Founded in 2015, New Stack Ventures is an early-stage venture firm based Chicago, Illinois. The firm targets pre-seed and seed stage startups investing $300k - $2M.

New Stack Ventures

Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund is an outgrowth of Revolution’s Rise of the Rest platform, a national initiative launched in 2014 to spotlight emerging startup hubs. Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund invests in seed- and early-stage companies located outside of New York City, Silicon Valley, and Boston. By partnering with regional ecosystem leaders and co-investors, Rise of the Rest is helping to build and scale the next wave of transformational companies. The Rise of the Rest Seed Funds are backed by a group of iconic entrepreneurs and business leaders committed to the vision that the next great startups will be located outside of the coastal tech hubs.

Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund

We are enterprise software experts.  We look to co-invest with strong leads, bringing our network of coinvestors and next round investors as well as enterprise software expertise to add value.  We see ourselves as partners who can fill out a round quickly and be a positive influence, and non-competitive as we don't lead or take significant stakes in our portfolio companies.  We generally write a small check into rounds of $750k-$3M that are mostly full, being low pain-in-the-ass to entrepreneurs compared to relatively high value add.  Having been entrepreneurs, we know that's the most important part.  While we'll invest anywhere in the US, we love ''second tier markets'' that can still support major exits but attract relatively less venture funding: Chicago, Toronto, DC, Baltimore, Atlanta, etc etc!

SaaS Ventures

PHX Ventures

Curql empowers credit unions with fintech solutions, offering expertise and support to drive innovation from incubation to acceleration.

Curql

equipifi

equipifi is a fintech SaaS powering banks and credit unions with Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions that align with their cardholders’ financial goals. The equipifi platform seamlessly integrates with financial institutions to help them deepen engagement, grow market share, increase revenue, and provide consumers a single place to view, accept, and manage their BNPL plans on their existing banking app.

equipifi provides an API-driven white-label BNPL solution for banks and credit unions, enabling them to provide customers with staggered payment options by directly integrating with their checking accounts or debit cards. Users who pay through debit cards receive push notifications from their bank, alerting them to BNPL offers, which have been pre-approved (based on the eligibility) by the platform’s decision engine. Customers can view and manage their BNPL transactions through the existing banking portal. equipifi generates revenue through subscriptions. As of November 2021, the company was working with 20 clients and expects to launch solutions with three of them in Q1 2022.

Buy Now, Pay Later

equipifi and Synergent Announce Partnership to Expand Credit Union Access to Buy Now, Pay Later Platform

Synergent

To expand BNPL services for credit unions by integrating Equipifi's digital banking apps, enabling personalized BNPL offers using member insights.

These companies offer merchants and financial institutions a white-label product to provide in-house BNPL solutions.

equipifi provides an API-driven white-label BNPL solution for banks and credit unions, enabling them to provide customers with staggered payment options by directly integrating with their checking accounts or debit cards. Users who pay through debit cards receive push notifications from their bank, alerting them to BNPL offers, which have been pre-approved (based on the eligibility) by the platform’s decision engine. Customers can view and manage their BNPL transactions through the existing banking portal. equipifi generates revenue through subscriptions. As of November 2021, the company was working with 20 clients and expects to launch solutions with three of them in Q1 2022.Key customers and partnershipsIn April 2023, equipifi announced a partnership with SWBC, an insurance, mortgage and investment services provider. Through this partnership, equipifi intended to leverage SWBC’s client data and increase its product reach by embedding its BNPL offering with SWBC’s debit cardholders.Funding and financialsequipifi raised USD 12 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Curql Fund and PHX Ventures in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10642">May 2022 </a>. The round follows its USD 3 million <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/6460">seed funding round </a>in November 2021.

Openpay is an Australian BNPL platform launched in 2016 offering flexible payment plans with deferments ranging between 2-24 months for transactions from AUD 50 to AUD 20,000 (approximately USD 36-USD 14,600). The platform focuses on the automotive, healthcare, home improvement, memberships, and education industries. In December 2019, Openpay was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, raising AUD 50 million (approximately USD 35 million) in the process. This was roughly two years after it had to abruptly cancel its initial IPO plans and raised AUD 10 million (approximately USD 8 million) instead.Openpay’s B2C solution offers equal weekly and bi-weekly installment plans at no interest, with longer terms typically offered for larger ticket purchases. Its proprietary risk management technology drives the platform’s credit decisions, and it integrates with leading e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, PrestaShop, Magento, and WooCommerce. Furthermore, Openpay has a B2B trade account management solution that is separate from its BNPL service.Openpay generates revenue through merchant fees, which represent a percentage of the transaction value, customer fees (including late fees), an initial establishment fee, and a recurring plan management fee.Initially available in Australia and New Zealand, Openpay expanded its operations to the UK in June 2019, followed by a US launch in December 2020 under the brand Opy. However, it withdrew from the UK BNPL market in March 2022 citing its inability to compete in the market. It also revealed that it will continue to offer longer-term repayment plans for dental procedures and car repairs in the UK through partnerships.Key customers and partnershipsIt entered the veterinary market in the US via a partnership with ezyVet, which provides cloud-based software for veterinary professionals, and its plans are expected to be available on ezyVet platforms by early FY2022 in the US. It partnered with contactless payments firm Everyware in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/5954">October 2021 </a>to offer the first-ever Pay-by-Text BNPL solution, followed by a tie up with American Express in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7084">December 2021 </a>.Openpay secured a strategic partnership with the payments processor Worldpay and Cross River Bank. As a result, Openpay’s payment plans were integrated with Worldpay’s payment gateway as the merchant acquirer for Openpay in the US, while Cross River was expected to serve as <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/5806">Openpay’s lender </a>for consumer financing loans to US customers, meaning it will fund and originate all loans on Openpay’s US platform. However, in July 2022, Openpay announced that it’s ceasing operations in the US market owing to economic headwinds stemming from rising interest rates and deteriorating consumer sentiment.

Openpay

PrimaHealth Credit (PrimaHealth) is a BNPL solution designated for elective medical procedures such as cataract surgery, orthodontic work, dental care, LASIK, and addiction treatment. PrimaHealth’s credit decision-making is handled in-house using proprietary credit underwriting models. With PrimaHealth, patients would pay 25% to 50% of the cost upfront, and the residual cost, running from USD 300 to USD 24,000, can be repaid over 2-4 months. PrimaHealth’s interest rates range from around 0% to 25% APR with an average loan size of USD 1,800 across all types of procedures.As of December 2020, PrimaHealth was available in Arizona, California, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, and plans to expand across all 50 states by 2021.

PrimaHealth Credit

Laybuy is a New Zealand-based BNPL provider offering its services in Australia, the US (beta launched in December 2020), and the UK through a partnership with the streetwear retailer Footasylum in 2019. The platform partners with Experian, a multinational credit bureau, to help with its credit decision-making. Through Laybuy, users can make online or in-store purchases over six weekly payments with no interest charges if paid on time. The in-store offering is facilitated by Laybuy’s “Tap to Pay'' digital card, available in Australia and New Zealand as of March 2021 and launched in August 2021 in the UK. The platform has an average customer transaction limit of GBP 240, and any missed payments will result in the user account being suspended and a late fee of USD 10.In FY2022, the platform reported gross merchandise volume (GMV) of NZD 868 million (~USD 600 million), reflecting 47% YoY growth. The platform’s revenue grew by 45% YoY to NZD 47.1 million (~USD 32.8 million). The UK operation accounted for the majority (~60%) of GMV in FY2022, improving on its ~50% share last year. The company also revealed that total active customers increased 23% YoY to 931,000, while total active merchants grew 50% YoY to 13,700. Laybuy was listed on the ASX from September 2020 to March 2023, after which it was <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15915">delisted</a>.Laybuy issued <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30597">receivership notice</a> in June 2024 due to financial pressures and economic challenges affecting its operations in New Zealand and Australia. The company stated that Laybuy Group Holdings Limited, Laybuy Holdings Limited, and Laybuy Australia Pty Limited were placed for receivership on 17 June and that its UK entities remain unaffected.Key customers and partnershipsIn May 2023, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/976316">​​ </a>Laybuy collaborated with New Zealand-based Centrix, a credit bureau, to develop a credit reporting system, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18326">PayWatch </a>. The company also <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18595">partnered with Eventfinda </a>, an event ticketing and marketing platform, to embed its BNPL solution and offer flexible payment options for event tickets. Laybuy secured partnerships with merchants such as Rakuten, AWIN, and Sovrn, giving users access to more than 5,000 merchants in the UK, including WHSmith, Asos, Nike, Marks &amp; Spencer, Amazon, and eBay.

Laybuy

Tamara is a Saudi Arabian BNPL platform provider offering customers the option to pay in 30 days or in three installments over 60 days at zero interest, making it Shariah-compliant. Tamara settles payments with merchants weekly for a commission-based fee, charging a late payment penalty of SAR 25 (approximately USD 7) from customers. These charges are capped at a lower rate between SAR 150 or 25% of the total transaction value. In September 2020, Tamara established a partnership with the e-commerce platform Salla, extending its reach to more than 10,000 merchants on the platform. As of June 2021, it operates in Saudi Arabia and the UAE with offices in Germany and Vietnam. In July 2023, Tamara <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19954">secured a permit </a>to operate its flexible payment services from the Saudi Central Bank following a trial period of operation within the Saudi Arabian regulatory framework.Key customers and partnershipsThe company claims to be the market leader in the BNPL space in Saudi. It reported that its transaction volume grew 170% month-on-month and its customer base increased 180% month-on-month over the six months preceding its Series A round. As of January 2023, the platform had serviced over 9 million registered users and had over 30,000 merchant partners, including partnerships with firms such as IKEA, Jarir, Shein and Namshi.<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27305">In March 2024</a>, Tamara partnered with UK-based <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/615710">Uqudo</a>, a digital identity verification platform, to enhance privacy and security on digital transactions. <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25271">In January 2023</a>, the company partnered with Egypt-based <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/497895">Paymob</a>, a payment gateway platform, to provide an integrated solution that facilitated installment payments for customers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24016">November 2023</a>, Tamara secured up to USD 250 million in debt financing from Goldman Sachs and Shorooq Partners. It comprises an incremental debt financing of USD 200 million of senior debt provided by Goldman Sachs (bringing its senior warehouse facility up to USD 350 million, an increase from USD 150 million raised in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17139">March 2023</a>) and USD 50 million mezzanine tranche led by Shorooq Partners, which brings the total warehouse facility up to USD 400 million. The company earmarked the funds to service its growing BNPL product demand and invest in developing new products and services.

Tamara

Fly Now Pay Later is a UK-based consumer credit provider regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The platform provides its services exclusively to the travel sector through a direct-to-consumer app (Anywhere) and an integrated checkout solution. The platform allows consumers to spread the cost of travel over a maximum of 12 months, with a limit of GBP 3,000 (approximately USD 4,200). The plans’ interest rates vary depending on the applicant's borrowing history; therefore, users may incur a one-off credit transaction fee. The payment plans can be applied to flight bookings, hotels, and car hires.The company has partnered with travel brands such as Lastminute.com, TravelUp, Kayak, LycaFly, and Trivago.The company secured GBP 55 million (approx. USD 75 million) in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates?industryIds=58">debt funding </a>from Atalaya Capital Management. The round follows its extended Series A round worth GBP 10 million (approx. USD 14 million) in May 2021. The debt infusion is earmarked to support its expansion efforts in the US, which it entered into in 2020.

Fly Now Pay Later

The providers plug into merchant checkouts and convert business purchases into installments.

These platforms integrate with the merchant’s e-commerce checkout and primarily offer the BNPL solution through their app. Consumers are restricted to shopping at merchants integrated with the provider in most cases.

These providers integrate with the merchant’s e-commerce checkout. The service is offered through the provider’s app or a virtual card that facilitates in-store application, including non-partnered retailers.

Solutions can use AI/ML to improve the quality of underwriting tools used in assessing consumers

Use of blockchain technology for customer screening is an emerging area

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 Equipifi, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) infrastructure provider, has joined forces with Synergent, a provider of managed services, with the aim of expanding BNPL services for credit unions.
 This partnership will enable Synergent to employ Equipifi's digital banking applications, which will aid credit union partners in launching their own BNPL services. The collaboration also permits credit unions to use insights from its members to extend personalized BNPL offers.
 Equipifi has experienced remarkable growth, with a 750% surge in the number of financial institutions adopting its platform over the previous year.
</div>

equipifi

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