Author: Tomas Hula

  • Float Financial Raises CAD $85 Million Series C to Accelerate AI-Powered Finance

    Float Financial Raises CAD $85 Million Series C to Accelerate AI-Powered Finance

    Canadian fintech Float Financial has raised a CAD $85 million all-equity Series C round led by Inovia Capital, with continued backing from Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Garage Capital, and Teralys Capital, alongside new investors BDC Capital and Northleaf. The funding increases Float’s valuation by 70% and brings its total capital raised since inception to CAD $300 million, including both debt and equity financing.

    The company plans to use the new investment to strengthen Float Intelligence, its proprietary AI layer designed to automate finance workflows, expand its presence across Western Canada and Quebec, and grow its teams across product, research and development, sales, and marketing.


    Strong growth supports the investment

    Since closing its Series B in late 2024, Float has reported significant business growth. Its active customer base has doubled to more than 7,500 Canadian businesses, while revenue has increased by over 120%. Customer balances on Float’s business accounts have grown more than 4.5 times, and nearly one-third of customers now use multiple products across the platform.

    Float was also recognised as Canada’s fastest-growing fintech on The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Companies list, reflecting growing adoption of its integrated financial platform.


    Building a financial operating system for Canadian businesses

    Float positions itself as a unified financial operating system for Canadian companies, combining corporate cards, expense management, bill payments, business accounts, working capital, and cross-border payments into a single platform built specifically for Canada’s regulatory and bilingual environment.

    With the addition of AI-powered automation through Float Intelligence, the company aims to simplify daily finance operations while helping businesses gain greater visibility and control over their financial processes.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    Float’s latest funding round highlights several important trends shaping fintech today:

    • Float raised CAD $85 million in a Series C led by Inovia Capital.

    • The company will invest in AI capabilities through Float Intelligence.

    • Customer numbers have grown to more than 7,500 Canadian businesses.

    • Revenue has increased by over 120% since the previous funding round.

    • Expansion across Western Canada and Quebec is a key strategic priority.

    • Float continues to build an integrated financial platform tailored specifically for Canadian businesses.

    At Your Fintech Story, we help fintech companies communicate major milestones, funding rounds, and product innovations through high-impact content that builds credibility and attracts customers, partners, and investors. Reach out to learn how we can support your growth story.

  • Flex Reaches $1.2 Billion Valuation Following $70 Million Funding Round

    Flex Reaches $1.2 Billion Valuation Following $70 Million Funding Round

    Flex has secured a $70 million Series B1 funding round led by Halo Fund, reaching an estimated valuation of $1.2 billion. According to Reuters, the new valuation is more than double the company’s previous mark from just six months ago, reflecting strong investor confidence in its AI-powered banking platform for mid-sized businesses.

    The reported valuation and financial figures come from sources familiar with the deal rather than an official company announcement.


    AI Banking Built for Mid-Sized Businesses

    Flex focuses on businesses that often fall between consumer-focused fintech solutions and traditional banking services. Its platform combines credit, treasury management, cross-border payments and AI-powered financial tools into a single experience.

    One of its key products, Beacon AI, provides business owners with regular insights into their financial performance. CEO Zaid Rahman told Reuters that the company is growing approximately four times year over year, has reached a nine-figure annualized revenue run rate and now serves several thousand customers. Flex also plans to expand its workforce from around 110 employees to more than 200 by the end of the year.


    Stablecoins Become Part of Everyday Business Payments

    A notable part of Flex’s growth comes from Flex Global, its international payments platform. According to Forbes, the company processes more than $1 billion annually through stablecoin payment rails, contributing to roughly $10 billion in annualized payment volume across more than 100 countries and 32 currencies.

    The figures suggest that stablecoins are becoming increasingly practical for mainstream business payments rather than remaining limited to crypto-focused companies.


    What Comes Next

    While Flex’s reported growth is impressive, important questions remain around the company’s lending operations, including the structure of its credit facilities and long-term loan performance. As the business continues to scale, these factors will likely become key indicators of its long-term success.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    Flex’s latest funding highlights several trends shaping business banking today:

    • Flex raised $70 million at an estimated $1.2 billion valuation.

    • The company combines AI, treasury, lending and payments in a single platform.

    • Stablecoins now process more than $1 billion annually through Flex Global.

    • Mid-sized businesses continue to attract fintech innovation beyond traditional banking.

    If your fintech is preparing for growth, funding or market expansion, Your Fintech Story helps founders build strategies that attract customers, investors and long-term momentum. Contact us.

  • Addi raises $86 million to accelerate profitable growth in Latin America’s BNPL market

    Addi raises $86 million to accelerate profitable growth in Latin America’s BNPL market

    Colombian buy-now, pay-later fintech Addi has secured an $86 million Series D funding round led by Citius and BTG Pactual, with participation from GIC and Monashees. While large funding rounds often support companies on the path to profitability, Addi presents a different story. The company says it was already profitable before the investment, positioning this raise as an opportunity to accelerate growth rather than secure financial stability.


    A different approach to fintech fundraising

    According to CEO and co-founder Santiago Suárez, the funding was not driven by necessity but by investor interest. Citius approached Addi with the investment opportunity and will now join the company’s board of directors.

    Founded in 2018, Addi has grown into one of Colombia’s largest consumer fintechs, serving 5.5 million customers through partnerships with 76,000 merchants across more than 1,000 municipalities. The company plans to use the new capital to expand customer acquisition while continuing to invest in artificial intelligence.


    AI and scale become competitive advantages

    Addi also highlighted the operational impact of AI across its engineering teams. By improving productivity, the company has been able to scale its business without increasing headcount at the same pace.

    With BNPL adoption in Latin America still below levels seen in more mature markets, Addi enters its next growth phase from a position of financial strength. Its combination of profitability, broad merchant coverage, and continued technology investment reflects how fintech leaders are increasingly prioritising sustainable expansion alongside innovation.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    Here are the main lessons fintech founders can take from Addi’s latest funding round:

    • Profitability can strengthen fundraising rather than limit it.

    • Strategic investors may approach companies that demonstrate strong business fundamentals.

    • AI can improve operational efficiency and support scalable growth.

    • Market expansion is more sustainable when supported by a strong merchant ecosystem.

    Your Fintech Story helps fintech startups turn growth milestones into compelling stories that attract customers, partners, and investors. Whether you’re preparing for your next funding round or scaling your brand, reach out. We’re here to help you communicate your vision with clarity and impact.

  • Aviva secures $18M Series A to expand access to financial services in Mexico

    Aviva secures $18M Series A to expand access to financial services in Mexico

    Mexican fintech Aviva has raised $18 million in a Series A funding round led by Valor Capital Group. The round also included participation from BID Lab, Caravela Capital, Endeavor, and existing investors including Wollef, Ignia, Krealo, and Newtopia.

    The company plans to use the investment to expand its presence across Mexico and develop additional financial products for consumers who remain underserved by traditional banking systems.


    Bringing digital lending to Mexico’s informal economy

    Aviva focuses on providing loans between $100 and $1,000 to individuals and small businesses, particularly those operating within Mexico’s informal economy. The company combines physical access points with AI-powered technology to simplify the lending process.

    Customers apply through Aviva’s kiosks, where they interact with an AI bot through video calls. The application process is designed to be completed within minutes, creating a faster alternative for people who may face barriers when accessing conventional financial services.


    Expanding financial inclusion through local infrastructure

    Aviva currently operates across 23 of Mexico’s 32 states and targets a market of more than 50 million adults with limited access to banking services. More than 300,000 people have already completed loan applications through its kiosks.

    With this latest funding, Aviva aims to continue scaling its network while broadening its offering for underserved customers. The company has raised $34 million in equity funding to date and secured more than $80 million in credit facilities to support its lending operations.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    For fintech founders, Aviva’s growth highlights the opportunity in combining technology with accessible distribution models.

    • Financial inclusion requires solutions designed around real customer barriers.

    • AI can help streamline lending processes and improve accessibility.

    • Local infrastructure can remain important even in highly digital financial services.

    At Your Fintech Story, we help fintech startups refine their strategy, positioning, and growth plans to turn innovative ideas into scalable businesses. Contact us to explore how we can support your next stage of growth.

  • Investre secures €2.4 million to bring fund tokenisation into everyday operations

    Investre secures €2.4 million to bring fund tokenisation into everyday operations

    Europe’s investment fund industry is entering a new phase of tokenisation, with the focus shifting from experimentation to practical deployment. Luxembourg fintech Investre has raised €2.4 million to support that transition, strengthening its infrastructure as more fund managers prepare to integrate blockchain technology into their daily operations.

    The funding round was backed by existing shareholders and also welcomed Kneip Management SA as a new shareholder, highlighting growing confidence in the company’s long-term vision.


    From proof of concept to production

    For several years, tokenised investment funds have largely been explored through pilot programmes and controlled trials. While these initiatives demonstrated the technology’s potential, widespread adoption depended on infrastructure that could support real-world fund operations.

    Investre is positioning itself to meet that need. Authorised by Luxembourg’s CSSF as a Control Agent under the country’s Blockchain IV Law, the company provides technology that enables investment funds to be issued, settled and serviced directly on distributed ledger technology. Operating from Luxembourg, it works with asset managers and other participants across the European investment ecosystem.

    According to the company, conversations with clients have evolved significantly. Rather than asking whether tokenisation is viable, organisations are increasingly focused on how quickly it can be implemented within existing fund operations.


    Expanding infrastructure across Europe

    The newly raised capital will support several strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating adoption. Investre plans to develop fully on-chain settlement capabilities for investment transactions while expanding MiFID-compliant wallet infrastructure for both institutional and retail investors throughout the European Union.

    The company also intends to strengthen its technology and operations teams, deepen integrations with fund industry partners and onboard additional fund issuers to its platform. These investments are designed to support increasing demand as tokenised fund infrastructure moves into production environments.


    What this means for the market

    Investre’s fundraising reflects a broader shift taking place across Europe’s financial sector. As tokenisation matures, attention is moving beyond demonstrations of technical capability towards building reliable infrastructure that supports everyday investment activity.

    For Luxembourg, where investment funds play a central role in the financial industry, this evolution reinforces the country’s ambition to remain at the forefront of financial innovation. Companies capable of delivering compliant, scalable blockchain infrastructure are likely to play an increasingly important role as tokenised funds become part of mainstream investment operations.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    As financial markets move beyond experimentation, scalable infrastructure is becoming the foundation for the next wave of blockchain adoption.

    • Investre raised €2.4 million to expand its fund tokenisation platform across Europe.

    • The company aims to support fully on-chain fund settlement and MiFID-compliant wallet infrastructure.

    • The investment reflects growing demand for production-ready tokenisation rather than pilot projects.

    • Investre plans to expand its team, strengthen industry integrations and onboard more fund issuers.

    • The funding highlights the increasing importance of operational blockchain infrastructure within Europe’s investment fund industry.

    If your fintech is preparing to enter a new market, sharpen its positioning or communicate a complex product to investors and customers, Your Fintech Story can help you build a strategy that supports sustainable growth. Contact us.

  • Kord lands £6.4M Series A to modernise compliance and payment operations

    Kord lands £6.4M Series A to modernise compliance and payment operations

    Businesses operating in regulated industries often depend on a patchwork of separate systems to onboard customers, complete compliance checks and process payments. UK fintech Kord is building an alternative by combining these essential functions into a single platform. The company has now closed a £6.4 million Series A funding round, bringing its total capital raised to £9 million.

    The round was led by Guinness Ventures, with participation from Beringea, SFC Capital and several angel investors. Kord plans to use the investment to strengthen its product offering, expand its workforce and support a growing customer base.


    Replacing disconnected tools with one integrated workflow

    Founded by James Owusu, Kord focuses on simplifying operational processes for businesses that face strict regulatory obligations. Rather than switching between multiple software providers, users can complete onboarding, compliance and payment tasks within one connected environment.

    The platform brings together customer identity verification, anti-money laundering (AML) screening, compliance monitoring, digital onboarding, electronic signatures and payment capabilities. By integrating these services, Kord aims to reduce administrative complexity while helping organisations move transactions forward more efficiently.

    Its infrastructure is authorised by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), allowing regulated businesses to manage sensitive financial processes through a platform designed for compliance from the outset.


    Designed for businesses handling regulated transactions

    Kord’s customers include estate agencies, letting agencies, conveyancing firms, law practices and financial services providers. These organisations often need to verify customer identities, satisfy regulatory requirements and securely manage client funds throughout a transaction.

    To support these workflows, the platform includes digital wallets and dedicated client accounts alongside its compliance features. Kord also uses API connections to validate customer documentation against multiple data sources, adding another layer of protection against fraud while reducing manual checks.

    The company believes many firms continue to lose time and increase operational risk by relying on outdated systems that do not communicate with one another. Its platform is designed to replace those fragmented processes with a unified transaction journey.

    Following the latest funding round, Kord intends to continue expanding its platform capabilities while growing both its team and customer network.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    Integrated infrastructure continues to gain traction as regulated businesses look for ways to simplify operations without compromising compliance.

    • Kord secured £6.4 million in Series A funding, taking its total funding to £9 million.

    • The platform combines onboarding, compliance, identity verification and payments in one solution.

    • Digital wallets and dedicated client accounts support secure handling of customer funds.

    • API-driven document verification helps strengthen fraud prevention.

    • The new investment will fund product innovation, hiring and business expansion.

    At Your Fintech Story, we keep track of the fintech companies rethinking financial infrastructure and helping regulated businesses operate more efficiently. Reach out to see if we can help.

  • Cash management is evolving, and Stoa secures €2.1 million to prove it

    Cash management is evolving, and Stoa secures €2.1 million to prove it

    Many consumers and businesses keep significant amounts of cash in accounts that generate little or no return. UK fintech Stoa is building a platform designed to change that by giving deposits an additional purpose beyond earning interest.

    The London-based company has announced a €2.1 million pre-seed funding round, led by Bespokeist Partners and Ingenii Capital, with participation from Force Over Mass Capital, Fuel Ventures and several experienced financial services investors. The new capital will support the growth of Stoa’s cash management platform and help accelerate product development and market expansion.


    Turning savings into everyday value

    Rather than competing solely on interest rates, Stoa has developed a model that provides customers with upfront rewards when they commit funds to fixed-term savings products known as Stoa Pots. The goal is to make savings more rewarding while leaving eligible deposits protected through regulated banking partners under the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

    The platform has been designed with multiple users in mind. Consumers receive practical benefits linked to their savings, businesses can make better use of excess cash, banks gain another way to attract deposits, and merchants can encourage stronger customer loyalty through reward programmes.

    Its technology also allows financial institutions and merchants to integrate the service directly into their own digital products. By using open banking connections, the platform can tailor offers based on individual saving and spending patterns.


    Investor focus remains on financial infrastructure

    Stoa’s latest funding reflects continued investor interest in fintech infrastructure across Europe. Solutions that improve cash management, treasury operations, payments and banking services continue to attract capital as financial institutions look for more efficient ways to serve both retail and business customers.

    The market opportunity is considerable. According to figures shared by the company, hundreds of billions of pounds remain in low-yield consumer accounts and SME cash reserves across the UK. Unlocking additional value from these deposits without changing customers’ saving habits presents an attractive proposition for both users and financial institutions.

    Having already launched its platform in the UK, Stoa is now also exploring partnerships that could support future expansion into the United States.

    Before wrapping up, here are the main lessons fintech founders can take from this funding announcement.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    • Innovation in savings products is moving beyond traditional interest rate competition.

    • Creating value for consumers, banks and merchants can strengthen a fintech’s business model.

    • Embedded and modular financial services remain attractive to investors.

    • Open banking continues to enable more personalised financial experiences.

    • Large pools of underutilised cash can create opportunities for new fintech products.

    If you are building a fintech startup and want to sharpen your product strategy, positioning or go-to-market approach, Your Fintech Story helps founders turn innovative ideas into scalable businesses. Get in touch.

  • Jota’s $30M Series A shows investors still believe in AI-first fintech

    Jota’s $30M Series A shows investors still believe in AI-first fintech

    Brazilian fintech Jota has raised a $30 million Series A round at a $185 million post-money valuation. The investment was led by Haun Ventures, with participation from HOF Capital, Alter Global, and Greyhound Capital.

    Jota is building something that feels increasingly familiar across fintech. Instead of treating artificial intelligence as a separate feature, it makes AI the main way customers interact with their finances. Users can access a digital account through the Jota app or WhatsApp, make payments using text, voice, or photos, receive money through QR codes, and ask an AI assistant to generate financial reports or calculate cash flow.


    AI is becoming the interface

    Many fintech products have spent years making financial services easier to use. Jota takes that idea one step further by reducing the need to search through menus or learn new features. Customers simply describe what they want to do.

    That approach could lower the barrier for small businesses and entrepreneurs who already rely on messaging apps for daily communication. If financial tasks fit naturally into conversations, adoption becomes less about learning software and more about continuing existing habits.

    The next version of Jota’s platform will push this concept further. The company plans to launch Jota 3.0, a more proactive AI agent with a subscription model for power users, while continuing to expand its AI-powered financial management tools.


    Growth beyond payments

    The new funding will also support the launch of an integrated lending product. Providing access to credit when customers need additional liquidity allows Jota to expand beyond payments and account services into another important area of business finance.

    The company currently serves around 300,000 users and expects its FalaTap service to grow that number to nearly one million users. That ambition reflects confidence that conversational banking can attract a much broader audience.

    For startups across fintech, the message is fairly clear. Investors are still backing companies with strong AI strategies, especially when those tools solve practical financial problems instead of simply adding another chatbot to an existing product.


    Key takeaways for fintech startups

    Here are the main lessons from Jota’s latest funding round:

    • AI works best when it becomes part of the core product experience, not an extra feature.

    • Messaging platforms can become powerful channels for delivering financial services.

    • Combining banking, financial insights, and lending creates more opportunities to support customers throughout their business journey.

    • Investors continue to support fintech companies that pair AI with a clear commercial strategy.

    If you’re building a fintech startup and looking for support with marketing, positioning, or growth strategy, we’d love to help. Get in touch with us and let’s discuss how we can help your business grow.

  • Rentify raises $2M to push Earn AI into UAE rental operations

    Rentify raises $2M to push Earn AI into UAE rental operations

    Rentify started as a rental payments infrastructure play. With its latest $2 million seed round, the company is clearly widening the scope.

    Founded in 2025 by Rajneel Kumar and Rashed Hareb, the UAE-based startup is now positioning itself closer to an operating system for rental management rather than just a payments rail. The shift is anchored in its new product, Earn AI, which automates core landlord and property management workflows.

    The move reflects a broader pattern in fintech-adjacent proptech: once payment flows are stable, the next layer becomes control of the workflow around those payments.


    What Earn AI actually does

    Earn AI is designed to reduce manual work in rental operations while tightening revenue capture across portfolios.

    The platform focuses on recurring, operational tasks that often sit fragmented across tools or spreadsheets.

    At its core, Earn AI automates:

    • Rent collection and payment tracking
    • Tenant onboarding workflows
    • Automated payment reminders
    • Lease renewal processes

    The company is framing this as “revenue management,” but the practical layer is simpler: fewer missed payments, fewer delayed actions, and less reliance on manual follow-ups.

    That matters in a market where operational inefficiencies tend to accumulate quietly rather than appear as visible failures.


    Early traction and a visible revenue gap

    Rentify is already working with five enterprise customers in the UAE, including Gargash Real Estate, New Star Property Management, Arabian Acres Real Estate, Purecare Management, and RSH Holiday Homes Rental.

    Together, these firms manage thousands of residential and commercial units, which gives Rentify a meaningful early dataset to observe portfolio behaviour.

    One of the more notable internal findings: landlords and property managers may be losing between 8% and 14% of annual rental income due to pricing gaps, tenant churn, and payment leakage.

    Even without overinterpreting the number, it highlights a familiar issue in rental markets: revenue loss rarely comes from a single failure point. It’s usually distributed across small operational frictions.


    The funding context and what comes next

    The new round brings Rentify’s total funding to $2.5 million, including a $500,000 pre-seed round in 2025. The latest investment came from a syndicate of real estate and fintech investors.

    The capital will go toward scaling Earn AI and strengthening its AI-driven operational layer for property management workflows.

    The direction is clear: expand from infrastructure into intelligence, and from transaction handling into decision and process automation.


    Key takeaways

    • Rentify is shifting from rental payments infrastructure into a broader AI-driven operating platform

    • Earn AI automates core rental workflows like collections, onboarding, reminders, and renewals

    • Early enterprise adoption spans five UAE property management firms

    • Internal data suggests 8–14% of rental income may be lost through operational inefficiencies

    • The $2M seed round will accelerate rollout and platform expansion

    If you’re building in fintech or and seeing similar “workflow gaps turning into revenue gaps,” we can help. Reach out.

  • Addi raises $85 million to accelerate Colombia’s fintech growth

    Addi raises $85 million to accelerate Colombia’s fintech growth

    Colombian commerce and financial services platform Addi has secured an $85 million Series D funding round led by Citius, with BTG Pactual’s Private Capital division joining as co-lead. The investment is particularly notable because it marks BTG Pactual’s first Growth investment outside Brazil.

    While many funding rounds are about extending a company’s runway, Addi’s situation looks different. According to CEO and co-founder Santiago Suárez, the company has already been profitable for the past two years. Instead, this raise is focused on speeding up growth while bringing experienced strategic partners into the business.


    More than just fresh funding

    The new capital will help Addi expand its credit platform, strengthen its technology infrastructure and introduce additional financial products for both shoppers and merchants across Colombia.

    The partnership with BTG Pactual goes beyond funding. Both companies also plan to work together on strategic initiatives in the Colombian market, suggesting the relationship could create opportunities beyond capital alone.

    This investment follows another major milestone earlier this year. In April, Addi secured a $150 million structured credit facility arranged by J.P. Morgan, increasing its total debt commitments to more than $680 million. Around the same time, the company also received regulatory authorization from Colombia’s financial supervisor, allowing it to operate as a regulated financial entity and opening the door to future deposit-taking services.

    Founded in 2018 by Santiago Suárez, Daniel Vallejo and Elmer Ortega, Addi now serves more than three million customers and over 39,000 merchants ranging from small businesses to large brands.


    Key takeaways for fintech founders

    • Raising capital isn’t always about survival. It can also be about accelerating an already healthy business.

    • Strategic investors can bring market access and long-term partnerships alongside funding.

    • Combining equity, debt financing and regulatory progress can strengthen a fintech’s growth strategy.

    • Scaling both merchant and consumer ecosystems can create a stronger foundation for expansion.


    Enjoy stories like this?

    At Your Fintech Story, we break down fintech funding rounds, product launches and industry moves into practical lessons for founders and fintech leaders. Reach out if we can help.