South Central Ventures’ Post

🌟 BlackPeak Leads Investment Round in Slovenian Company Leanpay 🌟 🚀 We are excited to announce that BlackPeak Capital has led a €10M Series B funding round in Leanpay, Slovenia's leading Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) and point of sale lending platform. This investment, done together with Catalyst Romania, marks a significant step in Leanpay's journey towards becoming a digital consumer lending champion in Central and Eastern Europe.    📈Leanpay has over 120,000 satisfied users and 1,500 merchant partners, making it a frontrunner in the BNPL sector in Slovenia, Romania, and Hungary. This funding will enable Leanpay to scale operations, introduce innovative services, and attract top talent to solidify its market position.    🔓Our Managing Partner, Niklas Pichler, will join Leanpay's board to help steer the company towards achieving its growth objectives. “The shift in consumer behavior towards flexible payment methods like BNPL is increasingly influencing daily life for all generations as well as reshaping the e-commerce landscape, being pivotal for both businesses and customers alike. We are excited to partner with Leanpay, a Slovenian leader in responsible lending and a pioneer in the 3rd generation BNPL solutions in our region operating an asset-light model”, said Niklas Pichler. “Covering an interesting niche within the BNPL space, we are confident that the Company, with our support, will achieve its full potential and make a significant impact on the market.”    💪The funding provided to a Slovenia-based company by investors from Bulgaria and Romania underscores the increasing unity of Southeast Europe. Together, we strive to enhance regional competitiveness, bolster the digital economy, and promote collaboration and innovation across the region.   ✨We look forward to supporting Leanpay in its mission to provide exceptional digital lending experiences and to expand its reach across the region! 🙏We wish to thank our advisors who helped us with the deal: Schoenherr Attorneys at Law, TPA Group, CODE932, ERM (Romania), Geoffrey Nicholson Marius Ghenea, Antonela Dragomir, CFA, Tilen Zugwitz, Misa Zivic, Janko Medja, Petya Revalska, Niklas Pichler #BlackPeakCapital #Investment #BNPL #Growth #Innovation

📰 Exciting news last week that Aussie #OpenBanking payments startup Waave has been acquired by UK #FinTech Banked : The deal follows Banked’s recent entry into the Australian market in partnership with NAB, by teaming up to deliver an innovative "Pay by Bank" solution and accelerate the adoption of account-to-account payments for Australian merchants. Australia is a key market for Banked, who are now working with leading banks and merchants to build the strongest "Pay by Bank" solution for local businesses and consumers. One business at the front of the queue, due to its existing relationship with Waave, is Chemist Warehouse, which has big plans to activate a seamless and secure "Pay by Bank" solution in its online and in-store operations, launching in early 2025. The solution is underpinned by PayTO and is activated by a QR code at the cash register. Banked CEO Brad Goodall said that project was a critical factor in the acquisition. “Acquiring Waave is a major step forward in our mission to expand our global payments network,” he said. 👉 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gya3g_Q3 #OpenFinance #ConsumerDataRight #Payments

SteadyPay, a fintech company in the United Kingdom, and Aluna Partners, a global investment banking boutique specialising in alternative credit solutions, today announced the closing of a new $10 million purchase agreement to fund the company’s loan book expansion. “Our unique position to tackle the market challenges, especially in supporting individuals and small businesses affected by the cost of living crisis and the banking sector's tightened lending criteria, is significantly bolstered by our partnership with Aluna,” said John Downie, CEO of SteadyPay This transaction further highlights the expertise of Aluna Partners in asset-back lending facilities in the EMEA region. Read more about this transaction in our dedicated press release https://lnkd.in/eGYHP7TW #privatedebt #privateequity #alternativefinance #alternativeinvestments #venturecapital #privateplacement #saas #fintech #lending #mobility #logistics #lendingplatforms #europe #digital #usa #canada #mena #funding #startups #startupfunding #investmentbanking #corporatefinance #alunaunderwriting #consumerlending #financialservices #latam #mexico

Fifty million dollars, and counting. That is the value of funds raised this year, by three African cross-border fintechs; Waza, NALA, and Canza Finance. This influx of funding to startups in the cross-border payments space reveals an appetite for this segment, at a time when many investors are tight-pursed. #Remittance and #international trade are two market trends driving the volume of cross-border payments. From the panel, Sodipo pointed to remittance and the increasing wave of “japa”—a Yoruba slang used for emigration—as a tailwind for cross-border payments while Guy simply narrowed down to the resilience and impact of the USD on international trade as the reason why cross-border payments remain relevant. “Cross-border payments is really about making dollar payments,” Guy said.

🎉🎉This just in - we’ve raised an additional €30M! The new injection of debt financing from Vereinigte Volksbank Raiffeisenbank eG adds to an initial €20M raised in October 2022. This brings our total funding to over €115 million since we launched in October 2021! The new investment fuels our mission to expand into new European markets and develop additional payment solutions to meet the evolving needs of our business customers. Read more on Tech.eu - Thanks Dan Taylor #BNPL #B2Bpayments #fintech #funding

Fintech group Lesaka Technologies Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire adumo RF (Pty) Ltd for ZAR 1.59 billion ($85.9 million translated at the prevailing rate $1: ZAR 18.50 as of May 7, 2024). The transaction is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The purchase consideration1 will be settled through the combination of an issuance of 17,279,803 shares of Lesaka common stock to Adumo’s current ultimate shareholders plus ZAR 232 million ($12.5 million) in cash, funded by internal cash resources and external financing. Adumo’s ultimate shareholders include Apis Growth Fund I, a private equity fund managed by Apis Partners LLP (“Apis”), African Rainbow Capital (“ARC”), the largest shareholder of Crossfin Holdings (RF) Pty Ltd (“Crossfin”), as well as the International Finance Corporation and Adumo management. After giving effect to the acquisition, Lesaka’s ecosystem will serve 1.7 million active consumers, 119,000 merchants, and process over ZAR 250 billion in throughput (ZAR 40 billion card, ZAR 100 billion VAS and ZAR 110 billion cash) per year. Lesaka Technologies Inc. adumo Lincoln Mali Click on the link to read the full story: https://lnkd.in/dRtivpQS #Acquisition #payment #fintech #businessnews #IBmag

#Fintech Funding: Mondu Secures €30M for Pan-European Expansion 🚀 🔵 Berlin-based fintech Mondu has secured an additional €30 million in debt financing. This brings the total amount raised to €50 million, which will be used to develop new payment solutions and scale operations across the continent. 🔵 Mondu makes business payments as frictionless and accessible as consumer payments. Using a proprietary platform, the company provides merchants and marketplaces with a suite of B2B payment tools that simplify invoice management, invoicing, and payments. 🔵 Mondu has already experienced rapid growth in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. The company's expansion into the UK in early 2023 has been further boosted by the appointment of former TrueLayer UK country manager Roger De’Ath as Managing Director. 🗣️ Vereinigte Volksbank Raiffeisenbank eG CEO Ralf Magerkurth commented on the additional funding, saying: "Building on the success of our partnership in Germany and Austria, we remain steadfast in our belief in Mondu's business model and its potential for growth. Our commitment extends beyond borders, as we are excited to support their expansion into other European countries further. This step is a testament to our confidence in Mondu's vision and capabilities, and we are proud to be a part of their journey towards reshaping the industry across Europe." 🗣️ Mondu co-CEO and co-founder Philipp Povel: "This financing will significantly bolster our European expansion, enabling us to ramp up expansion across the European market and develop additional payment solutions to benefit business customers. This step further strengthens our commitment to driving innovation and value in the B2B BNPL ecosystem." #payments #financialservices #B2Bpayments

FlapKap Secures $34M Pre-Series A to Scale SME-Financing Across MENA Speaking on the round, Ahmad Coucha, FlapKap CEO and Co-founder said, “The growth in data has made it easier than ever to support SMEs, and at FlapKap, we're rising to the occasion. By leveraging data and technology, we're breaking down the barriers that SMEs face in accessing financial services. We're now able to assess risk more accurately and reduce underwriting costs, addressing the two biggest obstacles faced by incumbent financial institutions. This investment will support our continued growth in the UAE and Egypt and further our expansion into the rest of the GCC, and help us gain valuable insights from our high-calibre investment partners.” https://lnkd.in/enpyxyDn Yemi Kuti Wimbart Walter Gontarek Channel Karim Abadir BECO Capital Reem Wyndham Pact Khaled Nassef #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

🟧🟩🟦 May 2024: A Banner Month for Fintech 👀📈This May, the FinTech industry saw a flurry of exciting developments! From major funding rounds to industry conferences, let's dive into the highlights: ⭐ Acquisition Buzz!  Major news in the European payments space with Gallant Capital Partners acquiring Fime and UL Solutions' payments testing business. This move strengthens Fime's global reach and expertise. #FinTechAcquisitions #PaymentsInnovation ⭐ Embedded Finance on the Rise! The FTT Embedded Finance & Super-Apps Europe event in May highlighted the growing importance of embedded financial services within larger platforms. #FutureofFinance #SuperApps ⭐ Events Galore! The FinTech North team wrapped up a record-breaking year with a series of insightful conferences across the UK. Huge shoutout to their dedication in fostering a thriving FinTech community! #FinTechNorth #CommunityMatters ⭐ Funding Frenzy! 💲💰💷  May saw a record number of FinTech companies secure funding, fuelling innovation and growth across the sector! Here's some of May's most interesting Funding Rounds: 🟠 Monzo rockets to a $5.2 billion valuation with an additional $190 million in funding! This new cash will fuel their expansion and product launches. Keep an eye out for a US push from Monzo! #FinTech #Funding #Growth 🟢 SumUp, the small business payments giant, secures a massive €1.5 billion loan to boost their global business. This funding helps SumUp empower millions of merchants with seamless payment processing. #Fintech #Funding 🔵 Iwoca, the champion of small businesses, secures £270 million in debt financing to fuel expansion in the UK and Germany. This allows Iwoca to provide even more fast and flexible loans to businesses in need. #Fintech #Funding #SmallBusiness 🟠 Alpian, the Swiss neobank, raises $83.5 million to accelerate their growth. This includes a strategic investment from Fideuram, making them Alpian's main shareholder. #swissfintech #funding #wealthtech 🟢 Colendi, the Turkish digital bank on fire, raises a whopping $65 million in funding, valuing them at $700 million! With their sights set on 50 million customers and a potential IPO in 2026, Colendi is poised to disrupt the Turkish banking scene! #Fintech #Funding #Turkey 🔵 FintechOS, a leader in financial product management, secures €55.4 million to revolutionise financial services. This funding helps them simplify core systems modernisation, making them a game-changer in the industry. #Fintech #Funding Looking ahead, June promises to be another exciting month for FinTech! What are you most interested in seeing? #FinTech #Innovation #Finance #RokaSearch

Discover how Colombian fintech @joingetaddi is revolutionizing e-commerce in Latin America with a fresh $86M investment from industry titans, fueling their expansion and innovation in the BNPL market. #Fintech #Investment #Growth #LatinAmerica #BNPL #banking #news #finance #fintech https://lnkd.in/eQB2kr72