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SAPI has raised $10.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at SAPI.
SAPI has raised $10.0M in total across 1 funding round.
SAPI develops embedded finance solutions, offering a loan-product-as-a-service platform that enables payment companies and digital platforms to provide business credit to their merchant base. This core offering facilitates streamlined payment flows, enhances merchant engagement and retention, and unlocks new revenue streams for their partners through white-labeled credit products. The company’s technology underpins customized credit programs, integrating seamlessly into existing platform ecosystems.
The company was co-founded in 2020 by Mai Le and Alexis van Lennep. Mai Le brought significant financial industry experience from her prior role at Goldman Sachs, while Alexis van Lennep contributed to the foundational vision. Their insight centered on addressing the liquidity needs of small and medium-sized enterprises by embedding accessible credit solutions directly within the platforms merchants already utilize for their daily operations.
SAPI primarily serves payment processing companies and various digital platforms, empowering them to extend tailored financing options to their business clients. The company envisions a future where access to capital is seamlessly integrated into the operational fabric of businesses, fostering growth within platform ecosystems. SAPI aims to be a crucial infrastructure layer, providing essential liquidity and financial tools that support the broader merchant economy.
SAPI has raised $10.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $10.0M Series U in March 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2024 | $10M Series U | — | Atlas Venture, Double Prime LLP, Pareto Holdings, Passion Capital, V3 Ventures, MIK Attisani, Oscar Pierre, TOM Blomfield | Announced |
SAPI has raised $10.0M in total across 1 funding round.
SAPI's investors include Atlas Venture, Double Prime LLP, Pareto Holdings, Passion Capital, V3 Ventures, Mik Attisani, Oscar Pierre, Tom Blomfield.
Key people at SAPI.
SAPI is a fintech startup founded in 2020 that provides payment-linked financing for small businesses, particularly underserved ones like immigrant- and woman-owned enterprises. It builds an API-based platform enabling partners—such as payment service providers, marketplaces, and neobanks—to embed short-term credit into payment flows, with repayments automatically deducted at source as a share of revenue or card takings[1][2][3][5]. This solves cash flow gaps for businesses overlooked by traditional banks by aligning lending with real trading activity, offering fast funding, clear pricing, and no hidden fees; over £50m has been advanced, with 90% to immigrant/woman-owned businesses and an 82% renewal rate[5]. SAPI serves everyday small businesses directly and via partners in the US, UK, EU, and expanding Asia-Pacific markets from offices in London and Hanoi, recently raising £60.9m ($80m) in debt-equity funding led by Hudson Cove to fuel growth, tech investments, and team expansion[1][2][4].
SAPI was founded in 2020 in London by Mai Le (CEO, ex-Goldman Sachs executive), Alexis van Lennep (CCO, ex-AlixPartners), and Michal Kot (CTO), with operations extending to Hanoi and a new fintech entity in Vietnam[1][2][3]. The idea emerged from recognizing barriers to credit for high-potential small businesses, especially underrepresented founders, leading to a model that embeds lending in payment platforms for seamless access[1][2]. Early traction built on proprietary underwriting and repayment collection, culminating in rapid deal closure—17 days from first investor meeting to term sheet—and this major 2025 funding round blending £57m debt with £3.8m equity from Hudson Cove, Triple A Capital, and Passion Capital[1][2].
SAPI rides the embedded finance wave, integrating credit directly into payment infrastructures to democratize access for small businesses in fragmented markets where traditional lending lags digital adoption[1][2]. Timing aligns with surging investor confidence in payment-data-driven models, especially in high-growth APAC and underserved segments, amplified by post-pandemic cash flow volatility and regulatory pushes for inclusion[1][2]. Market forces like widespread digital payments, alternative credit demand, and fintech partnerships favor SAPI, positioning it to disrupt legacy banks while influencing ecosystems by enabling platforms to monetize via lending[3][5].
SAPI's $80m raise signals strong momentum for scaling its API-driven, inclusion-led lending globally, with funds targeting engineering, underwriting, and APAC expansion via Vietnam[1][2]. Trends like AI-enhanced underwriting, deeper payment integrations, and regulatory tailwinds for embedded finance will shape its path, potentially elevating it as infrastructure for business credit worldwide[3]. Its influence may evolve from niche lender to core enabler for fintechs, redefining fair funding as seamless as payments—building on its mission to connect overlooked founders with capital[1][5].
