Hi from Berlin,
October has been a busy month for the European embedded finance ecosystem. The embedded banking side of things (cards and accounts) in particular produced three really big announcements: Bolt with its Airwallex launch, inFakt partnering with UniCredit to combine bookkeeping and banking, and Personio acquiring Circula to finally get into the cards game.
Also, I am testing a new segment called Friends of EFR. It features people and companies I have worked with and trust, and instead of a paid sponsorship, it runs on a referral model, which means I won’t feature just anybody ;-)
And lastly, I have updated the Work with me page. As a bigger project of mine comes to an end, I am open to new work. Whether it’s a paid gig or just me helping with a small thing, get in touch (reply to this email or fill out the form).
And now let’s dive in 👇
Morten Laufer, Nova Search: Morten is not just any recruiter. He is well known in the fintech ecosystem and the person I send people to when they are hiring or looking for their next role. He recruits for fintech and embedded finance companies across Europe, and has worked for embedders and enablers alike. You might also know him from my podcast. Growing your team or open to a move? Reach out to Morten and tell him that Lars sent you.
News
Banking
- Bolt launches Bolt Card for drivers in France with Airwallex, paying earnings into a wallet after each ride, and how it compares with the Uber Pro Card in the UK. (EFR)
- inFakt launches a business account with UniCredit inside its accounting app, and where Vodeno fits in the Polish setup. (EFR)
- Personio acquires Circula, reportedly its largest deal yet, and brings corporate cards powered by Pliant into its HR and payroll platform. (EFR)
- ADAC and Solaris add an instant-access savings account for ADAC credit cardholders. Co-brand or embedded finance? (EFR)
- Shares completes its Treezor acquisition from Société Générale, keeping the BaaS business for clients like Swile and Bling and adding investing on top. (EFR)
Building something in embedded finance? Whether you are a brand comparing providers, an enabler working through your go-to-market strategy, or a team trying to fill a crucial (fintech) role, my office hours are a free call to talk it through. I share my honest read and, where it helps, intros to my network.
Payments
- Ryft raises £20m to take on Stripe and Adyen for platforms and marketplaces, alongside fellow specialists Rootline and Embed, which OpenFX is buying. (EFR)
- Tungsten Automation adds payments to its invoicing software with Pay+, built on a 10x Banking ledger that until now only ran for banks and building societies. (EFR)
- ZYMIX launches a wallet in its UK Gen Z super app with Mangopay, so students can hold GBP and EUR and split costs with friends. (EFR)