Paris, Dec 12: French fintech company Aria has successfully raised €15M to enhance the digital payment experience for businesses of all sizes. Building upon their initial success with a freelancer invoice finance model, Aria is now transitioning towards an integrated digital B2B payment framework.
This new approach aims to simplify B2B payments, making them as effortless as B2C transactions.
Announced today in London, UK, and Paris, France, Aria’s initiative addresses a significant market gap.
Despite the annual global volume of B2B payments reaching approximately $120 trillion, a mere 7% of these transactions are currently conducted digitally. Aria’s mission is to help businesses modernize their payment systems and enable instant payments, thereby revolutionizing the way B2B payments are handled.
The latest funding round, led by 13books Capital, saw contributions from Adevinta Ventures, Ankaa Ventures, Otium Capital, and several angel investors, including Laurent Ritter (Purple), Mark Ransford, and Guillaume Princen (former Stripe executive).
Aria’s platform is designed to serve merchants, B2B marketplaces, and vertical SaaS companies that operate both online and offline.
It allows these entities to offer a variety of payment methods and terms to their sellers, ensuring immediate payment through a unified platform. Aria’s system is capable of integrating with B2B marketplaces, transactional SaaS platforms, and ERP systems, facilitating early supplier invoice payments and providing deferred payment options for end-clients through their API.
Clément Carrier, CEO and co-founder of Aria, emphasizes the company’s evolution from addressing freelancers’ needs to tackling broader business payment challenges.
He points out that while online business purchases predominantly rely on credit cards, most businesses prefer transactions via wires, checks, and online banking, which often remain offline and cumbersome. Aria’s solution simplifies this complexity, offering an efficient checkout experience and making flexible payment methods as straightforward as using a credit card.
Aria’s vision extends to offering businesses a B2C-like checkout experience, supported by an underlying infrastructure that includes funding, KYC/KYB, debtor risk analysis, anti-fraud measures, credit insurance, and debt recovery.
The platform also provides a comprehensive dashboard for a clear overview of payment landscapes.
Since its founding in Paris in 2019 by Clement Carrier and Vincent Folny, both former freelancers, Aria has rapidly become a leading provider of deferred payments for the contingent workforce platforms in Europe.
The company has processed over €0.5 billion in payments for more than 30,000 businesses and freelancers, with invoice values ranging from €500 to €20,000.
Supported by a €150 million facility from various investors, including M&G Investments, Aria has partnered with major freelance platforms and marketplaces like Malt, Brigad, and Jump to fund their operations across Europe.
Carrier highlights the disparity in digital transaction volumes between B2B and B2C markets, noting that only seven per cent of B2B commerce is transacted online compared to the much higher volume in B2C retail payments.
Aria’s tools allow companies to process any payment method, offer flexible net terms financing, and receive instant payments, all through a single online platform.
Michael McFadgen from 13books Capital praises Aria for its exceptional team, growth, and product-market fit, expressing excitement about their partnership for future growth.
Similarly, Stefan Grabmann from Adevinta Ventures recognizes Aria’s influential role in enabling businesses and freelancers to receive payments on their terms, affirming the company’s leading position in the fintech-enabled transformation of B2B marketplaces across Europe.
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