Acton Capital’s Post

The news is out! Infact has just raised a £4m Seed round, led by us at AlbionVC, with participation from 13books Capital, Outward VC, Form Ventures, Portfolio Ventures and leading angel investors. Founded by the exceptional pair of Will Mason and Andy Milligan, Infact is on a mission to become a generational company, transforming the way lending decisions are made and positively impacting millions of lives worldwide. The time to fix the credit reference industry is now, and Infact is leading the way. Read more on why we invested here: https://lnkd.in/e97sT4SZ #creditrisk #consumercredit #credit #lending #financialinclusion #fintech

Convenience vs Credibility. Why partner with a traditional bank as a startup, when online options seem so accessible? At one of our latest monthly meetings with our Cohorts, Caroline Kirstoff, Relationship Manager Start-ups at Sparkasse, highlighted why a traditional banking relationship is key for early-stage businesses in Germany. Traditional banks, like Berliner Sparkasse, bring unique advantages that go beyond the basics: ▶ Access to Funding: Sparkasse bridges the gap for startups by connecting them to Berlin-specific programs and loans offered by institutions like Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) and BürgschaftsBank Berlin (BBB), offering unique financing options to help your venture grow. ▶ Enhanced Credibility: Partnering with a reputable bank boosts trust with clients, suppliers, and investors. ▶ Future Financing Potential: Building a relationship with your bank early can unlock larger loans or investments as your business grows. As Caroline put it, “Depending on your startup’s phase, financing options range from bootstrapping and public grants to venture capital and loans. Establishing a strong relationship with your bank from the outset means you have financial support when it counts.” Reach out to Caroline Kirstoff and the team at Berlin Sparkasse to learn how they can support your startup's success with strategic financing solutions that grow with you. 💼 #avantnow #StartupFinance #BerlinSparkasse #BusinessBanking

When Claire and Amir's Angel Portfolio (Claire and Amir) invested in Firenze (David and Anna) it was due to the idea being one that they were vested in and an exited founder team presenting them with a compelling execution plan. As with all pre-seed investment that's the hypothesis, but there are no guarantees that there is any actual #PMF (product market fit). Now that Firenze has launched, David and Anna are showing immediate results with their first client already signed. Well done Team Firenze, onwards and upwards. https://lnkd.in/e8RQbYqf #angelinvesting #uktech #startups #lombardloans

Pipe secures a $100 million credit line from Victory Park Capital Advisors to expand capital-as-a-service offerings #Pipe, the innovative #fintech platform known for providing fast, frictionless, and dilution-free funding, has successfully secured a $100 million credit facility from #Victory Park Capital (VPC), a global alternative investment firm specializing in private credit. This strategic financial boost is set to significantly expand Pipe’s Capital-as-a-Service capabilities. Founded by Harry Hurst, Zain Allarakhia, and Josh Mangel, Pipe has revolutionized the way businesses access capital. The platform transforms recurring revenue streams into immediate working capital, allowing businesses to improve cash flow and foster growth without diluting ownership. The $100 million credit facility from Victory Park Capital is a testament to the strong confidence in Pipe’s vision and business model. This funding has the potential to expand up to $200 million, aiming to increase Pipe’s yearly originations to over $1 billion, targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that have traditionally struggled to access conventional financial resources. This initiative has already attracted support from prominent platforms like Priority, Infinicept, and Boulevard, collectively catering to nearly one million merchants and handling over $140 billion in gross payment volume. The partnership between Pipe and VPC aims to provide capital solutions to businesses overlooked by traditional financing sources. By enhancing Pipe’s ability to offer non-dilutive financing options, the company will help more entrepreneurs and business owners access the capital they need to pursue growth ambitions. This move is poised to significantly impact the SMB sector, fostering innovation and economic growth. With the new credit facility, Pipe is set to expand its operational capacity to more than $1 billion per year in originations for SMBs. CEO Luke Voiles expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with VPC, highlighting the potential to provide businesses with a simple, user-friendly way to access capital. This facility pairs with Pipe’s existing $200 million facility, positioning the company to fully realize its growth potential. The article on FinTech Global in the first comment. Want to stay up to date with the market? Here my newsletter: - Linkedin: https://t.ly/s541W   - Substack: https://lnkd.in/dzfGJzmW

Thrilled to see Livble featured in Forbes' latest article on how innovative #fintech startups are revolutionizing credit access! 🚀 This piece highlights the incredible work we're doing at Livble to move beyond traditional credit scores and make responsible credit available to all Americans. It's especially exciting to build and lead a team dedicated to serving our customers in impactful ways. Our efforts are not just about growth; they're about making a real difference in people's lives. #startups #creditinnovation #financialinclusion #creditaccess #teamgrowth

Toronto based Relay raises $32.2 million to help SMEs manage their cash flow #Relay, a Toronto-based #fintech company, has raised $32.2 million in a Series B round to help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) manage their cash flow more effectively. The round was led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from #BTV, Garage, Industry Ventures, and Tapestry VC, bringing the total raised to $51.6 million. The company offers an online business banking and money management platform designed to deliver true cash-flow clarity. With features like organizing income and expenses across up to 20 checking accounts, issuing up to 50 physical or virtual Visa debit cards, and offering savings accounts with 1%-3% APY, Relay aims to give SMBs greater control over their finances. Relay was co-founded by Yoseph West and Paul Klicnik. West, who has a background in equity and debt finance, previously co-founded Vuru, a stock market research app acquired by Wave Accounting. Klicnik, an ex-IBM engineer, developed the core technical infrastructure at coupon app Flipp before joining Relay.  Relay is specifically designed for the 33-million-plus SMBs in the U.S. that have two or more employees and generate $20,000 to $200,000 in monthly revenue. This focus on "heart of America" small businesses differentiates Relay from competitors like Bluevine and Mercury, which often target tech startups and individual business owners. The new funding will enable Relay to expand its platform, adding features for spend management, crediting, and financial APIs. This expansion is crucial as SMBs need a unified view of their cash flow to make informed financial decisions. Relay's growth trajectory is impressive, with revenues increasing 3x in 2022 and close to 6x in 2023, and a client base of around 100,000 businesses. The company is on track to reach $100 million in annualized revenue by the second half of 2025. The article on TechCrunch in the first comment. Want to stay up to date with the market? Here my newsletter: - Linkedin: https://t.ly/s541W   - Substack: https://lnkd.in/dzfGJzmW

💰 How Does CRED Make Money? A Look at FY23 Financials 💰 Curious about how CRED generates its revenue? We've come across various reports that break down CRED's FY23 financials, offering a glimpse into the different revenue streams that are said to contribute to their growth. 🔍 Key Takeaways from Reports: 1. CRED Pay & CRED Cash: Allegedly, these platforms account for a major portion, around 75%, of their revenue, amounting to ₹1,113 Cr. 2. Travel & Expense Management: Another report suggests this segment contributes ₹103.8 Cr. 3. Non-operating Revenue: It's reported that ₹84.58 Cr comes from strategic investments and other activities. 4. Insurance & Other Revenue Streams: Sources also mention diversified income through insurance commissions and various other avenues. Please note, that these figures are sourced from various reports and media outlets. We are not confirming their accuracy or authenticity but sharing this as an interesting perspective on how modern fintech companies might be generating revenue. #Fintech #RevenueModel #CRED #BusinessInsights #FinancialReports #Startups #Entrepreneurship #DigitalEconomy

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! The LendForGood team hit a really big milestone yesterday - unveiling our new lending platform as we launched the 43rd impact loan campaign since January 2022. This is a vital step as we pursue our ambition to mobilise $1B a year in impact loans to courageous impact enterprises around the globe. And it's been a long time coming. After years of exploring _how_ an impact lending platform could work, working with lawyers and technologists to figure out the legal foundations, impact model and jobs to be done, it's taken years more to build this first version of our digital lending platform. At the same time we've been supporting impact loans on our demo platform to showcase what's possible, with 42 deals already launched, demonstrating the need for and viability of syndicated crowd lending as a tool to help more impact businesses grow. We're already catalysed almost $3M thanks to our growing community of lenders. Now, alongside our 43rd loan, we're thrilled to unveil the real tech product underpinning our model, which will improve the experience for all participants and gets us ready to scale. I couldn't be more grateful to the team I've had the privilege to work with on this journey so far: Renata van Diest Cameron Neil, Paul Howorth, Greg Peel, Holly Smith, 👍 David Carbines. Thanks also to all our collaborators and investors (too many to list here, but you know who you are - we couldn't have done this without you!). See the full launch announcement below, including our call to action on partnering with us to unleash the potential of 1000s more impact enterprises in the years ahead. If you want to be part of this movement to fuel the businesses creating a better world, check out our current deals and consider backing one of them with as little as $500. The link to the website (with new URL - LendForGood.io) is in the first comment below. #impactinvesting #impinv #socialenterprise #socentau #businessforgood #investingood #changethegame #startups #purpose #impact

How We Funded Our Business Startup with Smart Loans We turned insurance premium into opportunity by leveraging a small loan to cover our business startup costs. Listen to how we capitalized on unexpected opportunities in this inspiring IBC journey. Watch the full episode here https://linktw.in/HSVcUv . #BusinessStartup #SmartLoans #EntrepreneurJourney #IndependentPractice #Infinitebanking#VirtualRealEstate #BusinessGrowth #InvestmentStrategies #SmallBusinessTips #IBC

How We Funded Our Business Startup with Smart Loans We turned insurance premium into opportunity by leveraging a small loan to cover our business startup costs. Listen to how we capitalized on unexpected opportunities in this inspiring IBC journey. Watch the full episode here https://linktw.in/HSVcUv . #BusinessStartup #SmartLoans #EntrepreneurJourney #IndependentPractice #Infinitebanking#VirtualRealEstate #BusinessGrowth #InvestmentStrategies #SmallBusinessTips #IBC