Vertical SaaS

Vertical SaaS companies own the daily workflow of a single industry, from craftsmen and salons to law firms and nurseries. I follow how platforms such as ToolTime, HERO, Fresha and Clio turn that position into financial products of their own.

How Payments Enables Everything Else in Vertical SaaS, with Patrick O'Donnell from Phorest

Patrick O'Donnell, Global Commercial Director Payments at Phorest, on why payments came 15 years in and what salons use embedded capital for.

By Lars Markull

/ 23 Oct 2026

How Payments Enables Everything Else in Vertical SaaS, with Patrick O'Donnell from Phorest

SIDES launches SIDES Capital with Stripe for restaurants on SIDES Pay

SIDES launches SIDES Capital with Stripe: revenue-based financing for SIDES Pay restaurants, as Lieferando, Wolt and allO run their own.

By Lars Markull

/ 13 Oct 2026

SIDES launches SIDES Capital with Stripe for restaurants on SIDES Pay

Ryft raises £20m as platform specialists take on Stripe and Adyen

Ryft raises £20m to take on Stripe and Adyen for platforms, alongside Rootline and Embed, now being bought by OpenFX.

By Lars Markull

/ 5 Oct 2026

Ryft raises £20m as platform specialists take on Stripe and Adyen

How a Restaurant Platform Makes Most of its Revenue from Financial Services, with Cancan Liu from allO

Cancan Liu, co-founder of allO, on why every financial product at the restaurant platform started with a customer asking for something.

By Lars Markull

/ 17 Sep 2026

How a Restaurant Platform Makes Most of its Revenue from Financial Services, with Cancan Liu from allO

Hotel software provider Mews receives its own e-money licence

Mews receives an e-money licence from De Nederlandsche Bank, becoming a regulated entity behind its hotel payments and lending.

By Lars Markull

/ 12 Aug 2026

Hotel software provider Mews receives its own e-money licence

eyworks embeds nursery payments with Unipaas, built around Tax-Free Childcare

eyworks launches eypay with Unipaas, embedding nursery payments and Tax-Free Childcare reconciliation into its early years platform.

By Lars Markull

/ 19 Jun 2026

eyworks embeds nursery payments with Unipaas, built around Tax-Free Childcare

ROLLER embeds business lending with Adyen Capital across 3,000 venues

ROLLER embeds business lending across 3,000+ venues with Adyen Capital, turning five years of payments data into revenue-based cash advances.

By Lars Markull

/ 15 Jun 2026

ROLLER embeds business lending with Adyen Capital across 3,000 venues

Why German Platforms Are Leaving Money On The Table with Julius Danek (Stripe)

Julius Danek, product lead for Stripe in DACH and CEE, on why German platforms are leaving money on the table by staying grey-label and what Stripe Capital, Issuing, and Connect actually unlock.

By Lars Markull

/ 11 Jun 2026

Why German Platforms Are Leaving Money On The Table with Julius Danek (Stripe)

HERO Software launches HERO Wallet with Swan for German craftsmen

HERO Software launches HERO Wallet with Swan, embedding payments and reconciliation directly into craft business software in Germany.

By Lars Markull

/ 8 Jun 2026

HERO Software launches HERO Wallet with Swan for German craftsmen

Barespace launches embedded lending for salons

Irish salon OS Barespace launches Barespace Capital, embedding loans of €2k to €2m. The lending partner remains undisclosed.

By Lars Markull

/ 10 May 2026

Barespace launches embedded lending for salons

What Software CEOs Get Wrong About Embedded Finance, with Jane Podbelskaya from Charge Forward

Jane Podbelskaya advises North American software companies on embedded finance. We compare notes across continents on investors, AI, and vendor selection.

By Lars Markull

/ 29 Apr 2026

What Software CEOs Get Wrong About Embedded Finance, with Jane Podbelskaya from Charge Forward

UK Restaurant Software Ubsidi Turns Its Platform Into a Financial Hub

UK restaurant platform Ubsidi adds spend cards and cash accounts via Stripe, with 40% adoption and lending likely next.

By Lars Markull

/ 9 Mar 2026