European FinTech deals this week include Ibancar

We feature Q&As with Spiros Margaris of Margaris Ventures and Dirk Soehnholz of Soehnholz ESG GmbH

If you are an early stage startup in Europe building the next big thing in FinTech, reach out to us: Frank Schwab or Samarth Shekhar

 7 Questions with Spiros Margaris, Margaris Ventures 

1.Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and leisure.

My name is Spiros Margaris, and I am a venture capitalist (VC) and the founder of Margaris Ventures. I have been in the investment business for quite some time, with more than 25 years of international experience in investment management/research and startups. In my role as a VC, I also act as an advisor to my globally spread FinTech and InsurTech startup portfolio. I am the first international influencer to achieve ‘The Triple Crown’ of influencer rankings by being ranked the global No. 1 FinTech, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain influencer by Onalytica in 2018. I am very fortunate to regularly appear in the top three positions of the established global industry influencer rankings due to the generous support of great FinTech industry friends and participants. In 2017, I had the opportunity to give a speech at the TEDxAcademy Talk. In addition, for the enterprise software vendor SAP, I wrote an AI white paper, ‘Machine learning in financial services: Changing the rules of the game’.

http://www.fintechforum.de/7-questions-with-spiros-margaris-margaris-ventures/

7 Questions with Prof. Dr. Dirk Soehnholz, Soehnholz ESG GmbH

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself, both at work and leisure.

After my business studies in Germany and the US, I started my career as a management consultant. In 1999, together with a German multi-family office, I started an alternative investment fund of funds advisor. From 2012 to 2015, I was executive board member of a mutual fund company focusing on portfolios of index funds and we started three responsible Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds. In 2016, I started my own company Diversifkator. The focus is on pure and customized ESG portfolios.

My hobbies are table tennis, reading and writing.

http://www.fintechforum.de/7-questions-with-prof-dr-dirk-soehnholz-diversifikator/

Ibancar Raises €10M in Funding

Ibancar, a Madrid, Spain-based provider of a credit platform for consumers, received a debt facility up to an amount of €10m.

The round was led by Knuru Capital.

The facility has been led by global venture capital and private credit investor Knuru Capital and will allow the platform to fund its growing loan book and continue its explosive growth trajectory. The facility will complement Ibancars existing and ongoing debt funding from crowdlending marketplaces. The company intends to use the funds to scale fast in Spain, expand its activity to Mexico as well as launch other auto related credit products.

Led by Alex Melis, founder and CEO, Ibancar provides an asset based consumer credit platform that makes affordable online loans available to the full social and credit spectrum of borrowers with a focus on ethical and inclusive lending practices. Its use of cars as collateral also allows it to bring underbanked, unbanked and credit invisible borrowers into the online consumer finance market.

https://www.finsmes.com/2021/12/ibancar-raises-e10m-in-funding.html

Headquartered in Dubai, Knuru is a venture capital investor deploying transformative capital into growth stage technology businesses globally with a particular interest in the financial services industry and emerging markets.

Tink Completes Acquisition of FinTecSystems

Tink, a Swedish open banking platform, completed the acquisition of FinTecSystems, a Germany based open banking infrastructure fintech companyy, following regulatory approval.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

Following the acquisition, the combination of Tink’s pan-European open banking platform and FinTecSystems’ product suite and expertise in the DACH market, will offer both local and international customers in the region a xomprehensive solution when partnering for open banking technology.

The completed acquisition also brings fintech and banking customers to Tink, including N26, DKB, Santander, Solarisbank and Check24. FinTecSystems’ 78 employees become part of the Tink organization, with the new DACH management team including René Sauer, Hannes Rogall and Caroline Jenke alongside Tink’s Cyrosch Kalateh.

Through this completed acquisition, Tink now increases its total number of employees to almost 600. FinTecSystems will continue to function as an independent, regulated company in Germany.

Founded in 2012 in Stockholm, Tink is an open banking platform that enables banks, fintechs and startups to develop data-driven financial services. Through one API, the system allows customers to access aggregated financial data, initiate payments, enrich transactions, verify account ownership and build personal finance management tools. Tink connects to more than 3,400 banks that reach over 250 million bank customers across Europe. The company serves more than 300 banks and fintechs in 18 European markets, out of offices in 13 countries.

https://www.finsmes.com/2021/12/tink-completes-acquisition-of-fintecsystems.html

ACE & Company Closes Fourth Buyout Co-Investment Fund, at $244M

ACE & Company, a Geneva, Switzerland-based global investment firm, closed its fourth private equity co-investment fund, at $244m.

Led by Rob Callahan, Head of ACE Buyout Strategy, ABO IV will continue the strategy of its predecessor funds, supporting high caliber sponsors in their core areas of expertise. While the fund has a North American focus, it will include 20 to 25 companies diversified by sector, size, deal archetype and general partner. The fund will identify and pursue the best opportunities across the private equity universe.

The firm’s buyout program has completed over 70 co-investments since 2011.

Led by Adam Said, Founder and CEO, ACE & Company is a global investment group specialized in private investments with total assets of over $1.6 bn across three investment strategies and investment solutions. Headquartered in Geneva with offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, and Cairo, ACE’s global presence brings the company in direct contact with sourcing partners, investment firms, as well as entrepreneurs and provides investors unparalleled access to a network of opportunities.

https://www.finsmes.com/2021/12/ace-company-closes-fourth-buyout-co-investment-fund-at-244m.html

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