• Shift4 acquired Finaro and The Giving Block.
• The company will leverage the two purchases to fuel global expansion and to deepen its cryptocurrency roots.
• Shift4 expects the acquisitions will contribute $15 billion in payment volume in 2023.

Payments processing technology company Shift4 made two key acquisitions this week. The Pennsylvania-based firm snapped up cross-border ecommerce expert Finaro and cryptocurrency fundraising startup The Giving Block. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Shift4 said the move will position it to pursue growth in eCommerce, gaming, stadiums, restaurants, hospitality, specialty retail, charitable giving, and a new frontier– cryptocurrency enablement. The company expects the acquisitions will contribute $15 billion in payment volume in 2023.

“These two acquisitions… underscore our aggressive efforts to deliver a unified commerce experience across the world,” said Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman. He also noted that the move gives the company “a real right-to-win additional customers across the nonprofit vertical. It also represents an exciting and responsible step towards further embracing cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.”  

Malta-based Finaro was founded in 2007 as Credorax. The company is a global cross-border payments provider with four offices across the world. Finaro serves more than 5,000 merchant clients, 98% of which leverage Finaro for ecommerce capabilities. The company has a diverse team; its 370 employees represent 24 nationalities and speak 12 different languages. Shift4 will leverage Finaro to expand its existing services, notably its next-generation SkyTab POS solution, Shift4Shop eCommerce platform, and VenueNext stadium offering. 

The Giving Block was founded in 2018 with a mission to make Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency fundraising easy for nonprofits. The company, which is part of a recent rise in charitable giving-enablement, serves as a donation platform more than 1,300 non-profits ranging from mission-driven organizations, charities, universities, and faith-based organizations. The Giving Block is not just a transaction platform; the company also helps non-profits build community, raise awareness, and create campaigns to support their cause.

Shift4 will invest in The Giving Block’s existing business while combining crypto donation capabilities with traditional card acceptance and pursuing the non-profit market. Notably, Shift4 will tap The Giving Block’s crypto talent to establish a Crypto Innovation Center and integrate crypto acceptance and settlement capabilities across its own existing verticals.

Shift4 was founded in 1994 and is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FOUR. The company’s market capitalization is $3.69 billion.

Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

Modern banking experiences provider Amount has acquired SMB loan and account origination platform Linear Financial Technologies for $175 million.

Founded last February, Linear offers financial services organizations a set of tools to help create a smooth customer experience. The Virginia-based startup provides a digital originations and servicing platform for credit cards, loans, and deposit accounts to help companies optimize the experience for their customers. Linear’s clients include Citizens Bank, PNC Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Bank of the West, and American Express.

Amount, a three-year-old company based in Illinois, helps financial services companies digitize their infrastructure to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change. The company’s modular approach offers firms their choice of embedded finance tools, including omni-channel account opening, credit cards, loans deposits, buy now pay later (BNPL), and more.

“In Linear, we saw an opportunity to pair Amount’s consumer banking solution and buy now, pay later technology with Linear’s small business banking solutions to help financial institutions simplify and streamline business processes to create new business opportunities and increase value for our clients,” said Amount CEO Adam Hughes. “We admire what Sam and his team have built at Linear, especially as we share many of the same values when it comes to developing technology, with a heavy focus on bringing data and insights to the forefront, to improve customer experiences, business processes, and risk management. I’m excited to welcome the Linear team to Amount and look forward to working beside them to expand Amount’s product set.”

After the deal is finalized, Linear will rebrand and operate as Amount Small Business. Linear CEO Sam Graziano will join Amount’s executive team and become Head of Amount Small Business. Combining the two companies will boost Amount’s employees to almost 600. The firm will maintain offices in New York City, New York; Reston, Virginia; Chicago, Illinois; and Los Angeles, California. 

Today’s announcement comes four months after Amount partnered with Marqeta to help banks enter the BNPL space. The company, whose bank clients collectively manage just over $3.1 trillion in assets and serve more than 50 million U.S. customers, was valued at over $1 billion after a $100 million Series D funding round last May.

The BNPL space flooded with new players last year. This influx of new companies, plus the pressure from incumbent financial services firms such as Goldman Sachs offering BNPL solutions, has made competition in the credit card alternative space hotter than ever. Today’s merger will offer Amount a better competitive advantage against established BNPL players such as Klarna, AfterPay, Affirm, and Sezzle. As the BNPL market begins to mature, we can expect to see much more merger and acquisition activity in 2022.

Photo by Anika Huizinga on Unsplash