Klearly secures €12 million Series A to expand in-person payments
Klearly, an Amsterdam-based FinTech startup focused on in-person payment solutions, announced today that it has raised €12 million in Series A funding. The company said the new capital will be used to fuel growth as it scales its technology and expands market reach for merchants seeking modern, streamlined ways to accept payments in physical locations.
While the company did not disclose the names of participating investors, valuation, or detailed terms in the initial announcement, the round size signals continued appetite among backers for payment infrastructure that bridges the gap between online-first commerce tools and the realities of brick-and-mortar transactions.
Why in-person payments remain a key battleground
Despite the rapid digitization of commerce, in-person payments remain central to retail, hospitality, services, and events. Merchants increasingly expect point-of-sale and payment systems to offer the same speed, analytics, and integration capabilities that e-commerce platforms provide—without adding operational complexity.
In-person payment solutions have also become more competitive as consumer expectations shift toward faster checkout experiences, contactless options, and unified receipts and loyalty programs. For startups like Klearly, the opportunity lies in simplifying these workflows and providing tools that can be deployed quickly across different physical environments.
How Klearly plans to use the funding
According to the company’s statement, the €12 million raise will support initiatives aimed at scaling the business. Although specific allocations were not detailed, Series A rounds in the payments sector typically go toward three major areas:
- Product development: building new features, improving reliability, and strengthening integrations with merchant software such as accounting, inventory, and CRM systems.
- Go-to-market expansion: hiring sales and customer success teams, developing channel partnerships, and entering new geographies.
- Compliance and risk operations: strengthening controls around fraud prevention, chargebacks, and regulatory requirements that apply to payment service providers.
For an Amsterdam-based FinTech, the European market offers both scale and complexity. Payment providers operating across borders must navigate differing consumer preferences, local banking rails, and regulatory frameworks—factors that can increase implementation costs but also create barriers to entry for less-prepared competitors.
Investor interest reflects continued momentum in payments
Payments remains one of the most active segments of the broader FinTech landscape, even as funding markets have fluctuated over the last several years. Investors often view payment infrastructure as attractive because it can produce recurring revenue through transaction fees and value-added services, especially when paired with software tools that deepen merchant relationships.
At the same time, the competitive field is crowded, with established players and newer entrants offering overlapping capabilities. Differentiation increasingly depends on reliability, pricing transparency, ease of onboarding, and the ability to support more complex merchant needs—such as multi-location operations, omnichannel reporting, and embedded financing options.
Next questions: roadmap, markets, and partnerships
The announcement leaves several questions that will likely shape how the market evaluates Klearly in the coming months. Key details that merchants and investors typically watch include:
- Target customer profile: whether the company is focusing on small and medium-sized businesses, enterprise retailers, or specific verticals like hospitality and events.
- Geographic expansion plans: which European markets will be prioritized and whether the company intends to move beyond Europe.
- Partnership strategy: potential alliances with banks, payment networks, point-of-sale providers, or software platforms that can accelerate distribution.
- Product scope: whether the offering remains centered on checkout and acceptance or expands into adjacent services such as analytics, loyalty, invoicing, or working capital.
In-person payments can be particularly partnership-driven, with hardware, software, and financial rails often provided by different vendors. Startups that can package these elements into a cohesive merchant experience—without sacrificing flexibility—tend to gain traction faster.
What the raise signals for Klearly
A €12 million Series A round suggests the company is moving beyond early product validation and into a phase where scaling distribution and operational capacity becomes critical. For Klearly, success will likely depend on how quickly it can convert funding into measurable adoption, strong retention, and predictable unit economics—especially in a sector where margins can be pressured by competition.
With merchants continuing to modernize their in-store experiences, Klearly is positioning itself to capture demand for tools that make accepting payments simpler and more integrated with day-to-day operations. More details on investors, product roadmap, and expansion targets are expected to clarify how the company plans to compete in Europe’s evolving payments landscape.
Related
