Close Menu
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI
  • Apps
  • Crypto
  • Security
  • Startups
  • TechCrunch
  • Venture

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

How Hans Wildens pulled off the big sale of Goldman Sachs and what it means for venture liquidity

October 22, 2025

Sam Altman's eye-scanning sphere promises to prove humanity in the age of AI bots

October 22, 2025

Save 60% on PlusOne Passes before Disrupt 2025 starts on October 27th

October 22, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI

    OpenAI seeks to extend human lifespans with the help of longevity startups

    January 17, 2025

    Farewell to the $200 million woolly mammoth and TikTok

    January 17, 2025

    Nord Security founder launches Nexos.ai to help enterprises move AI projects from pilot to production

    January 17, 2025

    Data proves it remains difficult for startups to raise capital, even though VCs invested $75 billion in the fourth quarter

    January 16, 2025

    Apple suspends AI notification summaries for news after generating false alerts

    January 16, 2025
  • Apps

    Google brings Pixel 6 and new devices to Material3 Expressive, along with other features, to the Pixel 6 and new devices

    September 3, 2025

    Google's NoteBookLM now allows you to customize the tone of your AI podcasts

    September 3, 2025

    Roblox expands the use of age estimation techniques and introduces standardized assessments

    September 3, 2025

    Instagram finally launches the iPad app

    September 3, 2025

    Complete the 2025 Confusion Builder Stage Agenda with the Maximum Scaling Voice

    September 3, 2025
  • Crypto

    Save 60% on PlusOne Passes before Disrupt 2025 starts on October 27th

    October 22, 2025

    Disrupt Stage Revealed: Where the Future of Technology First Breaks | TechCrunch

    October 21, 2025

    6 days left until Disrupt 2025 opens in San Francisco and ticket prices increase | Tech Crunch

    October 21, 2025

    Last minute ticket deals for Disrupt 2025: +1 for 60% off

    October 20, 2025

    Last minute ticket deals for Disrupt 2025: +1 for 60% off

    October 20, 2025
  • Security

    Sam Altman's eye-scanning sphere promises to prove humanity in the age of AI bots

    October 22, 2025

    Apple warns exploit developers that iPhones have been targeted by government spyware

    October 21, 2025

    Amazon identifies problem that destroyed much of the internet, says AWS is back to normal

    October 21, 2025

    Amazon DNS outage destroys large portions of the Internet

    October 20, 2025

    Spyware maker NSO Group blocked from WhatsApp

    October 18, 2025
  • Startups

    7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

    March 24, 2025

    AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

    March 24, 2025

    20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

    March 22, 2025

    Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

    March 21, 2025

    Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

    March 21, 2025
  • TechCrunch

    OpenSea takes a long-term view with a focus on UX despite NFT sales remaining low

    February 8, 2024

    AI will save software companies' growth dreams

    February 8, 2024

    B2B and B2C are not about who buys, but how you sell

    February 5, 2024

    It's time for venture capital to break away from fast fashion

    February 3, 2024

    a16z's Chris Dixon believes it's time to focus on blockchain use cases rather than speculation

    February 2, 2024
  • Venture

    How Hans Wildens pulled off the big sale of Goldman Sachs and what it means for venture liquidity

    October 22, 2025

    5 days left until Disrupt 2025 sets the startup world on fire

    October 22, 2025

    David Sachs' Kraft leads $42 million Series A in government technology startup Sturbridge

    October 22, 2025

    Sesame, the conversational AI startup from Oculus founder, raises $250 million and launches beta

    October 21, 2025

    Codi, powered by a16z, launches AI agent office manager

    October 21, 2025
TechBrunchTechBrunch

Heroes help companies facing a lack of working capital

TechBrunchBy TechBrunchJune 20, 20243 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email


Hero, a new Paris-based fintech startup, has announced an all-equity funding round of €11.3 million ($12.2 million at today's exchange rates) led by Valar Ventures. Over the past few years, the company has been quietly building an ambitious banking product for small and medium-sized businesses that can essentially replace all the functions you'd expect from a traditional bank, from managing your cash to receiving payments to getting lines of credit.

If you are setting up a company in France, it is now very easy to register your company and open a bank account in your company’s name. At the same time, your bank becomes more than just an IBAN and a debit card.

Running a company often means needing to accept payment in some way. And if things are going well, especially if you're selling goods, you might need to fund your next inventory purchase and pay your suppliers up front.

As a result, small business owners often have to deal with a myriad of fintech products. They also need to find revenue-based companies that offer short-term loans to small businesses. In France, these include Silvr, Defacto, Karmen and Unlimitd. Alternatively, they can negotiate with traditional banks to obtain loans.

Hero wants to combine these technologies and financial services into one product that customers can use to send, receive and store money across multiple accounts and IBANs. The startup also offers a payment card.

The company is building its own core banking system, and while many fintech startups partner with Swan for their financial infrastructure, Hero is not reliant on a banking-as-a-service partner.

Merchants can choose Hero as their payment solution using API, e-commerce platform plugins or payment links. In this respect, the startup is relatively attractive compared to Stripe, as transaction fees start at 0.4% + 0.15 euros per transaction.

Hero plans to make money primarily through credit services: Suppliers submit their invoices to Hero, which pays them immediately, and then you have up to 90 days to pay the invoices.

Similarly, you can submit invoices that you have already sent to your customers and receive money up front. You don't have to worry about whether your customers are going to pay you next week or next month. In either case, Hero's customers will have to pay interest on these credit products.

Hero founder and CEO Roland Jayes Nielsen previously founded luxury hand sanitizer and beauty brand Merci Handy, and already understands why cash flow issues can hit a business so hard.

The startup has developed a proprietary risk scoring engine that uses both public and private data to evaluate customers. Hero decides whether to lend to customers, and the startup has set up a debt fund with financial partners. Unfortunately, it has not shared any details on this.

Hero is raising a €7 million funding round in 2022. SquareOne, an investor in that first funding round, is also participating in today's new funding round.

It will be interesting to see if Hero's focus on building everything in-house gives it an edge over other finance companies, and it does present some challenges — for example, the company is still waiting for regulatory approval from the ACPR for its payment services.



Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025

Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

March 21, 2025

Wayve CEO shares his key elements for scaling autonomous driving technology

March 21, 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Reviews
Editors Picks

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025
About Us
About Us

Welcome to Tech Brunch, your go-to destination for cutting-edge insights, news, and analysis in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cryptocurrency, Technology, and Startups. At Tech Brunch, we are passionate about exploring the latest trends, innovations, and developments shaping the future of these dynamic industries.

Our Picks

How Hans Wildens pulled off the big sale of Goldman Sachs and what it means for venture liquidity

October 22, 2025

Sam Altman's eye-scanning sphere promises to prove humanity in the age of AI bots

October 22, 2025

Save 60% on PlusOne Passes before Disrupt 2025 starts on October 27th

October 22, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

© 2025 TechBrunch. Designed by TechBrunch.
  • Home
  • About Tech Brunch
  • Advertise with Tech Brunch
  • Contact us
  • DMCA Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.