Fintech PR
Checkout.com Triples Valuation to $5.5bn in Series B Fundraise
Leading global payment solution provider Checkout.com becomes one of the most valuable fintechs globally. Today the company announces a $150m Series B funding round, tripling the value of the online international payments business. The $5.5bn valuation reflects a growing business demand for transformative online payment solutions that perform across all geographies and channels. Checkout.com’s online transaction numbers had already increased by 250% comparing May ’19 and May ’20. With an exclusive focus on online payments, global lockdowns have further accelerated Checkout.com’s growth as businesses have rapidly pivoted online.
The Series B funding was led by Coatue, along with participation from existing investors, including Insight Partners, DST Global, Blossom Capital, and Singapore’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, GIC. Unlike many other rapidly growing businesses, Checkout.com has been profitable since 2012. It will use these funds to further strengthen its balance sheet, bringing available cash to over $300m. Checkout.com will also invest in the development of new innovative products, including its upcoming advanced Payouts solution and the capability to accelerate settlement times. The Series B fundraise follows a record-breaking $230m Series A in May 2019, which was Europe’s largest fintech Series A round of funding ever.
The eight-year-old London-headquartered company already powers many of the world’s leading enterprises, adding 500+ merchants to its books in the last twelve months including Grab, Revolut, Careem, Glovo, Robinhood, Farfetch, Klarna and Remitly. Checkout.com’s proprietary technology offers enterprise businesses seamless and reliable global payment processing. The business offers direct access to domestic acquiring across payment methods and geographies. This is achieved through a single, unified integrated platform that gives enterprise businesses better performance and more control through advanced data features, fraud management tools, and comprehensive reporting.
CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Coatue to our cap table. As meaningful investors in late-stage tech companies such as Instacart, DoorDash, Bytedance and Chime they bring a wealth of experience in building world-class businesses driven by operational excellence. They share our vision for a future of connected payments which made them an obvious choice as partners for us.
“The way money moves into and out of businesses is changing rapidly. I believe that by solving financial complexity, you can radically unlock innovation — starting with digital payments. At Checkout.com, we’ve built a technical architecture that enables pioneers to reinvent industries and redefine their relationship with consumers. Now more than ever, we are confident of our mission to build the connected payments that businesses deserve.”
Kris Fredrickson, Managing Partner at Coatue, said: “We have followed the business’ explosive growth and are inspired by Guillaume’s vision for the future of payments. We’re incredibly excited to partner for the next phase of the Checkout.com journey.”
Checkout.com processes over 150 currencies and offers access to all international cards and popular local payment methods to merchants through its proprietary integrated platform. Checkout.com employs over 750 staff across 13 offices globally.
Checkout.com has been advised in this transaction by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Checkout.com has acquired two businesses this year, ProcessOut in February and Australian start-up, Pin Payments, in May. The business also announces two people moves – Olivia Broderick joined as General Counsel and Mike Benchimol becomes COO.
WEST ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Great Bay Insurance Group (the “Group”), a leading provider of coastal homeowners’ insurance in New Jersey, today announced the following leadership changes. Timothy J. Byrne, Jr., has been named as President of the Group and Ronald R. Lovatt has been named President of Great Bay Insurance Company, a wholly owned affiliate of the Group.
Mr. Byrne Jr. has nearly 15 years of industry experience and previously served as the Group’s Chief Operating Officer overseeing the Groups operations and underwriting strategies.
Mr. Timothy J. Byrne, Sr., Chief Executive Officer of the Group, added, “I’m excited to announce the promotion of Tim Jr. to the role of President of The Great Bay Insurance Group and Ron to the role of President of Great Bay Insurance Company. Tim Jr. and Ron have been an integral part of the Group since its founding in 2019.”
As President, Tim Jr. will provide oversight for all corporate support functions and will continue to report to Tim Sr.
Mr. Byrne Jr. holds a BS in Economic and Mathematics from the University of Vermont, an MBA in Risk Management and Insurance from St. John’s University and holds a CPCU designation.
Mr. Lovatt has 40 years of broad insurance industry experience in leadership capacities with international, national, regional and start-up insurance companies. Ron is a founding member of The Great Bay Insurance Group, working with Tim Sr. & Tim Jr. to launch Great Bay in late 2019. Ron currently serves as Chief Underwriting Officer & Chief Claims Officer for The Great Bay Insurance Group, has an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, Finance, Accounting & Marketing from Miami University.
Contact:
Investor Relations
Brian Schleider, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
609-434-2000, x102
brian.schleider@greatbayinsure.com
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/great-bay-insurance-group-announces-executive-changes-302401923.html
Fintech PR
Forward Global responds to surge in UK shareholder activism with launch of UK Corporate Contests Practice
LONDON, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — International risk management firm Forward Global launched its UK Corporate Contests Practice on Tuesday in response to what is described as “all-time high of shareholder activism” in London and Paris.
Speaking ahead of the launch on Tuesday night, Brendan Foo, Partner and Global Head of Corporate Contests at Forward Global, said “As activism gains currency as an asset class, savvy investors are looking toward the UK and Europe to generate alpha. Indeed, in 2025 alone, we have seen an unprecedented demand for our services not just in our traditional strongholds of the US and Canada, but also in the UK and Europe. This reflects the surge in activist (and active) engagements, with which our team is uniquely well-placed to assist.”
Forward Global’s Corporate Contests Practice was established to meet demand from law firms, investors, and advisers to provide a comprehensive suite of services to support companies in high-stakes shareholder engagements. In keeping with the firm’s established activism practice in the US, the new London offering will deliver investigative and intelligence work such as vetting board nominees, relationship mapping, scrutinizing the track records of both incumbents and challengers, and conducting deep-dive reputation analyses. In Europe, Forward Global’s Patrice Lambert-de Diesbach offers clients battle-tested expertise in investor relations and financial communications.
Shareholder activism in the UK has expanded significantly, with campaigns becoming more frequent and sophisticated. In 2023, the number of new public activist campaigns in Europe surged by 68%, with the UK remaining a primary target. US-based activist investors have also increased their focus on UK firms, launching 40% of all UK activist campaigns in 2024. With contested boardroom battles and regulatory shifts on the rise, the expansion of Forward Global’s Corporate Contests practice into the UK is well-timed, equipping issuers with the intelligence and strategies needed to navigate this evolving landscape.
The firm launched the new practice at an exclusive gathering at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, bringing together leading voices from the shareholder activism space to discuss the evolving landscape of transatlantic shareholder activism.
The panel discussion, featuring Brendan Foo, Patrick J. McHugh of Okapi Partners, and Sebastian Fain of Freshfields, explored critical considerations for US investors entering the UK market and vice versa, differences in engagement styles across jurisdictions, and strategies for issuers to proactively engage with both activist and active investors. Panelists also examined the impact of anti-DEI and ESG sentiment on investor relations in the UK, as well as how issuers can adapt to evolving regulatory and institutional expectations.
John Watts, Managing Partner of Forward Global UK, added, “Forward Global’s new UK Corporate Contests Practice is designed to provide companies with the strategic intelligence and investigative depth needed to navigate an increasingly complex activist landscape. Our team is committed to equipping clients with the tools to engage proactively with investors, safeguard their strategic interests, and strengthen shareholder relations across Europe.”
Notes for Editors
Forward Global is an international group, with its historic headquarters in France, boasting five main offices in Paris, Brussels, London, Miami, and Washington. As a leading player in risk management with over 450 employees and 30 partners, Forward Global offers an integrated approach across the three major risks: digital, economic, and informational.
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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/forward-global-responds-to-surge-in-uk-shareholder-activism-with-launch-of-uk-corporate-contests-practice-302402058.html
NEW YORK, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) provides a daily pre-market update directly from the NYSE Trading Floor. Access today’s NYSE Pre-market update for market insights before trading begins.
Alison Kosik delivers the pre-market update on March 14th
- Investors welcomed a cooler-than-expected Producer Price Index reading for the month of February as tariff talk continues out of Washington D.C.
- Attention shifts to the Federal Reserve decisions coming next week as inflation data suggests the rate of inflation growth could be slowing.
- S&P 500 looks to rebound after ending yesterday in correction territory, which is a decline of at least 10% from a recent high.
Watch NYSE TV Live every weekday 9:00-10:00am ET
Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2641945/NYSE_March_14_2025_Market_Update.mp4
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nyse-content-advisory-pre-market-update-for-march-14-2025-302401916.html
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