13books Capital

Today, we’re announcing our second fund to support and fuel the next wave of financial technology founders. Totalling £121m, and focusing on investments from Seed to Series A stages, the fund showcases 13books Capital’s commitment to backing visionary founders reshaping the future of financial services. The fund, backed by British Patient Capital, KfW, Isomer Capital and IPGL, continues 13books Capital’s proven track record of successful investments in 19 fintech companies including hepster, Coincover, Runa, Billhop, Thirdfort, Arbolus, Banxware, Minna Technologies, Wert, Token.io, Roadzen (NASDAQ: RDZNW), getmomo, Crezco, Aria, Lune®, Ramify, DataMarked. As Michael McFadgen, Partner at 13books Capital said: “We believe European fintech is entering a golden period, and we thank our LPs and founders for their trust and look forward to supporting the next generation of pioneering fintech entrepreneurs.” Read more about how our fund will enable 13books Capital to continue supporting the best and boldest founders building tomorrow’s financial technology: https://lnkd.in/dmhNjBHT #fintech #fund #announcement #founders #financialtechnology

We are thrilled to announce that one of our esteemed LPs, Christian Nentwich, PhD is joining 13books as Venture Partner AI. 💥 Christian is a pioneer in applying groundbreaking computer science to real-world financial services challenges. He founded Duco in 2011 and led the company for a decade before it was acquired in 2021. Today, Duco is used by hundreds of financial services firms globally, and Christian continues to serve on the Board. His expertise in AI, designing platforms, strategic positioning, identifying talent, scaling businesses, and developing go-to-market strategies will be invaluable as he supports 13books Capital's mission to back Europe’s best fintech founders. Welcome aboard, Christian Nentwich, PhD! 🎉

Between 2015 and 2024, startups in Europe raised $426 billion, nearly 10x what was raised the decade before. 🔥 But according to the Atomico's State of European Tech report, fintech stands out in a big way: 17% of fintech startups that raised seed in 2015 made it to a 6th funding round or beyond — the highest survival rate of any sector in Europe. 💪 Having proved its leadership in the space, our region is now also establishing itself as a powerhouse in environmental and social responsibility. In 2024, 21% of all funding in Europe went to sustainability-focused companies, nearly double the US rate. With a strong talent pool, deep capital reserves, and a commitment to solving real-world problems, Europe’s fintech scene isn’t just thriving — it’s setting the standard.

🌍 According to CB Insights, 7 out of the 10 most promising AI hubs outside the US are in Europe — and that’s a major win for fintech in the region. AI enhances various facets of financial services, including fraud detection, customer service, and personalized financial products. It is not only improving operational efficiency but also fostering revenue-generating initiatives across verticals. We're proud to back companies at the forefront of this movement, such as: 🕹️ Metica, revolutionizing gaming growth with AI-powered personalization and monetization 🌳 Briink, whose AI tools help sustainability teams turn mountains of ESG data into actionable insights aligned with regulatory standards 💵 Najar (ex Welii), with modular AI-driven procurement solutions that give full visibility and control over purchase decisions and outflows AI’s impact on fintech is as much about technology as it is about the people driving change — building smarter, more resilient, and globally competitive businesses. Europe is cementing itself as a global AI powerhouse. The momentum is undeniable, and we’re just getting started. 🚀

🚀 Congratulations to Token.io for its newest partnership with Fabrick! With its best-in-class open banking infrastructure, our portfolio company Token.io is helping Fabrick stay ahead in Europe’s fast-moving A2A payments space—one that’s on track for 75% of consumers to adopt Pay by Bank by 2029. The collaboration fits into Fabrick's internationalization strategy. 🇬🇧 Their B2B and B2C clients can now send and receive open banking-powered A2A payments (also known as ‘Pay by Bank’) to almost anyone with a UK bank account. In December alone, 950,000 Britons used Pay by Bank for the first time. Great leap forward in the shift toward frictionless payments. 🔥

Fresh opportunities just in! 🚀 Our portfolio companies are on the lookout for top talent in #fintech, with new roles just posted. Exploring your next move? Here are some exciting positions to consider: Aria: Senior Product Designer and EU Partnership Manager 🇫🇷 Banxware: Partnerships & BD Manager and Full-stack Engineer 🇩🇪 Briink: AI Customer Solutions Engineer (ESG focus) 🇩🇪🇬🇧 hepster: E-Commerce Manager and Content Writer 🇩🇪🇪🇺 Metica: Head of Credit Risk and Strategic Finance & Operations Manager 🇬🇧 Najar (ex Welii): Sales Enablement and Account Executive 🇫🇷 Runa: Account Director and Senior Partnerships Operations Executive 🇬🇧 The Electric Car Scheme: Growth Marketing Manager 🇩🇪 Thirdfort: Account Executive and Engineering Manager 🇬🇧🌍 If any of these roles sound like you, now’s the time to apply! Check out the comments for more details. 👇

💰 Big shifts are happening in payments and Todd Clyde from our portfolio company Token.io recently wrote a brilliant piece about why banks can't afford to ignore 'Pay by Bank' anymore. Account-to-account (A2A) payments let consumers pay directly from their bank accounts — no cards needed. Thanks to open banking, they’re now faster, cheaper, and more secure than traditional payments. By year-end, 1 in 4 Europeans will use A2A payments for online transactions. By 2029? 3 in 4. Todd highlights: ✅ What use cases banks will leverage open banking for ✅ How ‘Pay by Bank’ will gain mass adoption ✅ The monetization of open banking via premium APIs A2A payments are becoming the default. Banks that act now will deepen customer relationships, unlock new revenue, and gain a competitive edge. 💪 The payments revolution is here: open, instant, and inevitable. Read the full piece at https://lnkd.in/enhg7JQZ

Shout out to Thirdfort on their first-ever acquisition! 🎉 We’re excited to share that our portfolio company Thirdfort has acquired rental check platform Homeppl . This is a game-changer for client due diligence in property: ✅ Stronger fraud protection for sales and lettings ✅ Cutting-edge tenant checks integrated into Thirdfort’s platform ✅ A step closer to a one-stop CDD solution for legal, property, and accounting pros’s rental check platform! It’s been amazing to see Thirdfort scale its impact and enhance its ability to deliver simple, secure, and comprehensive due diligence. Congrats to Olly Thornton-Berry, Jack Bidgood and team, and a warm welcome to the Homeppl crew – the journey ahead looks promising! 🚀

Our portfolio company Runa is expanding into India! 🇮🇳 The country’s digital payments scene is booming, and Runa is stepping in at the perfect time to make cross-border and domestic payouts smoother. With a gift card market worth $8.9B, India’s going through a rapid digital payment transformation — with transaction volume at a notable 44% CAGR from 2017 to 2024 and a surge in cross-border consumer transactions, which grew by 121% in the last nine months of 2024 alone. 🚀 Runa’s seamless infrastructure makes it easier than ever for businesses to connect with millions of consumers — without the headaches of foreign exchange risks or capital controls. 🌏 What a great step forward for global payouts. Shout out to Aron Alexander and the Runa team on this achievement!

Where is fintech heading in 2025? ☄️ The latest 11:FS Pulse Report predicts that companies will double down on personalization, automation, and new revenue streams. Here’s the gist: 1️⃣ Personalization is (finally) happening – AI is making customer experiences more tailored, but traditional banks are still held back by siloed data. Fintech companies are closing the gap on full-service banking while building hyper-personalized experiences. 2️⃣ Banking apps are becoming investment hubs – Why build when you can integrate? APIs are making it easier to bring savings, pensions, and wealth management into a single app, pushing wealthtech into the mainstream. 3️⃣ AI shifts from hype to impact – Less chatbot buzz, more automation behind the scenes. Compliance, fraud detection, and risk management will get an AI-powered boost, but firms will need solid governance to keep up. 4️⃣ Fraud is leveling up – AI-powered scams are getting more sophisticated. Biometric security, behavioral analysis, and real-time detection will be key as financial crime becomes harder to spot. 5️⃣ Crypto’s regulatory shake-up – Lighter US regulations (and Bitcoin crossing $100K) could attract more institutional money. This could mark a major shift in how digital assets fit into mainstream finance. 6️⃣ A2A payments are on the rise – Aiming for lower fees and faster transactions, the EU’s decision to open Apple’s NFC chip could be the breakthrough needed to challenge card networks. Shout out to our portfolio company Token.io, highlighted as a brand shaping the space. Fintech is moving fast. Check out the full report at https://lnkd.in/eiDnrhNP