Your Weekly Fintech Sales Intelligence Newsletter | Volume 20

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TODAY’S PICK 🎯

The Shift in Power: How Sales Teams Can Thrive in a Buyer-Driven Market

For years, sales teams held the reins of the buying process, guiding the conversation, controlling the information, and driving the pace.

But today, buyers are in the driver’s seat. Armed with research, peer reviews, and AI-powered insights, 75% of them are making decisions before the first conversation even happens.

In collaboration with Hive Perform, the Sales Intelligence team has talked to hundreds of sales leaders, gaining deep insights into how this shift is reshaping the sales landscape. Now, more than ever, sales teams need to adjust and respond to this empowered buyer.

But how do you succeed in a market where the buyer sets the agenda?

In this piece, we uncover key strategies to help sales teams stay ahead.

From using real-time insights to building a buyer-first experience, learn how you can meet today’s buyer where they are and close deals faster.

EDITOR’S INSIGHT 💭

🔍 Navigating Tariffs: A Fintech Sales Survival Guide

Rising U.S. tariffs have shaken global markets—disrupting supply chains, triggering volatility, and sparking fears of a slowdown. But for fintech leaders, this is a moment to adapt, not retreat.

💡 Fintech = Built for Agility

Fintech thrives on innovation. In this shifting landscape, agility is your biggest asset. With smart use of data and market intelligence, you can turn policy chaos into competitive advantage.

📈 What You Should Be Doing:

• Track trends in real time. Stay sharp on trade policy changes and economic signals.

• Empower your sales teams. Train them to pivot fast and engage with shifting customer needs.

• Use AI to drive decisions. Advanced analytics can uncover emerging risks—and opportunities.

• Diversify markets. Don’t let your pipeline rely on one region or sector.

• Have a voice. Get involved in fintech advocacy to shape smarter policy.

Tariff turbulence isn’t going away. But fintech firms that stay alert, flexible, and focused will find new paths to revenue—even when the winds shift.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 🌐

Affirm Faces Turbulent Week as Tariff News and IPO Delays Hit

Affirm's shares faced a near 30% plummet, marking its second-worst week as President Trump's tariffs spurred concerns over rising consumer costs, directly affecting consumer-spending-dependent, buy now, pay later providers like Affirm and Klarna. Amidst this economic volatility, Klarna deferred its long-anticipated IPO, placing a spotlight on the fragility of such services during economic downturns. The tariff-induced uncertainty in the financial markets has resulted in the Nasdaq experiencing a steep drop, reminiscent of the 2020 pandemic's early days.

This turbulence raises questions about the BNPL sector's resilience, emphasizing how vulnerable these firms are to economic shifts. With Affirm's significant transaction volume linked to sectors like fashion and travel, which retract rapidly during consumer spending pullbacks, exposure to tariff-induced cyclical risks becomes evident. Despite market challenges, Affirm underscores its value proposition, offering flexible payment solutions without hidden costs—a compelling draw for consumers across fluctuating market conditions.

Klarna's IPO Could Transform The Future Of The Payments Market

Klarna's potential IPO signals a pivotal shift in the payments landscape. Despite putting the IPO on hold due to global market upheaval from US tariffs, the Stockholm-based firm aims to list on the NYSE, potentially redefining the scope and dynamics of the global payments environment, especially within the buy-now-pay-later sector. Klarna’s financial performance underscores its position, with revenues rising to 2.81 billion in 2024, marking a 24% increase from earlier years. However, its fluctuating valuation, peaking at 46 billion and later declining to 6.7 billion, exemplifies the market's volatility and risk aversion during these times.

Reflecting on previous fintech endeavors, like Ibotta’s successful IPO in 2024, there remains a cautious optimism, suggesting Klarna's venture might catalyze a resurgence of high-profile fintech IPOs. The company’s readiness, mirrored in the growing trend of pairing revenue growth with strategic cost-cutting, emphasizes its strong positioning should market conditions stabilize. Klarna’s potential embarkment hints at a renewed confidence in the payments sector, albeit coupled with the market's inherent unpredictability.

Pennylane Secures €75M, Aiming to Double Valuation With CapitalG's Backing

Pennylane, a French fintech startup focused on accounting software, has recently secured a significant valuation boost to 2 billion euros, attributed to a successful 75 million euro funding round. The effort was co-led by notable venture firms including Sequoia Capital, Alphabet's CapitalG, and Meritech, alongside DST Global. Pennylane's platform is designed for small to medium-sized businesses, offering a suite of financial tools similar to QuickBooks but tailored for European needs. With plans to expand its presence in Europe, particularly targeting Germany, Pennylane aims to achieve product maturity there in two years.

Pennylane's growth strategy emphasizes technology adoption, notably integrating AI to automate bookkeeping, thus enhancing client efficiency. As e-invoicing regulations are set to standardize operations across Europe, the company sees this as a monumental opportunity to drive further digitalization within the fragmented accounting industry. The firm is on track to achieve 100 million euros in annual recurring revenue and plans a hiring spree to expand its workforce to 800 by 2025.

Bitcoin Startup Deals Surge With Crypto Price Rally and Institutional Confidence

Circle Plans NYSE IPO Amid Revenue Growth But Profit Concerns

Circle Internet Group's NYSE IPO filing underscores a notable financial trajectory amid a changing regulatory climate in the U.S. Although Circle reported a 16% rise in revenue to $1.67 billion for 2024, net income plummeted by 41.8% to $155.6 million, highlighting concerns over profitability. Circle’s revenue predominantly stems from its USDC stablecoin, with a significant market cap of $60 billion, yet distribution partnerships notably with Coinbase pose challenges to profit margins.

The evolving crypto-friendly U.S. regulatory landscape presents an optimistic future for Circle, potentially enhancing its stablecoin market presence. With the proposed IPO valuation ranging from $4 to $5 billion, Circle aims to secure its position as a pivotal player in digital finance. The company's dependency on USDC underscores its strategy to thrive in the expanding crypto economy, balancing partnerships with financial growth opportunities in a maturing regulatory framework.

eToro Prepares For Nasdaq IPO With $5 Billion Valuation Estimate

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