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    <li>
      <p>
        B2B BNPL platform, Vartana, raised USD 12 million in a Series A funding round led by VC firm, Mayfield, with participation from Xerox Ventures, Flex Capital, and Audacious Ventures. The company also secured a USD 50 million line of credit from i80 Group. The funding round comes a year after Vartana emerged from stealth in 
        <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7936">
          January 2022
        </a>
        .
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        The funds are to be utilized to develop Vartana&rsquo;s capital marketplace focused on the SaaS industry, which ensures that the company no longer holds buyer&rsquo;s debt in their books, helping to maintain a flexible balance sheet.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
  </p>
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<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/24/b2b-sales-closing-and-financing-platform-vartana-raises-12m/">
      TechCrunch
    </a>
  </p>
</div>


Buy Now, Pay Later

B2B BNPL platform Vartana raises USD 12 million in Series A funding

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PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 <p>Mondu, a Germany-based B2B Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) solution provider, has collaborated with Stripe, an API-based payment infrastructure, card-issuing, and fraud prevention platform. This partnership intends to provide flexible invoice payments to business-to-business (B2B) merchants and marketplaces.</p>
 <p>Thanks to this integration, merchants can now offer Mondu's flexible invoice payment options via their existing Stripe setup. This is expected to enhance the checkout experience for customers while also increasing conversion rates. Presently, Mondu's solution is available through Stripe platforms in the Netherlands, Germany, and France. However, they intend to expand to additional markets in the future. </p>
 <p>This joint venture seeks to assist merchants in driving sales, augmenting order values, and streamlining the onboarding process for new business customers. At the same time, it gives buyers the luxury of increased payment flexibility. It also guarantees upfront payments for merchants without any risks of default.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Mondu recently received an <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/32435"> Electronic Money Institution </a> (EMI) license from the Dutch Central Bank, allowing it to meet regulatory compliance and expand its payment services across Europe. Early this year, Mondu also secured <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25882"> EUR 30 million </a> in debt financing from German bank Vereinigte Volksbank Raiffeisenbank (VVRB), which was earmarked for European expansion.</p>

Mondu partners with Stripe to offer B2B BNPL payments for merchants

<div>

<p>Tabby, a UAE-based Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) platform, has announced plans to acquire Tweeq, a Saudi-based digital wallet which holds a license from the Saudi Central Bank. The terms of the deal, including the purchase sum, have not been disclosed.</p>

<p>Tweeq was established in 2020, offering a digital wallet for consumers in Saudi Arabia under the authority of an electronic money institution license. The service allows users to spend, transfer, and manage their money through a spending account.</p>

<p>The acquisition plan positions Tabby to broaden its financial service offerings within its existing ecosystem, with Tweeq continuing to operate as an independent entity. Through this move, Tabby hopes to encompass digital spending accounts, cards, and money management tools into its portfolio, pending the approval from the relevant regulators.</p>

</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> This marks Tabby’s first acquisition after the company reached <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/23310"> unicorn status </a> with USD 200 million raised in Series D funding last November. Tabby also expanded its offerings with the launch of <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26975"> Tabby+ </a> early this year and the company intends to broaden its product offerings further leveraging Tweeq’s expertise.</p>

Tabby to acquire Saudi Arabia-based Tweeq for undisclosed sum

<div>
 
 <p>Jifiti, a BNPL infrastructure provider, has added a Loan Management System (LMS) to its existing white-label embedded lending platform. This enhancement includes various tools for managing and tracking loans throughout their lifecycle. The LMS add-on also offers expanded capabilities to customers and partners in different sectors like retail, healthcare, heavy equipment, auto repair, contracting, travel, and OEM financing.</p>
 
</div>

Jifiti launches loan management system add-on for lending platform

<div>
 
 <p>BNPL provider Klarna, based in Sweden, plans to halve its workforce through the application of AI to address customer inquiries, drastically cutting the time required to resolve these inquiries. The firm's staff count has fallen from 5,000 to 3,800 in the last year, primarily due to employee attrition.</p>
 <p>Currently, Klarna's AI assistant is operating at a level equal to 700 human employees, shortening the typical resolution time from 11 minutes to just two minutes. The company has not taken on new staff since September of the previous year, facilitating a natural contraction in company size.</p>
 <p>In a statement, Klarna's CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski claimed that the average earnings per employee over the past year climbed by 73%, increasing from 4 million crowns (~USD 360,000) to 7 million crowns (~USD 690,000). The company, which anticipates going public next year, reported a swing to an adjusted profit of 673 million Swedish crowns (~USD 66 million) in the first half of 2024.</p>
 
</div>

Klarna plans more job cuts with GenAI adoption

<div>
 
 <p>Klarna, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) provider based in Sweden, has purchased the assets of Laybuy, a New Zealand BNPL provider. The selling price is hidden. The service is set to be reintroduced in the next few weeks by Klarna.</p>
 <p>With this acquisition, Klarna is intending to reestablish the Laybuy brand in New Zealand and harness its expertise and international reach to provide better payment alternatives to New Zealand consumers and merchants.</p>
 <p>Klarna services over 85 million users worldwide and works with more than 550,000 worldwide merchants, including brands such as Uber, Airbnb, H&amp;M, Sephora, Macy’s, and Nike. Laybuy has more than 550,000 users in New Zealand and over 10,000 merchant partners.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Laybuy <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/30597"> went into receivership </a> two months ago due to financial pressures and economic challenges affecting its operations in New Zealand and Australia. The company struggled to raise capital and undertook various cost minimization measures, including <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/15915"> voluntarily delisting </a> from the Australian Securities Exchange and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/17220"> laying off 10% of its employees </a> early last year.</p>

Klarna acquires Laybuy for undisclosed sum; plans to relaunch brand

<div>
 
 <p>Zip, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) provider based in Australia, has entered into a partnership with Stripe, an advanced payment infrastructure and fraud prevention platform. This collaboration is aimed at integrating Zip's BNPL service with Stripe for the benefit of US merchants.</p>
 <p>The main objective of this alliance is for Zip to expand its clientele, boost the conversion rate of shopping carts and augment basket sizes by tapping into the merchant partners of Stripe. It will also facilitate Zip as a payment method. This integration is designed to offer customers flexible credit options while enabling merchants to reach a wider customer base.</p>
 <p>It is projected that Zip's BNPL service will be accessible to US merchants using Stripe later this year. The service is currently only available to beta users.</p>
 
</div>

Zip partners with Stripe to expand reach with US merchants

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<p>Klarna, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) provider from Sweden, is launching two new services, Klarna Balance and Cashback, in Europe and the US. Klarna Balance is a feature that allows customers to keep funds in a Klarna account for use in purchases, installment payments, cash-back rewards for shopping within the Klarna app, or for receiving refunds on returned items. The other service, Cashback, provides rewards for purchases made via the Klarna app, offering up to 10% cashback with certain retailers.</p>

<p>Although Klarna does not offer interest on cash accounts in the US at the moment, there are plans for this in the future. However, in Europe, customers can earn interest rates as high as 3.58% on their funds. These new services demonstrate Klarna's ambition to transition into an everyday spending partner and adopt a traditional retail banking model.</p>

</div>

Klarna launches Klarna Balance and Cashback in the US and across Europe

<div>
 
 <p>Healthcare-focused flexible payments provider, PayZen, has secured USD 232 million in a Series B funding round. The lead investor was New Enterprise Associates (NEA), along with 7wireVentures, SignalFire, Viola Ventures, and others. The round comprised of USD 32 million in equity and USD 200 million from a credit warehouse facility provided by Viola Credit and other insurance companies. PayZen's total funding now exceeds USD 472 million.</p>
 <p>The funding is planned to be utilized to support PayZen's growth and aid its market expansion. As a part of the funding deal, NEA's co-CEO Mohamad Makhzoumi will be added to PayZen's board of directors.</p>
 <p>Over the last two years, PayZen has seen a 6-fold annual growth, registering a 100% customer retention and 132% net retention rate. The company plans to introduce new AI-driven offerings aimed at addressing patient affordability. This move is expected to sustain its growth momentum into the latter half of the current year.</p>
 
</div>

PayZen raises USD 232 million in Series B funding to support growth and expansion

<div>
 
 <p>German B2B BNPL solution provider, Mondu, has gained an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from the De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). This license is expected to facilitate Mondu's growth throughout Europe, aid more companies, and promote its services by introducing additional payment methods such as eWallets and credit cards.</p>
 <p>Currently, Mondu operates in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, and France.</p>
 
 </div>

Mondu secures EMI license to support European expansion and expand offerings

<div>

<p>BNPL infrastructure company, Equipifi, has unveiled a white-label solution named Plan Your Purchase. This service can be integrated into existing banking apps of financial institutions and enables account holders to avail pre-qualified installment loans ranging from USD 500 to USD 2,000.</p>

<p>The Plan Your Purchase solution expedites the approval process for loans by using pre-determined decisioning parameters set by the financial institutions. It does not necessitate a credit check, application, or manual intervention by the bank or credit union.</p>

<p>This service will be provided in conjunction with Equipifi's primary post-purchase BNPL product, Split Your Payment. It aids financial institutions in forecasting their account holders' budgeting and purchasing requirements and ensures they receive access to pre-qualified installment loans when needed.</p>

</div>

All Updates

B2B BNPL platform Vartana raises USD 12 million in Series A funding

Mondu partners with Stripe to offer B2B BNPL payments for merchants

Tabby to acquire Saudi Arabia-based Tweeq for undisclosed sum

Jifiti launches loan management system add-on for lending platform

Klarna plans more job cuts with GenAI adoption

Klarna acquires Laybuy for undisclosed sum; plans to relaunch brand

Zip partners with Stripe to expand reach with US merchants

Klarna launches Klarna Balance and Cashback in the US and across Europe

PayZen raises USD 232 million in Series B funding to support growth and expansion

Mondu secures EMI license to support European expansion and expand offerings

Equipifi launches Plan Your Purchase–a pre-qualified installment loan offering for financial institutions

Buy Now, Pay Later

B2B BNPL platform Vartana raises USD 12 million in Series A funding

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