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.