Fintech Startup equipifi Raises $12 Million to Power Financial Institutions with Buy Now, Pay Later

 equipifi, a fintech company providing banks and credit unions with a white label Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solution, completed a $12 million Series A funding round. The investment, led by Curql Collective via Curql Fund and PHX Ventures, will enable equipifi to provide financial institutions with BNPL capabilities available through their existing debit cards and banking app as consumer payment preferences evolve.

equipifi helps financial institutions use their existing data and digital banking platforms to extend BNPL offers that are in alignment with their customers' financial goals. As an added benefit, banks and credit unions can also leverage BNPL to grow existing lines of revenue and open new ones. Since its launch in September 2021, equipifi has already partnered with seven financial institutions through multi-year contracts to bring BNPL to their solution suite.

"Consumers rely on their primary financial institution to know them and their financial goals. That's why even as BNPL has been seeing rapid adoption through third-party lenders, the majority of consumers still look to their trusted financial institutions for a better option," said Bryce Deeney, co-founder and CEO of equipifi. "equipifi powers banks and credit unions to take their customers shopping, providing a single place to view, accept, and manage their BNPL plans on their existing online banking app."

"BNPL solutions are providing credit unions with a unique opportunity to retain their membership and attract a younger demographic," says Nick Evens, President & CEO of Curql Collective. "equipifi's team, with their foundation in credit unions and the banking ecosystem, not only understands our needs but also how to service and scale in our space, making their white label solutions particularly exciting."

According to a report from Worldpay, BNPL accounted for $97 billion of global eCommerce transactions in 2020 and is expected to double to 4.2% by 2024. eMarketer also notes that the number of US BNPL users will soar from 1.6 million in 2018 to 59.3 million in 2022, driven by innovations in credit access and purchase flexibility.

"Consumer expectations for purchase and payments are evolving, and it's time for financial institutions to lead the way in providing BNPL solutions that are tailored to these needs," said Gregg Scoresby, founder and managing partner of PHX Ventures. "equipifi will be the next high-growth fintech SaaS company built in Arizona that redefines retail financing, and the way that banks and credit unions serve the next generation of consumers."

About equipifi 
equipifi is a fintech SaaS powering banks and credit unions with Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions that align with their customers' financial goals. The equipifi platform seamlessly integrates with financial institutions to help them deepen customer engagement, grow market share, increase revenue, and provide a single place to view, accept, and manage BNPL plans on their existing banking app.   

equipifi's investors include Curql Collective, PHX Ventures, SixThirty Ventures, Rise of the Rest, Newstack Ventures, SaaS Ventures, Baleon Capital, and several notable angel investors including Hamid Shojaee and Atomic CEO Jordan Wright. For more information, please visit www.equipifi.com.

About Curql Collective
Curql Collective is a collaborative approach that brings investment capital, credit unions, and fintech together. Launched in 2020, Curql is steered by a collective of forward-thinking credit unions, including former founders, operators, and leaders in the fintech and investment spaces. The group's flagship – Curql Fund I – invests in the visions of entrepreneurs who thoughtfully and purposefully develop financial services technology that revolutionizes and innovates how people engage with their money. For more information, please visit www.curql.com.

About PHX Ventures
PHX Ventures invests in Arizona-based, early-stage B2B Saas companies. Our evergreen fund backs ambitious entrepreneurs seeking to build healthy, high-growth, sustainable companies that transform and improve the industries and communities they serve. We use our real-world operating experience and extensive network to support human-centric founders who are all-in on company building.