The fintech whose worth reached €230 million in less than 2 years
Our client’s backstory
Set out on a path to transform B2B payments, a German fintech startup decided to launch a unique service that would give business customers the power to purchase and pay when and how they want, skipping the complexities of fund shortages and complicated invoice procedures. In 2021, they launched an MVP that brings B2B payments up to par with B2C payments, bringing innovation to the e-commerce space with growth opportunities for businesses and higher conversion rates for their suppliers and wholesalers.
Approaching the Buy Now Pay Later concept (meanwhile an industry worth $100 b) from a completely new angle, the B2B payments company focused on marketing a solution for businesses that would run parallel to B2C payment methods, e.g., offering businesses access to larger funds at once and options to pay in installments or at a later date with no interest.
The challenges
The company had to start from scratch and set up a development team with the right expertise to develop a fintech platform that connects all the vital parts and different stakeholders into a seamlessly working system where security and quality are top priorities. They partnered with Klika and we joined the startup’s inhouse team from the very beginning.
In a startup fashion, the company had to respond to market changes quickly, which was an additional challenge. The lack of clear processes in the beginning was a major hindrance and shifts in priorities were very frequent, given that the company expanded to international markets at lightning speed, which required constant team growth and readjustments. The engineering teams were reorganized three times until some basis was provided for a truly agile approach that supports new scaling efforts and the project’s dynamics.
Klika solution
Besides assigning engineers with extensive experience in fintech technologies, we also assigned a CDM on our side to support the company’s efforts in implementing a smooth agile methodology to shorten time to market and double down on quality development.
Klika experts were separated into different sub-teams, working on different client-facing applications and features, but thanks to an agile mindset and response-readiness, they easily integrated with the client’s team.
Since fintech software deals with very delicate data, we made sure to build a reliable system that grants data privacy but at the same time allows for background checks, KYC verification and user validation.
To make it happen, we built a Buyer Application that serves as the main point for KYC verification. We enabled the system to integrate with the relevant data points from credit rating agencies and banks to run necessary background checks in real time and automatically detect if buyers qualify for a fund approval and for how much.
On the other hand, the Buyer Application helps B2B buyers take advantage of the buy now pay later lending model with fast payouts and automated invoice generation (with no hidden fees). To make the experience more pleasant for the user, we built a user-friendly dashboard that offers a clean overview of buyer activity, available funds and installment options. In addition, we also developed a flawless consumer-grade B2B checkout experience, making it easy for buyers to use the service. The widget is easily recognizable by the brand’s color and it can be easily added to any e-commerce platform or website. It fully supports all the payment methods that the company offers, and new ones are constantly added.
Next, we built a Merchant Portal for vendors, wholesalers and merchants that solves problems on their end. We started with an order management system that lists all sales orders, preferred payment options, installments, etc., in one place. The system’s flexibility allows for onboarding new merchants, adding new payment methods and adding new banks to the systems all the time with ease. To make sure merchants are safe from any risks, the company assumes responsibility in case of non-payment and takes care of automated payment collection and dunning.
The Klika team also helped develop an admin portal for internal use to enable efficient and smooth collaboration among the client’s team across departments.
Results
After the initial success, the company launched their service in 5 different countries, serving thousands of customers. Klika engineers are still part of the core team in several departments and they diligently work on new features, new integration possibilities and new data visualization models to offer an even better experience to the growing customer base. The startup is meanwhile valued at $230 million and is on its way to become a global game changer in the fintech industry.
Technology stack
TypeScript, React, Ruby, PostgreSQL, PHP, Amazon Webservices, Circleci, Docker, Amazon Redshift, Kafka, Datagod, PAIR Finance, Metabase, Sentry
