Hi Embedded Finance Friend
I am finally back in Berlin after one month in Dubai and Mumbai. I am still settling back in, but so far, I am enjoying the cold weather (or maybe it's just the fresh air?).
It has already been an eventful few days for us back home, including a sick daughter. Thus, this edition is a bit shorter than usual, but hopefully with the same level of insights.
And now let’s dive in 👇
Worldline and YouLend Launch Cash Advance for European SMBs
Worldline and YouLend have launched Cash Advance, a financing product for SMBs in Belgium and the Netherlands, with European expansion planned. Merchants can access up to €250,000 in as little as 48 hours, with repayments automatically linked to daily sales. Offers are generated from live transaction data rather than manual applications, and no traditional paperwork is required. Based on the announcement, this appears to be for Worldline's direct merchants only, which technically is not embedded finance. However, I would expect the feature to be made available for platforms and marketplaces as well. PSPs like Stripe and Adyen already offer similar products in Europe, and financing is becoming a must-have feature to retain merchants.
Read the full story on Embedded Finance Review.
RentSpree Launches Embedded Banking for Small Landlords
US rental management platform RentSpree has launched embedded banking and bill pay through a partnership with BaaS provider Unit. The Los Angeles-based company serves over four million users with tenant screening, online rent collection, and lease management. Now, landlords can also store funds in FDIC-insured accounts, earn interest on balances, and pay property expenses directly within the platform. Funds are separated by property, eliminating the need for manual reconciliation. This follows the vertical SaaS playbook: companies that own a workflow are embedding finance to capture more value and increase switching costs.
Read the full story on Embedded Finance Review.
In other Embedded Finance news
- Saga, a UK provider of products and services for people over 50, has launched an easy-access savings account powered by NatWest Boxed. The seven-year partnership marks Saga's first embedded banking product, replacing a previous savings account provided by Goldman Sachs. Saga already manages over £3 billion in customer funds across its financial services offerings (Saga).
- Banxware announced the launch of its orchestration feature for Embedded Lending. Banware's CEO Jens Roehrborn explains this in our latest podcast episode, and the company shares a short story on LinkedIn.
- European infrastructure companies want to be available in as many countries as possible. But how much localisation is necessary? French BaaS provider Swan shared their own take on LinkedIn.
- The end of interchange? VC firm USV believes the interchange model is vulnerable to disruption from stablecoins, bank-to-bank payments, and pay-by-bank platforms. Thus, the firm has maintained an active investment thesis, "The end of interchange", since the mid-2010s. Open questions remain around whether stablecoin rails or retrofitted bank rails will win, and how fraud concerns will be addressed (AVC).
That's it for this edition. If you enjoy my newsletter, podcast, or events, the best way to support me is to share them with others in your network. Feedback is always welcome, too.
Need help with an embedded finance project? Visit my website and let's talk.
Best wishes from Berlin,
Lars Markull (LinkedIn)
