Canadian payments fintech Helcim has raised $53 million in Series C funding as it looks to expand its payments infrastructure and build a broader financial platform for small and medium-sized businesses. The round was led by BDC Capital’s Growth Venture Fund, with new investment from Curql Collective and Gold House Ventures alongside continued support from existing investors.

The raise comes as Helcim reaches more than 22,000 active merchants, surpasses $150 million in annual revenue, and expects to process nearly $10 billion in payments this year.

Building an Alternative to Captive Payments

A central focus of Helcim’s expansion is its “Helcim Everywhere” strategy, which aims to make its payment services available directly within the software and workflows merchants already use.

Its Payment Extension allows businesses to keep their existing business software while processing payments through Helcim. The model is designed to give merchants more choice over their payment provider instead of being tied to the processor built into their software.

Helcim says it is continuing to add integrations while maintaining its focus on transparent, volume-based pricing.

From Payment Processor to Financial Partner

The new funding will also support further development of Helcim’s point-of-sale, invoicing, online checkout, and hardware products. Beyond accepting payments, the company is exploring additional ways to help merchants get paid, pay vendors, and manage everyday business finances.

This reflects a broader shift in fintech, where payment providers are increasingly expanding into the wider financial workflows surrounding transactions.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Helcim’s Series C highlights how payment companies can differentiate through control and flexibility. Key lessons include:

• Giving merchants choice can become a competitive advantage in payments.
  
  
• Embedded payments can expand a processor’s reach without forcing customers to change their existing software.
  
  
• Payment infrastructure can provide a foundation for broader financial services.

As merchants increasingly expect payments to work seamlessly across their existing tools, fintechs have an opportunity to build beyond the transaction itself. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech strategy and growth.

Mumbai-based fintech Rezolv has raised $12.5 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-powered debt resolution platform for banks and non-bank financial companies. The round included Vertex Ventures and 3one4 Capital.

Founded by Karan Mehta and Sonali Jindal, former co-founders of Kissht, Rezolv plans to use the funding to strengthen its AI capabilities across sales, risk assessment, underwriting, and collections while expanding its automation platform for lenders.

Moving AI in Collections From Adoption to Outcomes

Rezolv is focused on a specific challenge for lenders: improving debt collection while making the process more efficient and compliant. Its platform combines generative AI, analytics, and workflow automation to support collection operations and borrower engagement.

The company argues that the bigger challenge for businesses is no longer deciding whether to adopt AI, but measuring what that adoption actually delivers. Rezolv is therefore positioning its technology around measurable outcomes such as recovery rates, operating costs, productivity, and workforce optimisation.

Building an End-to-End Platform for Lenders

Rezolv launched its platform in October 2024 and secured its first NBFC customers in January 2025. The company is now expanding its capabilities beyond collections to cover additional stages of the lending lifecycle.

The latest investment gives Rezolv capital to deepen its AI capabilities while developing a broader automation platform for lenders. Its focus on measurable financial outcomes could become particularly relevant as financial institutions increasingly look beyond AI experimentation toward technologies that can demonstrate a direct operational impact.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Rezolv’s Series A highlights a shift in how financial institutions evaluate AI investments. Key lessons include:

• AI products need to demonstrate measurable business outcomes.
  
  
• Vertical-specific automation can address complex operational challenges more effectively.
  
  
• Expanding across the financial lifecycle can create opportunities beyond a single use case.

As financial institutions move from AI experimentation toward measurable implementation, fintechs need to connect technology directly to business value. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech strategy and growth.

Quartr has raised $18 million in new funding as the financial data company looks to accelerate product development and expand its coverage of public companies globally. The round was led by existing investor Altos Ventures, with participation from new investor SEB.

The investment also makes Altos Ventures Quartr’s largest shareholder, signalling continued confidence in the company’s growth. Quartr says it continues to grow at triple-digit rates, with net revenue retention of around 120%.

Turning First-Party Data Into AI-Ready Infrastructure

Quartr provides structured, real-time investor relations data from public companies, including information from live company events. Its platform is designed to make this data easier for financial institutions and AI systems to access, analyse, and use.

The company operates through two main products. Quartr Pro provides an AI-powered research platform for hedge funds, asset managers, equity researchers, and investor relations professionals, while Quartr API provides data infrastructure for companies building their own financial applications and AI tools.

Building for Institutional Finance and AI

Quartr says more than 800 financial institutions and technology companies use its platform for research and development. Its customer base includes major hedge funds, asset managers, and technology companies.

The latest funding will allow Quartr to move faster on product development while continuing to expand its global coverage. As financial research becomes increasingly automated, access to reliable first-party information could become an increasingly important part of the AI infrastructure stack.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Quartr’s raise highlights the growing value of high-quality data infrastructure in financial services. Key lessons include:

• Reliable first-party data can become a critical foundation for financial AI.
  
  
• APIs can turn specialised data into infrastructure for an entire ecosystem.
  
  
• Strong retention and recurring usage can provide a foundation for rapid expansion.

As AI transforms how financial institutions research and make decisions, fintechs that control valuable data infrastructure can play an increasingly important role. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech strategy and growth.

Yuno has raised $45 million in Series B funding as the payments infrastructure fintech looks to accelerate international expansion, develop its agentic AI strategy, and move toward profitability. The round was led by Global PayTech Ventures and backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global, QuantumLight Capital, Monashees, Kaszek, and Endeavor Catalyst.

Regional investors Rasmal Ventures, GrowthX Capital, and UAE-based Further Ventures also participated, reflecting Yuno’s growing focus on Gulf markets. The new round brings the company’s total funding to $80 million.

Building the Infrastructure Behind Global Payments

Founded in Colombia in 2022, Yuno provides a single API connecting businesses to payment methods, processors, and fraud detection services. The company says its infrastructure helped merchants recover more than $5 billion in otherwise-failed transaction volume over the past year.

The latest funding will support further technology investment, research and development, and international growth. Yuno CEO Juan Pablo Ortega also says the company has a clear path to profitability in the year ahead.

From Payment Orchestration to Agentic AI

A major part of Yuno’s next phase is its move into agentic AI. The company launched Payments Concierge in April, allowing merchants to interact with its payment infrastructure using natural-language instructions.

Yuno is also developing agents designed to optimise payment routing and identify transaction failures before they affect revenue. The company sees another potential use case emerging as AI agents begin making purchases themselves, creating demand for payment infrastructure designed for machine-driven commerce.

Expanding Into the Gulf

Yuno is simultaneously strengthening its presence in Gulf markets. The company has partnered with Saudi Arabia-based Tap Payments, received PTSP authorisation through its local subsidiary, and integrated with Saudi financial services platform Tabby.

With a regional headquarters in Qatar and additional regional investor support, the Series B gives Yuno capital to pursue both its AI strategy and international expansion.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Yuno’s latest raise shows how payment infrastructure is evolving alongside AI and new geographic opportunities. Key lessons include:

• Payment orchestration can become increasingly valuable as merchants operate across fragmented markets.
  
  
• Agentic AI could reshape how businesses manage complex payment infrastructure.
  
  
• International expansion requires local partnerships, regulatory capabilities, and market-specific infrastructure.

As global payments become more complex and increasingly automated, fintechs need a strategy that connects technology with the realities of each market. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech growth and expansion strategy.

Finley has raised $1.85 million in pre-seed funding to develop its AI-driven financial insights platform for middle-market businesses. The round was led by Cofounders Capital, with partner Tobias Walter joining Finley’s board of directors.

Founded in 2025 by Justin Norwood and Josh Pennington, the Wilmington, North Carolina-based fintech is building what it describes as a virtual CFO designed to help business leaders make better financial decisions without adding another layer of manual analysis.

Turning Financial Data Into Strategic Decisions

Finley focuses on areas including cash flow management, capital raising, and broader financial decision-making. Rather than simply presenting financial information, the platform is designed to help business leaders understand their financial position and use that information when making strategic decisions.

For middle-market companies, where financial teams may have significant responsibilities but fewer resources than large enterprises, AI-powered financial analysis could provide an additional layer of support.

Expanding the AI CFO Platform

Finley will use the new funding to accelerate product development and expand the platform to address financial needs across additional industry verticals.

The company is entering a growing market of fintech platforms using AI to bring financial analysis and advisory capabilities closer to businesses. Its focus on the middle market positions the product between traditional financial software and the more extensive finance teams typically available to larger companies.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Finley’s early funding highlights the opportunity to apply AI to financial decision-making rather than simply automate administrative tasks. Key lessons include:

• AI can extend financial expertise to businesses with leaner finance teams.
  
• Financial insights become more valuable when connected directly to strategic decisions.
  
• Vertical expansion can provide a path for AI fintech platforms to broaden their addressable market.

As AI moves deeper into corporate finance, fintechs have an opportunity to turn complex financial data into practical decision-making tools. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech strategy and growth.

Fisent Technologies has raised $4.3 million in venture funding to expand its AI-powered process automation platform for regulated enterprises. The round was led by FINTOP, with continued participation from strategic investor Pegasystems, bringing Fisent’s total funding to $6.3 million.

The investment will support the company’s enterprise go-to-market efforts, customer deployment capabilities, product development, and partnerships. FINTOP Partner John Philpott will also join Fisent’s Board of Directors.

Moving GenAI From Experiments to Enterprise Workflows

Fisent focuses on a challenge facing regulated businesses: turning unstructured information into automated processes without removing the controls and reliability required in industries such as banking, insurance, and wealth management.

Its BizAI platform uses agentic AI to understand and process content within complex enterprise workflows. The company recently introduced BizAI Studio, allowing non-technical teams to build and refine automation workflows without relying entirely on IT teams.

The approach is designed for processes that have traditionally required manual review and specialist judgement, while operating within the systems and controls already used by enterprises.

Scaling Adoption Among Large Financial Institutions

Fisent’s latest funding follows strong recent growth. The company says revenue increased 206% year over year in 2025, while net revenue retention reached 173% and customer churn remained at zero for the third consecutive year.

In 2026, Fisent secured its first Fortune 50 customer and expects to add several more by the end of the year. The new capital will help the company expand its enterprise presence while increasing distribution through technology and workflow partners.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Fisent’s raise highlights where enterprise AI is creating opportunities in regulated financial services. Key lessons include:

• Enterprise AI adoption depends on reliability, governance, and integration.
  
  
• Strong expansion within existing customers can be as important as new customer acquisition.
  
  
• Partnerships can provide an important distribution channel for specialised fintech infrastructure.

As regulated industries move from AI experimentation toward production deployment, fintechs that can combine automation with enterprise-grade controls are well positioned to capture demand. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech strategy and growth.

Mobility fintech Naran has raised $10 million in combined equity and debt financing from UAE-based investment firm Landel as it expands across Latin America and Africa. The funding will support fleet growth in Colombia, Peru, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, alongside planned expansion into MENA and the rollout of additional fintech products.

Founded in 2025 by former Yango executives Bayaskhalan Alexeev and Alexander Gubarev, Naran provides rent-to-own financing for cars and motorcycles to ride-hailing and delivery drivers. The company purchases vehicles directly from manufacturers and works with platforms including Yango and inDrive to put more drivers on the road.

The Vehicle Is Only the Beginning

Naran’s model goes beyond financing a vehicle. Each contract creates repayment data that can help establish a formal financial history for drivers who may have limited access to traditional credit.

The company operates its own fleet management system across its markets, covering driver onboarding, payment scheduling, utilisation, telematics, and maintenance. This gives Naran visibility into both the financed asset and the revenue generated through it.

That combination is central to its broader fintech ambition: using real assets and repayment data as the foundation for additional financial products in emerging markets.

Turning Fleet Infrastructure Into a Platform

Naran also plans to make its technology available to third-party fleet operators. The company intends to offer fleet management software, automation tools, and asset-backed financing, while potentially acquiring operators where the economics make sense.

The approach could allow Naran to serve an expanding mobility ecosystem rather than relying solely on its own fleet. By 2030, the company aims to operate across 10 countries, create 30,000 income opportunities, and deploy 10,000 cars and 20,000 motorcycles.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Naran shows how fintech can be built around productive physical assets rather than financial products alone. Key lessons include:

• Asset-backed financing can create opportunities where traditional credit models fall short.
  
  
• Operational data can become a valuable financial asset.
  
  
• Fintech platforms can expand by serving the wider ecosystem around their original product.

As fintech moves deeper into emerging-market infrastructure, the strongest opportunities may sit where finance, technology, and real-world assets intersect. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech strategy and growth.

Visa has agreed to acquire BioCatch for $2.4 billion in cash, in a deal that signals a broader shift in how payment fraud is being tackled. Rather than focusing only on whether a transaction looks suspicious, Visa is adding technology designed to identify potentially fraudulent behaviour before a payment even takes place.

BioCatch uses behavioural and device intelligence to analyse how people interact with digital banking services. Its technology examines thousands of signals, including keystrokes, touch gestures, device activity, and network information, to distinguish legitimate users from fraudsters in real time.

Moving Fraud Detection Upstream

The strategic value for Visa is that many modern scams cannot be identified simply by analysing the final transaction. An authorised customer may be tricked into sending money, an account may be taken over, or a fraudster may manipulate a user during a banking session.

BioCatch is designed to detect these patterns while the user is interacting with a financial service. Visa says this could help its clients address account takeovers, scams, money mules, and application fraud before they reach the payment stage.

BioCatch currently serves more than 350 banking clients across 21 countries, protecting 760 million users and 1.8 billion devices. Its network analyses around 19 billion user sessions each month.

A Broader Fraud and Security Strategy

The acquisition also fits into Visa’s wider investment in cybersecurity and fraud prevention. The company says it has invested more than $13 billion in technology and infrastructure over the past five years to protect the payments ecosystem.

For Visa, adding behavioural intelligence expands its role from securing transactions to helping financial institutions understand what happens before a transaction occurs. The acquisition remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of Visa’s fiscal second quarter of 2027.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Visa’s BioCatch acquisition highlights how fraud prevention is becoming increasingly proactive. Key lessons include:

• Fraud detection is moving from transaction monitoring toward behavioural intelligence.
  
  
• AI can help identify risk earlier by analysing patterns rather than isolated events.
  
  
• Financial infrastructure providers are expanding upstream into identity, authentication, and cybersecurity.

For fintechs, the opportunity is increasingly about preventing financial crime before it reaches the payment layer. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can help shape your fintech strategy and positioning.

Axle has raised $17.5 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-powered infrastructure for insurance workflows. The round was led by Base10 Partners, with continued backing from Y Combinator and Gradient Ventures, alongside Stage2 Capital, Cover Genius co-founder Chris Bayley, and other industry investors.

The latest funding follows a period of rapid growth for Axle. Over the past six months, the company has tripled the number of workflows it automates and now processes more than $100 billion in insurance coverage annually for over 4,000 businesses.

Making Insurance Data More Programmable

Insurance remains deeply reliant on fragmented systems, manual processes, and unstructured documents. Businesses often need to verify coverage, update policies, or monitor changes through a combination of phone calls, PDFs, and other disconnected workflows.

Axle is building what it describes as an AI-native clearinghouse for insurance. Its infrastructure connects to fragmented insurance systems, routes requests to the appropriate sources, and standardises unstructured information into a common format.

The result is a single API that businesses and AI agents can use to automate insurance-related workflows, including checking whether a customer has coverage, confirming requirements, and monitoring policy changes.

Expanding Across Insurance Markets

Axle says its technology currently supports businesses including mortgage lenders, auto dealers, rental companies, auto lenders, and employers, with customers including Rocket Mortgage, Avis, Experian, and Sonic Automotive.

The company plans to use the new funding to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams and extend its clearinghouse across more than 50 insurance segments covering Home, Auto, Renters, Commercial, and Specialty insurance.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

Axle highlights how modern infrastructure can transform industries where critical processes remain highly manual. Key lessons include:

• AI can create significant value by connecting fragmented legacy systems.
  
  
• Standardised data infrastructure can enable new software and automation layers.
  
  
• Industry-specific APIs can become foundational infrastructure for entire ecosystems.

As financial and insurance services become increasingly programmable, fintechs have an opportunity to modernise the infrastructure supporting traditional industries. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech strategy and growth.

Adyen is expanding its partnership with Toast into the U.S., extending a relationship that already supports Toast’s operations across Ireland, the U.K., Canada, and Australia. The agreement will bring Adyen’s payment infrastructure into Toast’s U.S. payments ecosystem as the hospitality technology platform continues to scale.

Toast facilitated more than $215 billion in gross payment volume across approximately 180,000 locations worldwide in the 12 months ending June 30, 2026. Its platform combines point-of-sale systems, online ordering, payments, and back-of-house technology for restaurants and retail businesses.

Scaling Payments Across Hospitality and Retail

Adyen has worked with Toast since 2021, providing a unified payments solution across multiple international markets. The expansion into the U.S. is intended to support reliable processing at the scale required by businesses handling high transaction volumes.

For Toast, integrating payment infrastructure across its technology platform can help reduce complexity while giving operators a more consistent experience as they expand. Adyen also highlights faster settlement and support for different payment methods as part of the expanded relationship.

Financial Infrastructure Moves Deeper Into Vertical Platforms

The partnership also illustrates how financial technology is becoming increasingly embedded within specialised business software. Toast combines payments with operational tools for restaurants and retailers, while Adyen provides payments and additional financial products through a single platform.

As vertical technology platforms expand, integrated financial services can become an important part of the overall product rather than a standalone payment function. Adyen’s existing capabilities include issuing, capital, and business accounts, creating opportunities to extend financial services within platforms such as Toast.

Key takeaways for fintech startups

The Adyen and Toast partnership highlights the growing importance of embedded financial infrastructure. Key lessons include:

• Integrated payments can strengthen specialised software platforms.
  
  
• Reliable infrastructure becomes increasingly important as transaction volumes scale.
  
  
• Embedded financial products can create new opportunities beyond core payments.

As fintech becomes more deeply integrated into vertical software, companies need a clear strategy for building and positioning financial products within broader ecosystems. Contact us to explore how Your Fintech Story can support your fintech growth and market strategy.