We report amplified near-IR (NIR) fluorescence in organic rhodamine dye nanoparticles, which can be synthesized on the basis of ion association between rhodamine-800 (Rho-800) cation and tetrakis(4-fluorophenyl)borate (TFPB) anion in the presence of photochemically-inert, bulky co-cation in water. The maximum fluorescence quantum yield obtained is similar to 0.18, one of the best NIR solid-state organic nano-emitters.