News

equipifi, a Scottsdale-based fintech that embeds buy now, pay later (BNPL) and flexible payment options into bank and credit union apps, has raised $34 million in a Series B round led by growth investor Left Lane Capital. The financing brings equipifi’s total funding to $49 million and will support product expansion and deeper partnerships with U.S. financial institutions.

Funding Round Details

The $34 million Series B was led by New York- and London-based venture and growth equity firm Left Lane Capital, with all existing investors participating, including Curql and PHX Ventures. According to the company, the latest round increases equipifi’s cumulative funding to 49 million dollars since launch.

Left Lane Capital focuses on high-growth internet and consumer technology businesses globally and was founded in 2019. Its portfolio includes companies such as Bilt Rewards, M1 Finance, LemFi, Ownwell, WeTravel, Moove, Wayflyer, Talkiatry and Blank Street.

Addressing a Gap in BNPL for Banks

equipifi’s platform allows banks and credit unions to offer installment and flexible payment plans directly inside their existing digital banking experience, rather than through standalone fintech apps. The company positions this as closing a gap in the market, where most BNPL products are still offered by third-party providers that sit outside the primary banking relationship.

The firm cites research indicating that flexible payments are now a preferred option for more than 82 million U.S. consumers, yet most of these solutions do not originate from their main financial institution. equipifi reports that consumer adoption of bank-embedded flexible payments has more than tripled over the past year, and that surveys show consumers are more satisfied when they can access such options from their primary bank or credit union.

Strategic Focus And Use of Proceeds

Proceeds from the Series B will be directed toward two main priorities: expanding equipifi’s reach to a broader set of financial institution partners and deepening the product’s capabilities. The company plans to invest in further integration, reliability and user experience features so that its flexible payment tools feel native within existing banking channels.

equipifi also expects to roughly double its headcount over the next year, with hiring concentrated in product and engineering roles to support its roadmap and partner demands.

Market positioning and leadership perspective

The company describes BNPL as having become a “third pillar” of consumer payments, alongside debit and credit, and views that shift as durable. Based on this thesis, equipifi argues that regulated financial institutions are best placed to deliver installment lending and flexible payments at scale, and that its platform is designed as the network layer to support them.

Left Lane Capital’s leadership has highlighted equipifi’s combination of domain expertise and a clear view of where installment lending is heading, framing the company as building a defining network for flexible consumer payments within the banking sector.

Built by and for financial institutions

equipifi’s founding team previously worked inside banks and credit unions, where they observed a widening gap between customer expectations and what traditional institutions could offer in terms of modern payment options. That background informs the company’s focus on deep integration with core and digital banking systems, institutional-grade reliability, and experiences that look and feel like a natural extension of a customer’s existing account relationship.

Through its platform, banks and credit unions can embed BNPL and other flexible payment features directly into their digital banking apps and channels. The company positions this as a way for institutions to deepen relationships, grow their lending portfolios and remain competitive as consumer expectations around payments evolve.

Company and investor profiles

equipifi is a fintech company that enables banks and credit unions to offer flexible payment options and BNPL as native features within their digital banking environments. By embedding installment lending into institutions that already hold customers’ deposits and have established trust, equipifi aims to help financial institutions respond to changing payment preferences while keeping activity inside the bank relationship.

Left Lane Capital, the lead investor in this round, is a venture capital and growth equity firm headquartered in New York and London that backs category-defining technology companies across consumer and internet sectors. The firm’s mission is to partner with entrepreneurs building high-growth businesses in structurally expanding markets.