• Fastacash

  Participated · Series B · Jul 2015

  Fastacash is a Singapore-based fintech building an agnostic payments hub that lets people send money via platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, SMS and email. It offers both a standalone consumer service and a co-branded option for banks and remittance firms, positioning itself as an intermediary for financial institutions across multiple platforms. The company reports over one million registered users and about 40 staff in Singapore, and plans to double headcount over the next 18 months. Product plans include moving from B2B2C into customer-merchant payments and adding features such as coupons and QR codes; Fastacash also intends to open an innovation center in London while keeping product development in Singapore. The startup aims to secure 50 partnerships with banks, remittance firms and other organizations (around one-third scheduled for this year) and to expand geographically into the U.S., UK, India and the Middle East through partner deals and local sales teams. Financially, Fastacash previously raised $8.5 million and has now completed a $15 million Series B to support its growth and expansion. fastacash is a Singapore-based technology provider of a social payments platform. Led by Vince Tallent, Chairman and CEO, the company offers a global platform that allows users to transfer value (money, airtime, other tokens) along with digital content (photos, videos, audio, messages) through social networks and messaging platforms. The platform enables secure transactions domestically and internationally and targets partners in the payments, remittance, consumer products, social and gaming industries. fastacash works with partners including Skrill, Oxigen, Mobi.Dengi, Imperial Bank and Techcombank to bring its technology to end-users. The company completed a $4m additional round of funding and will use the funds to accelerate product development and deployment. Prior to this, it had raised $4.5m from its Seed and Series A rounds led by Jungle Ventures, Spring SEEDS Capital and Hong Kong-based Funding the Future (FTF). fastacash is a Singapore-based social payments platform that uses a patent-pending link generation technology to let individuals and companies transfer value and attach digital content (photos, videos or audio) through social networks and messaging platforms. The transferable value can be money, electronic coupons, airtime or other tokens of value. The company targets integrations with banks, remittance service providers, mobile operators, social networks, gaming companies and consumer brands. fastacash is led by Chairman and CEO Vince Tallent. It completed a $3m Series A and had previously raised $1.5m. The company intends to use the Series A to focus on partnerships and expand globally, planning launches in Indonesia (Doku) and Russia (UNISTREAM) within the year.

• SumUp

  Led · Equity · Aug 2014

  SumUp is a global fintech that provides payments and business tools to millions of merchants of all sizes. The company has generated positive EBITDA since December 2022 and has delivered over a decade of sustained growth. SumUp says it balances sustainable growth with fiscal responsibility, launching new markets and products while keeping finances under control. Management intends to use new capital to refinance existing debt and to pursue organic and inorganic global growth opportunities. Investor interest was strong and the company reports the round was oversubscribed, which SumUp cites as confirmation of market confidence in its business model. SumUp plans to continue scaling its services and products to provide merchants with tools and best-in-class support experiences. SumUp builds card readers and point-of-sale tools and offers related services such as invoicing, loyalty programs and business accounts to small merchants. The company is planning continued organic expansion of financial services around its hardware and is targeting more geographies beyond the 36 markets where it currently operates. SumUp is also pursuing inorganic growth through M&A, having previously acquired U.S. loyalty startup Fivestars in 2021 to expand services and U.S. presence. The business says it has been "positive on an EBITDA basis since Q4 2022" and reports over 30% year‑over‑year top-line growth. Its customer count is about 4 million, a figure unchanged from two years ago, indicating mixed operational signals. SumUp is a London-based financial technology company led by Marc-Alexander Christ, serving more than 4 million small merchants in over 35 markets. The company offers card terminals and point-of-sale registers, in-person and remote payments, a free business account and card, an online store, and invoicing. Its SumUp Cash Advance product provides merchants with advances of up to £20,000 based on their payment history. Advances are repaid through payment acceptance with SumUp card readers in a flexible, incremental manner. Merchants pay a fixed fee for access to advances and are not charged monthly interest or hidden fees. SumUp says it will use new financing to expand its merchant cash advance product and support UK-based merchants. SumUp started as a maker of card-reader dongles and has expanded into a broader suite of payments and business services used by about 4 million SMBs in 35 markets. The company now employs roughly 3,000 people and offers products including POS payments, online payments, and a business banking product used by about 10% of its customers. SumUp has pursued M&A to build its platform, acquiring companies such as Payleven, Goodtill, Tiller and U.S.-based loyalty startup Fivestars. Management says revenues have grown roughly 60% annually over the last couple of years, while POS payments remain the bulk of revenue. The company is pursuing further product development, hiring and additional acquisitions as it expands into more emerging markets (its most recent launch was Peru) and continues to focus on Europe as its largest geography. SumUp offers physical card readers and a suite of payments services — online payments, invoicing and POS solutions — to merchants, taking a cut of transactions as its primary revenue model. The company operates in 33 countries and serves roughly 3 million businesses. SumUp has grown in part through acquisitions (including Payleven in 2016 and more recent purchases such as Paysolut, Goodtill and Tiller) to expand its product set and geographic footprint. Its stated strategy is to build more services for businesses and scale transaction volume rather than move into consumer-facing financial products or cryptocurrency. The company says it has stable cash flow, which it cited as a reason for choosing debt financing to avoid dilution. SumUp is London-based and was founded in 2012.

• Settle

  Led · Equity · Aug 2014

  Settle provides iOS and Android applications that enable restaurant guests to reserve tables, place pre-orders, and pay directly from their phones, reducing wait times for seating and food. The company is targeting the United States, where it has launched service in 12 Silicon Valley restaurants and operates under the Allset brand. Founder Stas Matvienko positions the product as a solution to the long wait problems common in U.S. casual dining venues. Settle’s immediate plan is to commercialize and expand its footprint across more U.S. restaurants using the newly raised capital. The startup maintains its roots in Ukraine while building a presence in the U.S. market, reflecting a dual-region operational strategy. No revenue or user figures were disclosed, but early traction is indicated by the dozen pilot locations in California. Historically, the company sought U.S. investors and had an earlier commitment from Russian fund Life.Sreda, which ultimately provided only 15% of a promised $1.5 million.

• Advice Wallet

  Led · Equity · Aug 2014

  Advice Wallet’s core product is Settle, a mobile application that combines ordering, payment, peer-to-peer transfers, and a built-in loyalty program for cafés and restaurants. Diners register through a social network, link a bank card, browse the menu, split bills with friends, and receive personalized offers. On the merchant side, venues receive a tablet that tracks customer activity and delivers bills, with Settle collecting a commission on each transaction. The team plans to add iBeacon functionality so the app can greet arriving customers and push individualized discounts. A pilot launch is scheduled for August 8 at Kyiv bar “Chashka,” with expansion targeted at Russia and other Eastern European markets starting with Poland. Since 2012 the company has raised $1.87 million, including a newly announced $1.5 million round, a $300,000 investment in 2013, and $70,000 from an incubator in 2012.

No current team members are available.