Denmark primarily based Ageras Group introduced that it has acquired Kontist, a Berlin-based neo-bank targeted on the advanced accounting and banking wants of Germany’s rising populations of microbusinesses and self-employed employees.
Rico Andersen
“This acquisition is a essential step in Ageras’ development,”
stated Ageras Co-founder and CEO Rico Andersen.
“Kontist has created the very best product in Europe’s largest market. It’s a one-stop monetary store for roughly 50,000 German small enterprise homeowners at this time, and it’s completely positioned to change into the go-to monetary platform for future generations of small enterprise homeowners in want of recent banking and accounting instruments.”
Based in 2016 by fintech veteran Christopher Plantener as Germany’s first neo-bank targeted on freelancers and the self-employed, 150-person Kontist has developed a popularity for its trendy enterprise banking and its extremely refined digital tax and accounting software program.
Kontist gives self-employed and microbusiness homeowners financial institution accounts, cost playing cards and accounting options, in addition to tax returns calculation and submitting, all through its app. Additionally, Kontist’s financial institution accounts robotically calculate related gross sales and earnings taxes and put aside estimated taxes due, amongst different providers designed to guard enterprise homeowners amid Germany’s uniquely advanced tax legal guidelines.
Benjamin Esser
“Beneath Ageras, we will profit from a world accounting & monetary ecosystem and proceed to foster our place because the primary monetary providers and tax participant for the self-employed,”
stated Kontist Co-CEO Benjamin Esser.
“With annual development charges of almost 100% over the previous few years, we’ve solely scratched the floor of what’s an incredible alternative.”
Submit-acquisition, Ageras’ run-rate income will rise approx. 40% and climb nearer to the corporate’s milestone of €30 million yearly. Kontist’s staff will be part of Ageras’ 200, bringing its whole headcount to 350 staff primarily based in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, the US, Finland and Poland. Kontist Founder and Co-CEO Christopher Plantener will proceed working for Kontist below Ageras.
Kontist is the third acquisition made by Ageras within the final 12 months. A part of Ageras’ aggressive growth technique, the fintech startup with roots in Copenhagen has raised greater than $100 million in a collection of funding rounds since early 2021. After first launching as a market for small enterprise homeowners to search out accountants in Denmark in 2012, Ageras has expanded far past into a set of fintech instruments for freelancers and microbusiness homeowners. One thing like a monetary “cockpit” for small companies, Ageras’ merchandise—Wage, Zervant, Billy—provide payroll, bill and accounting software program providers in Europe and North America.
“Our acquisition is an funding in the way forward for work,”
stated Ageras Group Co-founder and CEO Rico Andersen.
“Kontist’s founders understood once they created the corporate that outdated banks and accounting software program now not work in a Germany the place there are hundreds of thousands of microbusinesses. And as extra Germans select to change into self employed, no firm is best positioned to change into their financial institution of alternative than Kontist. And we see main future development alternatives and quick advantages for Ageras’ present prospects who will get expanded entry to Kontist’s refined German tax software program.”
Andersen added:
“Shopping for Kontist not solely provides us the strongest product in Germany but additionally suits into our long-term plan. Our strategic focus stays combining accounting and admin with monetary providers–which is what Kontist has perfected. We are going to leverage Kontist’s expertise to assist us speed up our providers to self-employed and microbusiness homeowners throughout a dozen different markets in Europe and North America.”
This text first appeared on Fintechnordics.com
Featured picture credit score: Edited from Unsplash
