across cross-functional squads — coordinating delivery, unblocking engineers and aligning stakeholders on platform roadmap.

Jan 2021 – Apr 2026

Tech Lead

Developers Studio · Lahore, Pakistan

  • Directed end-to-end software development lifecycle for fintech and iGaming clients — from technical scoping through delivery and post-launch support.
  • Architected and delivered a custom multi-PSP payment gateway serving live merchant traffic; led all acquiring bank and PSP integrations.
  • Managed a cross-functional engineering team; introduced code review standards, CI/CD practices and sprint ceremonies that measurably improved delivery cadence.
  • Served as primary technical liaison between clients and engineering — translating business requirements into system design and preventing scope misalignment.
  • Produced end-to-end technical documentation: API specifications, integration runbooks and onboarding guides adopted across multiple client engagements.
  • Established PCI DSS compliance on two major products in partnership with Risk Associates; executed and passed Quarterly ASV scans.
  • Monitored live production traffic via BurpSuite and custom dashboards; diagnosed and resolved critical issues with minimal downtime impact.
  • Supported pre-sales and merchant onboarding alongside commercial teams, improving integration success rates and reducing time-to-first-transaction.

Jan 2021 – Jun 2023

Lead Software Engineer

Valuno (formerly Quickbit) · Remote · Sweden

  • Led development and maintenance of the core legacy affiliate, account management and payment gateway platform powering live European crypto-payments traffic.
  • Conducted systematic architecture analysis to identify performance bottlenecks; implemented targeted enhancements that improved system throughput and reliability.
  • Coordinated distributed engineering teams across multiple time zones — established async communication protocols and delivery rhythms that accelerated project cadence.
  • Served as domain authority on fintech and crypto-payment flows; guided technical decisions and upskilled team members on business-critical context.
  • Produced comprehensive technical documentation and knowledge-transfer artefacts that reduced onboarding time for incoming engineers.
  • Integrated new product features into the live system with zero major incidents, maintaining system integrity throughout a high-change period.

Jan 2020 – Dec 2020

Associate Software Engineer

Programmers Force · Lahore, Pakistan

  • Contributed to WhistleIt.io — a scalable real-time collaboration platform enabling communication across workspaces, teams and channels for organisations of varying sizes.
  • Owned the backend message retrieval module: redesigned query patterns and caching strategy to achieve high throughput and sub-second response times.
  • Designed and proposed architectural solutions for multiple core modules, improving overall system scalability and maintainability.
  • Collaborated with a cross-functional product and engineering team to align technical design with product requirements and deliver a seamless user experience.

// 05 — PLATFORMS & COLLABORATIONS

Built across the ecosystem.

Platforms, payment rails, fraud engines and gaming infrastructure I've integrated, operated and shipped against throughout my journey.

INTG

Intergiro

BAAS · Banking

Swedish EMI-licensed Banking-as-a-Service platform — multi-currency IBANs, card issuing & acquiring across Europe.

↗ intergiro.com
CLNP

CleanPay

Fiat Gateway

Payment gateway for fiat processing and merchant settlements, integrated via Cosmo infrastructure.

PSFE

PaySafe

PSP · Payments

Global payment platform enabling digital wallets, card processing and cash payments across 120+ countries.

↗ paysafe.com
SEON

SEON

Fraud · AML

AI-powered fraud prevention and AML compliance — 300+ digital signals, real-time risk scoring & PEP screening.

↗ seon.io
SSDB

SingleStore

Real-time DB

Unified real-time database for transactions + analytics — high-throughput SQL at scale for fintech workloads.

↗ singlestore.com
RNDX

Rendix

Payments · BR

Rendimentopay's Rendix platform — Brazilian payment infrastructure for fiat transaction processing.

↗ www.rendimentopay.com.br/en/rendix
WCHQ

Webcheque

Online Payments

Digital cheque and online payment solution enabling secure electronic payment flows for merchants.

TFLW

TrustFlow

Payment Flow

Payment orchestration and trust-layer infrastructure for routing and optimising transaction flows.

TPAY

TrustPayments

Card Acquiring

European card acquiring and payment gateway — PCI-compliant processing for merchants across verticals.

↗ trustpayments.com
CLBT

Coolbet

iGaming · Sports

Award-winning B2C iGaming operator with proprietary sportsbook tech across Northern Europe, Canada & LatAm.

↗ coolbet.com
CMGP

ComeOn Group

iGaming · Operator

Malta-based iGaming group operating 15+ licensed casino and sportsbook brands across regulated markets.

↗ comeon-group.com
FNRA

Finera

Orchestration

Next-gen payment orchestration — card acquiring, open banking, payouts and crypto processing in one platform.

↗ finera.com
MDFN

Madfin

Fintech

Fintech platform powering payment and financial infrastructure solutions for modern digital businesses.

PTLY

Paytently

PSP · Orchestration

Malta-regulated payment institution connecting merchants to a global network of acquirers with AML controls.

↗ paytently.com
AKRT

Akurateco

White-label PSP

White-label payment orchestration system — smart routing, cascading and analytics for payment providers.

↗ akurateco.com
QNTZ

Quantoz Payments

Crypto · Stablecoin

Dutch-regulated crypto infrastructure provider — stablecoin issuance, custody and compliant digital asset payment rails.

↗ www.quantoz.com
PGRA

Pagora

PSP · Gibraltar

Gibraltar-based payment institution providing card acquiring, online payment processing and merchant services.

↗ pagora.gi
QKBT

Quickbit

Crypto · Exchange

Swedish crypto company enabling consumers and merchants to buy, sell and use cryptocurrency for everyday payments.

↗ qb-europe.com/int/en-us
RISK

Risk Associates

Compliance · PCI

Specialist compliance and cybersecurity firm — PCI DSS QSA, ASV scanning, ISO 27001 and financial risk advisory.

↗ riskassociates.com
WGLO

Whitegallo

Technology

Technology services firm delivering software engineering, systems integration and digital transformation solutions.

↗ whitegallo.com
BGLO

Blackgallo

Technology

Technology and software development company providing engineering expertise and product delivery services.

↗ blackgallo.net
ONFD

Onfido

KYC · Identity

AI-powered identity verification platform — document checks, facial biometrics, liveness detection and AML watchlist screening for 1,200+ businesses globally.

↗ onfido.com
ALCE

Alice Biometrics

Biometric KYC

Spanish-founded biometric identity verification — sub-second selfie + ID document matching with passive liveness detection for frictionless digital onboarding.

↗ alicebiometrics.com
MXMD

MaxMind

GeoIP · Fraud

Industry-leading IP geolocation (GeoIP) and fraud prevention — minFraud transaction risk scoring, proxy detection and real-time threat intelligence since 2002.

↗ www.maxmind.com
SHFT

Shufti Pro

KYC · AML

AI-powered KYC, AML and identity verification platform — 3,000+ document types, 230+ countries, real-time biometric checks and PEP/sanctions screening.

↗ shuftipro.com
WPLY

Worldpay

Global PSP

One of the world's largest payment processors — card acquiring, multi-currency processing and risk management across 146 countries for merchants of all sizes.

↗ www.worldpay.com
EKAT

Ekata

Identity · Risk

Mastercard-owned global identity verification network — phone, email, address and IP risk signals for real-time fraud prevention and customer onboarding.

↗ ekata.com
IVY

IVY

Open Banking

Berlin-based instant bank payments API — A2A payments across 500M+ bank accounts in 50+ countries via open banking rails, cutting card fees and eliminating chargebacks.

↗ getivy.io
CHKT

Checkout.com

PSP · Global

Unified global payment platform — card acquiring, alternative payment methods, issuing, fraud prevention and payouts for high-growth businesses in 45+ markets.

↗ checkout.com
SGNC

Signicat

Digital Identity

European digital identity and e-signature platform — eIDAS-compliant eID authentication, document signing and KYC for regulated industries across 30+ countries.

↗ signicat.com
IDOL

IDology

Identity · KYC

US-based identity verification and fraud prevention — real-time ID document checks, database verification, age validation and step-up authentication workflows.

↗ idology.com

// 31 PLATFORMS · FINTECH · IGAMING · BAAS · KYC · AML · FRAUD · OPEN BANKING · CRYPTO

// 06 — TRAINER & LEADERSHIP

Leading teams.
Sharing knowledge.

Beyond shipping code — training engineers, speaking at industry events, running security workshops and building high-performing teams from the ground up.

6+

Years mentoring

3+

Teams built

1

Industry talk

TRAINING

Security & Domain Training

Led developer sessions covering API security, SQL injection prevention, BurpSuite, PCI DSS compliance and fintech domain knowledge transfer to engineers at all levels.

Security & domain session

Security & domain session

SPEAKING

Fintech Fusion 2024

Industry speaker at Fintech Fusion 2024 — presented on payment system architecture, cross-border fintech integrations and emerging financial infrastructure trends.

Podium address

Podium address

Team at event

Team at event

LEADERSHIP

Team Building

Built cross-functional engineering teams from scratch — onboarding, workflow definition, coding standards and inter-team coordination across Developers Studio.

Team building session

Team building session

MENTORING

Team Setup & Mentoring

Ran structured mentoring programmes for new developer cohorts — pair programming, architecture walkthroughs, code reviews and career guidance.

Mentoring session

Mentoring session

Team Q&A

Team Q&A

Team structure

Team structure

Dev session

Dev session

// 07 — CONTACT

Let's build
something.

6+ years architecting payment gateways, PSP integrations and fintech infrastructure across Europe and beyond — from PCI-compliant card acquiring to fiat-to-crypto rails and open banking flows. Open to senior backend, fintech, managing white-label solutions, building AI-driven fraud detection systems or processes, and AI-engineering roles. Reach out directly; I respond to every message.

Emailahmad294b4@gmail.com
Phone+92 317 4007369
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/ahmad-akbar

// SEND A MESSAGE

// AHMAD AKBAR — LAHORE, PAKISTAN — AVAILABLE FOR REMOTE