Velocity, the London‑based fintech that provides a modern payments infrastructure for businesses, announced today that it has successfully extended its Series A financing round, raising an additional $48 million. The fresh capital brings the total amount raised in the Series A to $48 million and pushes the company’s post‑money valuation to $200 million.
The round was led by a consortium of high‑profile investors that includes Visa, Circle and Ripple, each of which brings not only capital but also strategic expertise in digital payments, blockchain technology and global financial networks. The infusion of funds is set to accelerate Velocity’s roadmap in several key areas. Chief Executive Officer Eric Queathem explained that the company will use the capital to broaden its product suite, deepen its engineering talent pool, and expand its presence across Europe, North America and the Asia‑Pacific region.
"Our mission is to simplify the way businesses move money, whether it’s through traditional card networks, real‑time bank transfers or emerging crypto‑based settlements," Queathem said. "With the support of partners like Visa, Circle and Ripple, we can deliver a truly interoperable payments platform that meets the needs of today’s digital economy." Velocity’s platform currently enables merchants, SaaS providers, and other enterprises to accept and disburse payments in multiple currencies, support instant settlement, and integrate compliance tools such as KYC and AML checks.
By leveraging APIs that abstract away the complexity of dealing with dozens of banks and payment rails, the company claims to reduce integration time from weeks to days, and cut transaction costs by up to 30 percent compared with legacy solutions. The involvement of Visa, a global leader in card payments, signals a growing convergence between traditional card networks and newer, programmable payment infrastructures.
Visa’s participation is expected to open doors for Velocity to tap into Visa’s extensive network of issuers and acquirers, thereby expanding the reach of its services to millions of merchants worldwide. In a joint statement, a Visa spokesperson highlighted the importance of “building open, flexible systems that empower businesses to innovate faster and offer consumers more choice at checkout.” Circle, the leading fintech that offers stablecoin and crypto‑related services, brings a deep understanding of digital asset settlement and regulatory compliance.
Circle’s investment underscores the increasing acceptance of stablecoins as a bridge between fiat and crypto ecosystems. Velocity plans to integrate Circle’s USDC stablecoin into its platform, allowing merchants to receive payouts in a digital currency that is fully backed by the U.S. dollar, thereby reducing currency conversion friction and providing a fast, low‑cost settlement option for cross‑border transactions. Ripple, known for its XRP ledger and enterprise‑grade solutions for cross‑border payments, adds another layer of expertise in decentralized finance.
Ripple’s involvement is expected to facilitate Velocity’s ability to offer real‑time, low‑cost international transfers, particularly in regions where traditional correspondent banking is slow and expensive. By leveraging Ripple’s Interledger protocol, Velocity can route payments across multiple networks, ensuring optimal speed and cost efficiency for each transaction. Industry analysts view the round as a strong vote of confidence in Velocity’s vision of a unified payments layer that blends the reliability of legacy systems with the agility of blockchain‑based solutions.
“The convergence of card, bank and crypto payments is the next frontier for fintech,” said Maya Patel, a senior analyst at FinTech Insights. “Velocity’s ability to bring together these disparate ecosystems under a single API is a compelling proposition, and the backing from Visa, Circle and Ripple validates the strategic importance of this approach.” Beyond product development, the new capital will also fund Velocity’s compliance and risk‑management capabilities. In the increasingly regulated landscape of payments, the company aims to embed advanced fraud detection, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting tools directly into its platform.
This will help merchants stay compliant with global standards such as PSD2 in Europe, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) guidelines in the United States, and emerging crypto‑specific regulations. Velocity’s roadmap includes the launch of a suite of value‑added services slated for 2025. These services will encompass dynamic currency conversion, subscription billing automation, and a marketplace for third‑party fintech developers to build plug‑ins that extend the core platform’s functionality.
By fostering an ecosystem of developers, Velocity hopes to become the “App Store” of payments, where businesses can pick and choose the exact features they need without building them from scratch. The company also plans to roll out a robust developer portal, complete with sandbox environments, comprehensive documentation, and dedicated support teams. This initiative is designed to lower the barrier to entry for startups and established enterprises alike, encouraging rapid experimentation and innovation on top of Velocity’s infrastructure.
From a market perspective, the $200 million valuation places Velocity among the leading mid‑stage fintechs focused on payments infrastructure. Competitors such as Stripe, Adyen and Checkout.com have pursued similar strategies, but Velocity differentiates itself by its explicit focus on integrating crypto‑native assets alongside traditional fiat channels. This hybrid approach positions the firm to capture a growing segment of merchants who wish to accept both conventional and digital currencies without managing multiple providers.
In summary, Velocity’s extended Series A round, anchored by Visa, Circle and Ripple, provides the financial muscle and strategic partnerships needed to accelerate its mission of creating a seamless, interoperable payments network. With the new funding, the company is poised to enhance its technology stack, expand globally, and deliver a richer set of services that empower businesses to move money faster, cheaper, and more securely than ever before.