Welcome to our latest Weekly Funding Highlights! In this roundup, we cover developments across the funding landscape, including strategic investments, funding rounds, and innovative initiatives from key players in the industry.
Monzo targets £4bn (€4.6bn) valuation in fresh funding round
Monzo, the British digital bank, is reportedly close to securing a new funding round that would value the fintech at around £4 billion (€4.6 billion). The company could finalize the deal within the next two weeks, aiming to raise up to £350 million (€408 million) from a mix of new and existing investors. On a pre-money basis, Monzo would be valued at about £3.6 billion (€4.2 billion), rising to £4 billion (€4.6 billion) with the new capital injection. Alphabet’s investment fund, CapitalG, is expected to lead the round, with participation from investors including Tencent and Ribbit Capital. Monzo has been expanding its product offerings and markets, recently surpassing 9 million customers. Read more
Fintech Venture Fund Canapi Raises $750m (€694m)
Canapi Ventures, a fintech venture capital fund supported by around 70 financial institutions and strategic investors in the United States, has raised a $750 million (€694 million) Fund II. Backed by the Canapi Alliance, which consists of strategic banks and financial partner institutions across North America, the new funds bring Canapi’s total assets under management to over $1.4 billion (€1.3 billion). The fund aims to support innovative entrepreneurs and companies contributing to a more inclusive and equitable financial ecosystem. Canapi’s investment focus includes key verticals like fraud and identity, financial infrastructure, lending and credit, payments, and real estate technology. In Fund II, it plans to broaden its investment scope to include areas such as responsible AI use, cybersecurity, and the intersection of financial services and climate technology. Read more
Mastercard Invests $200M (€185M) in MTN Fintech
Mastercard is set to acquire a minority stake of up to $200 million (€185 million) in MTN Group Fintech, the fintech arm of telecommunications giant MTN Group, reaffirming its commitment to fostering financial inclusion in Africa. The deal, which values MTN Group Fintech at $5.2 billion (€4.8 billion), is part of Mastercard’s strategic move to expand access to financial services on the continent. The investment is expected to strengthen MTN Group Fintech’s position and enhance its payments and remittance services, contributing to the development of Africa’s digital financial landscape. The collaboration is currently undergoing regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Read more
Duetti raises $90m (€83m) to revolutionize music financing services
Duetti, a music financing platform, has secured $90 million in a funding round, including $15 million (€14 million) in new equity led by Nyca Partners, Viola Ventures, and Cohen Circle, and a $75 million (€69 million) credit facility from Northleaf Capital Partners. Duetti’s goal is to provode independent artists with the opportunity to sell master catalogs, individual tracks, or parts of them, enabling them to unlock immediate cash flow. The new funds will be used to accelerate catalog acquisitions, develop advanced prediction and analytics technology, and expand catalog marketing capabilities. Duetti has become a trusted ally for over 250 artists, including Olivia O’Brien, Sevyn Streeter, and Łaszewo. Read more
Colombia’s Bold bags $50m (€46m) Series C for next phase of growth
Colombian fintech Bold has successfully raised $50 million (€46 million) in a Series C funding round, led by US growth equity firm General Atlantic, pending approval from the Colombian financial regulator. Previous investors InQLab and Amador participated, along with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group. Following its Series B funding of $55 million (€51 million) in February 2022, Bold has expanded its team, doubled its active merchant customers to around 150,000, and broadened its services to include merchant accounts, debit cards, and short-term working capital loans. The latest funds will be used to enhance its product offerings and strengthen its position as a merchant-acquirer in Colombia. Read more
Napier AI bags £45 million (€41 million) in funding
UK-based financial crime RegTech Napier AI has secured £45 million (€41 million) in funding from US-based Crestline Investors. Napier AI, founded in 2015, offers AI-enhanced financial crime and regulation technology compliance software, particularly focusing on anti-money laundering (AML) screening for banking, payments, and wealth and asset management industries. The company’s technology assists institutions in screening, monitoring, and identifying criminal or suspicious activities, along with regulatory reporting capabilities. Napier AI has experienced strong growth, with top-line revenue increasing by over 30% year on year since 2021. The funding will likely support further expansion and development of its compliance solutions. Read more
Canada’s Float bags $37m (€34m) credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank
Canadian fintech Float has secured a $37 million (€34 million) credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, to fuel the growth of its corporate card and expense management platform after achieving 300% payment volume growth in 2023. The funds will be used to expand its Charge Card programme, which offers spending limits five to ten times higher than regular bank credit cards. The platform provides real-time visibility over company spending, allowing finance teams to authorise, spend, reconcile, and monitor expenses in both CAD and USD within a single platform. Read more
PayPal Ventures Launches AI Fund With Co-lead Investment in Rasa’s $30 Million (€27 Million) Series C Funding Round
PayPal Ventures has announced the creation of a new AI Fund, with plans to deploy a portion of the funds over the next three years for early-stage AI investments across various industries and verticals. The AI Fund is launched in conjunction with PayPal Ventures’ co-lead investment in Rasa’s $30 million (€27 million) Series C funding round. The focus of the Fund includes opportunities in AI across advertising, customer success, risk, compliance, legal, and personalization - as such, PayPal Ventures aims to invest in innovative teams disrupting industries with AI solutions. Since 2022, new possibilities in AI applications are endless as the integration of large language models into conversational AI is expected to reshape human-machine interactions and enhance the efficiency of chatbots. Rasa, known for being the first and most popular open-source development platform for enterprise-grade conversational AI, is a significant player in the popularity of generative AI as it influences the venture capital landscape. Read more
Moove secures $10m (€9m) in first external debt funding round led by Stride Ventures
Moove, a Mobility FinTech company, has raised $10 million (€9 million) in a debt round led by Stride Ventures. The funds will be utilized to support Moove’s expansion plans in India, with a focus on entering new cities such as Delhi, Pune, and Kolkata. Moove, founded in 2020, is transforming the global mobility sector by integrating alternative credit-scoring technology into ride-hailing platforms. This approach allows Moove to offer loans to individuals traditionally excluded from financial services, promoting financial inclusion and access to mobility. The company operates in nine markets across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and serves as Uber’s vehicle supply partner in the EMEA region. Read more
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