InvestmentAppointments

Fast-growing FinTech VibePay has raised an additional £5m in funding and announced a key hire.

Billionaire property developer Nick Candy was among the existing investors to take part in the latest raise, bringing the total funding raised to date to £12m.

VibePay has also appointed Conor Tiernan, a former Klarna executive, as its new head of insights.

Tiernan, who played a pivotal role in launching Klarna’s Kosma and later led the company’s open banking efforts, will spearhead VibePay’s sales and partnerships for its innovative insights platform.

VibePay CEO Luke Massie said: “I first spoke with Conor around two years ago when we were exploring how Klarna’s open banking capabilities could support VibePay’s infrastructure.

“We also discussed the possibility of Klarna having a channel within the VibePay app, which would offer direct payment reminders to the 35 per cent  of Vibe users already using BNPL.

“Conor immediately understood the power of our Channels – putting users at the centre and connecting them to what matters: their money, their transactions, and their relationships with banks, brands, and businesses they support.”

Launching later in 2024, VibePay Insights gives rands and businesses the opportunity to reach new customers based on their transactional activity, using VibePay’s AI assistant to identify trends and consumer spending behaviours.

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This data can then be actioned either directly in the VibePay eco-system or export offline for use elsewhere.

For the past three years, VibePay has been expanding its network, serving consumers, sellers, financial institutions, and now brands.

Through its Channels feature, VibePay connects all the moving parts, allowing users to send and receive money in real time, message, and share media – creating a seamless environment for conversational commerce, banking, and more.

VibePay’s Channels feature offers a unique distribution model, linking brands and financial institutions to engaged users who are primed to transact.

Commenting on his decision to join VibePay, Tiernan said: “The power of open banking is putting users right at the centre and giving them control – this is exactly what VibePay does.

“I’ve chosen to join VibePay because I’m excited about what they’ve already achieved and the vision they have for the future.

“As a user of VibePay myself, I know firsthand the value of Channels, and I’m looking forward to helping onboard brands and connecting them with VibePay’s engaged community.”

 

Nick Candy takes stake in Luke Massie’s Vibe Group