UK-based fintech startup Ryft has secured £5.7 million in Series A funding to overhaul how digital platforms and marketplaces manage complex payments. With its latest raise, the company’s total funding now stands at £7.4 million, positioning it as a lean yet formidable alternative to legacy players like Stripe Connect and Adyen.
Ryft simplifies what has long been a cumbersome process for marketplaces dealing with multiple vendors. Traditionally, such platforms juggle various tools for merchant onboarding, payment splitting, and compliance—often facing delays and high fees. Ryft aims to fix all of that with a single, streamlined system that ensures next-day payouts, automated workflows, and full compliance with PSD2 and FCA regulations.
A Scalable Fintech Solution Backed by Big-Name Investors
The round was led by EdenBase, joined by GPOS Investments, British Business Bank, Pembroke VCT, SidebySide, and Ingenii VC. Strategic angels, including executives from PayPal, also participated. Notably, early investor SFC Capital realized a 6.2x return, underscoring the startup’s impressive early performance.
The funds will fuel Ryft’s international growth, product expansion, and deeper integration with acquiring banks. The goal? To empower banks and platforms to handle real-time payment splits, conditional payouts, and multi-party revenue sharing—all critical features for marketplaces.
Solving the Marketplace Payments Puzzle
Founded in 2019 by Sadra Hosseini and Alex Mackenzie, Ryft was inspired by the co-founders’ own frustration with existing payment tools while scaling their former business, Butlr (later acquired by OrderPay). They encountered huge barriers trying to build flexible, compliant payment flows for multi-vendor platforms.
Seeing a massive gap in the market, the duo launched Ryft—a decentralized payment infrastructure built specifically for platforms. Since then, the startup has secured regulatory approvals and integrations with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, all while maintaining 99.9% uptime.
Driving Efficiency and Compliance for Marketplaces
At its core, Ryft offers a robust solution that handles everything from merchant onboarding and KYC checks to payment processing and fee splitting—all via developer-friendly APIs. This removes the need for complex in-house builds or third-party integrations, helping platforms go live faster and cut operational costs.
More than 1,500 businesses are already using Ryft’s solution, with many reporting up to 62% in savings on payment processing fees compared to traditional providers. The company is already profitable and has managed to triple its GMV annually. It now plans to repeat that trajectory over the next 18 months while expanding globally.
Competing Directly with Stripe Connect and Adyen
Unlike Stripe and Adyen, which bundle services at premium pricing and lock users into rigid ecosystems, Ryft offers greater flexibility and more control to acquiring banks and platforms. The platform supports custom payment flows, merchant ownership, and licensed escrow features for delayed payouts—all while cutting infrastructure costs.
This tailored approach empowers acquiring banks to compete head-on with major players rather than simply integrate with them. As commerce evolves, Ryft believes that compliance, adaptability, and cost-efficiency will set the new standard for marketplace payments.
Founder and Investor Confidence in Ryft’s Vision
Ryft CEO Sadra Hosseini explains:
“Most acquiring banks were built for simple, one-to-one transactions. But in the age of Commerce 2.0, transactions are multi-layered and far more complex. Our platform allows these institutions to modernize without the high costs, poor support, and long wait times that come with today’s market leaders.”
The company is already forging strategic partnerships with acquiring banks to roll out more flexible solutions across markets.
Clearhaus, a major acquiring partner, praised Ryft’s commitment to compliance and technical support, saying the partnership laid a strong foundation for long-term growth.
Why Investors Are Betting Big on Ryft
Eric Van der Kleij of EdenBase noted:
“Sadra and Alex have built a solution grounded in their real-world experience. Their platform doesn’t just solve a technical problem—it unlocks growth for marketplace businesses.”
Fred Ursell of Pembroke VCT added that Ryft’s combination of capital efficiency, rapid adoption, and regulatory readiness gave it a clear edge in a high-growth sector.
SFC Capital’s Jason Druker echoed those sentiments, highlighting the company’s scalability and the team’s strong execution.
With growing demand for modular, compliant, and cost-efficient payment systems, Ryft is well-positioned to shape the future of marketplace payments—not as a side player, but as a true challenger to Stripe and Adyen.
