SumUp Raises over $300M, Defies European Fintech Trend

SumUp Raises over $300M, Defies European Fintech Trend

Time Stamp: December 11, 2023 4:08 AM
SumUp Raises over $300M, Defies European Fintech Trend PlatoBlockchain Data Intelligence. Vertical Search. Ai.

British
payments startup SumUp has raised €285 million ($306.6 million) in a new round
of funding led by Sixth Street Growth and Bain Capital Tech Opportunities.
Existing investors Fin Capital and Liquidity Group also participated.

With this
latest round, SumUp’s valuation is now higher than the €8 billion ($8.6
billion) valuation it attained in a funding round in 2022 when it raised 590
million euros. This is notable given the declines in European tech valuations
over the past year amidst macroeconomic headwinds.

The fresh
capital gives SumUp “more firepower to act on opportunities”, including
potential acquisitions and expansion into new countries, according to the Chief
Financial Officer, Hermione McKee.

SumUp has
been expanding into new business lines like lending. What’s more, it recently
launched in Australia, making it its 36th global market. The company additionally presented a merchant cash advance product earlier this year, allowing
businesses to access funds based on card payment volumes. The company secured a
$100 million credit facility to support this.

In
addition, the payments company has rolled out new point-of-sale offerings,
including self-service kiosks and Apple’s Tap to Pay feature. It is constantly assessing opportunities to grow inorganically through mergers and
acquisitions.

While SumUp
has no imminent plans for an IPO, McKee says the company is “constantly
improving processes” to operate at a standard appropriate for public
markets. For now, it continues to attract ample private capital.

Problems in the Fintech
Industry in Europe

The funding
obtained by SumUp offers a glimmer of hope amidst the problems faced by the
fintech industry in Europe since 2022. According to data from the beginning of
this year, fintech funding worldwide fell 30% to $95 billion.

A
subsequent report showed that fintech also suffered significantly in the first
half of 2023, with funding in the EMEA region dropping 50%. As reported by
the Pulse of Fintech, a report prepared by KPMG, it amounted to $52.4 billion
for 2,153 deals.

“The
entire tech sector is experiencing fierce headwinds at the moment — and fintech
is no different,” Judd Caplain, the Global Head of Financial Services at
KPMG International, commented.

However, in
the UK, payment fintechs are faring slightly better. Finance Magnates
reported a few weeks ago that Worldline, the French-based payments processor,
has received Payment Institution Authorization from the Financial Conduct
Authority. This clears the way for Worldline to strengthen its UK operations
and enhance its service offerings for merchants within and internationally.

Why Do Fintechs Suffer

The
European fintech industry faces immense funding challenges in 2023 due to a
perfect storm of factors. Difficult macroeconomic conditions, including high
inflation, rising interest rates, recession fears, and ongoing uncertainty,
have made investors far more cautious about investing in high-risk, high-growth
areas like fintech .

At the same
time, investors demand that fintechs focus more on profitability than solely chasing growth. Many European fintechs are having to completely
rework their business models to satisfy investors’ profitability demands before
securing funding.

Moreover,
with the massive decline in overall fintech investment capital, competition for
limited funding among European fintech startups has reached intense levels. Only
those with the most compelling business cases and strategies are likely to
attract investor interest.

Scarce
funding supply and extreme competition in a volatile macroeconomic environment
have created a perfect storm, making capital raising exponentially more
difficult for most European fintechs in 2023.

British
payments startup SumUp has raised €285 million ($306.6 million) in a new round
of funding led by Sixth Street Growth and Bain Capital Tech Opportunities.
Existing investors Fin Capital and Liquidity Group also participated.

With this
latest round, SumUp’s valuation is now higher than the €8 billion ($8.6
billion) valuation it attained in a funding round in 2022 when it raised 590
million euros. This is notable given the declines in European tech valuations
over the past year amidst macroeconomic headwinds.

The fresh
capital gives SumUp “more firepower to act on opportunities”, including
potential acquisitions and expansion into new countries, according to the Chief
Financial Officer, Hermione McKee.

SumUp has
been expanding into new business lines like lending. What’s more, it recently
launched in Australia, making it its 36th global market. The company additionally presented a merchant cash advance product earlier this year, allowing
businesses to access funds based on card payment volumes. The company secured a
$100 million credit facility to support this.

In
addition, the payments company has rolled out new point-of-sale offerings,
including self-service kiosks and Apple’s Tap to Pay feature. It is constantly assessing opportunities to grow inorganically through mergers and
acquisitions.

While SumUp
has no imminent plans for an IPO, McKee says the company is “constantly
improving processes” to operate at a standard appropriate for public
markets. For now, it continues to attract ample private capital.

Problems in the Fintech
Industry in Europe

The funding
obtained by SumUp offers a glimmer of hope amidst the problems faced by the
fintech industry in Europe since 2022. According to data from the beginning of
this year, fintech funding worldwide fell 30% to $95 billion.

A
subsequent report showed that fintech also suffered significantly in the first
half of 2023, with funding in the EMEA region dropping 50%. As reported by
the Pulse of Fintech, a report prepared by KPMG, it amounted to $52.4 billion
for 2,153 deals.

“The
entire tech sector is experiencing fierce headwinds at the moment — and fintech
is no different,” Judd Caplain, the Global Head of Financial Services at
KPMG International, commented.

However, in
the UK, payment fintechs are faring slightly better. Finance Magnates
reported a few weeks ago that Worldline, the French-based payments processor,
has received Payment Institution Authorization from the Financial Conduct
Authority. This clears the way for Worldline to strengthen its UK operations
and enhance its service offerings for merchants within and internationally.

Why Do Fintechs Suffer

The
European fintech industry faces immense funding challenges in 2023 due to a
perfect storm of factors. Difficult macroeconomic conditions, including high
inflation, rising interest rates, recession fears, and ongoing uncertainty,
have made investors far more cautious about investing in high-risk, high-growth
areas like fintech .

At the same
time, investors demand that fintechs focus more on profitability than solely chasing growth. Many European fintechs are having to completely
rework their business models to satisfy investors’ profitability demands before
securing funding.

Moreover,
with the massive decline in overall fintech investment capital, competition for
limited funding among European fintech startups has reached intense levels. Only
those with the most compelling business cases and strategies are likely to
attract investor interest.

Scarce
funding supply and extreme competition in a volatile macroeconomic environment
have created a perfect storm, making capital raising exponentially more
difficult for most European fintechs in 2023.

Time Stamp:

More from Finance Magnates