FINANZCHECK closes €33M Series C with HarbourVest, Acton Capital and Highland Europe

Since its inception, Hamburg-based FINANZCHECK has already brokered more than €1.3bn in consumer loans with 150% growth year over year and offers an online B2C marketplace where German consumers can compare loan bank products in real-time. In 2015, FINANZCHECK further developed its extensive technology platform to provide consumer financing technology solutions for brokers and banks.

The growth financing puts the FinTech company in pole position in Germany’s €70bn consumer loan market enabling accelerated growth and further diversification towards market leadership. “We built FINANZCHECK to address customer needs in the consumer loan market and will continue to enhance our technology and product offering with a view to delivering the best consumer finance platform in Germany,” outlines Moritz Thiele, founder and CEO.

“Our ultimate goal is to be the engine for the consumer finance ecosystem in Germany." -- Moritz Thiele, FINANZCHECK

The long-term vision of the management team is clear market leadership in Germany within the online consumer finance sector. The vision is supported by a strong, long-term oriented strategy and a keen focus on consumer loans. FINANZCHECK now is enhancing their strong existing shareholder base with the addition of HarbourVest Partners, a global private equity firm with more than $39 billion of assets under management, and Acton Capital, one of Germany’s leading growth venture capital investors in the digital industry. The investment will enable the company to accelerate its growth.

“We are excited about our investment in FINANZCHECK,” says Peter Lipson, Managing Director of HarbourVest. “This substantial initial investment will enable the company to continue to offer new and more compelling solutions for both the banks and the consumers. Furthermore, we have assembled an investor base that is ready to invest additional capital when compelling opportunities arise.”

“We are in the early days of enabling and improving an existing €70bn market,” -- Christoph Braun, Acton Capital

“Only 10% of consumer loans are sourced and processed online and with our in-depth technology and product expertise, as well as prolific growth trajectory, market leadership is within our grasp,” adds Christoph Braun, Managing Partner of Acton Capital.

“We have co-invested with HarbourVest in Photobox and VistaPrint, and with Acton Capital in MyOptique – three very successful companies and clear European market leaders. Bringing the same investor team together once again to build another big company is simply fantastic and bodes well for the future of FINANZCHECK!” says Fergal Mullen, Founder and Partner of Highland Europe. “We welcome Peter Lipson and Christoph Braun to our advisory board.” Highland Europe invested in FINANZCHECK in early 2015.

Founded in 2012, FINANZCHECK offers an online B2C marketplace as well as B2B2C white label and B2B consumer financing technology solutions for brokers and banks. This highly efficient process is enabled by FINANZCHECK’s deep integration with the IT platform of each bank enabling a comprehensive price comparison in real-time. The Hamburg-based FinTech company employs more than 120 product, tech and sales experts and is run by Moritz Thiele and Andreas Kupke. Founded in 2012, FINANZCHECK.de’s service is free and independent, ensuring complete visibility on all loans available by saving valuable time and enabling the consumer to make an informed choice.