Smartflow Payments Limited

London-based payment company founded by two Russian nationals

A British company (Companies House № 11070048), registered on 17.11.2017 under the name Electronic Payment Solutions Ltd, renamed in 2023 to Smartflow Payments Limited. The founders and directors were two Russian citizens — Sergey Baymakov and Mikhail Ponomaryov; Baymakov’s directorship was terminated in May 2022, and his partner Ponomaryov’s only in March 2023, when the company was already managed by Shevtsova. The authorized capital increased from €400,000 (2017) to €1.6 million (2022). As of 31.12.2022, the shareholders (50% each) were Olena and Yulia Sosedka — the same sisters who founded the Ukrainian Concord Bank.

Links to Russia and Alona Shevtsova

According to investigation materials referencing the London registry, two Russians remained among the owners until March 2023, when Alona Shevtsova joined the company. Shevtsova (Degryk-Shevtsova), associated with PJSC iBox Bank, is involved in a Ukrainian case regarding the laundering of approximately UAH 5 billion for online casinos; investigators report that she obtained a Polish residence permit in 2024, while her associate from iBox Bank, Iryna Tsyhanok, was detained in Poland in April 2025. In February 2026, Shevtsova opened another company in London — Odessys tech LTD. The British payment structure with Russian roots can be considered part of a scheme for laundering funds and circumventing sanctions.