Bemobi, a digital payment solutions provider, has announced two strategic acquisitions in one week, significantly expanding its fintech footprint. The company acquired Payment as a Service (PaaS) fintech Celer and finalized its purchase of a majority stake in Paytime. These moves underscore Bemobi's ambition to strengthen its Bemobi Pay platform and accelerate growth in the enterprise payments market.
A Dual Acquisition Strategy
The company confirmed the purchase of 100% of Celer, a fintech previously owned by Grupo Casas Bahia, for $1.6 million. Celer specializes in PaaS technology, including a versatile gateway and point-of-sale terminal management system. This platform allows merchants to operate dynamically with various payment acquirers, offering significant operational flexibility and efficiency.
In parallel, Bemobi finalized its acquisition of a 50.1% controlling stake in financial technology firm Paytime, a deal announced just a week prior. The transaction involved an initial payment of $5 million, with a potential earn-out of up to $4.8 million. This performance-based structure highlights the confidence in Paytime's future contributions to Bemobi's growth.
Launching the Bemobi PaaS Unit
These acquisitions are pivotal for launching Bemobi's new business unit, Bemobi PaaS, which will be dedicated to the enterprise market. The new division is formed by integrating advanced solutions from Paytime with the existing Bemobi Pay platform. This strategic consolidation creates a powerful, unified offering designed to meet the complex needs of large-scale partners.
The Bemobi PaaS unit will empower partners across various industries, including software firms and digital banks, to integrate payment services seamlessly. By offering its technology as a service, Bemobi provides a scalable financial infrastructure that can be embedded directly into its partners' solutions. This model is designed to foster innovation and expand market reach for its clients.
Market Impact and Strategic Context
These moves build upon Bemobi's dominant position in payment solutions for essential recurring services like telecommunications and utilities. The company already serves 15 of the 20 largest essential service providers in Brazil. The new PaaS capabilities will allow Bemobi to diversify its offerings and penetrate new, high-growth enterprise segments.
Celer brings valuable assets and market experience, having been acquired in 2021 by retail giant Via, now Grupo Casas Bahia. At that time, Celer supported a large network of integrated fintechs and commercial establishments. This history underscores the platform's proven capabilities and established presence within the Brazilian payments ecosystem.
Paytime also adds significant value with its focus on embedded payments and a client base of over 700 businesses. The company demonstrated robust financial health, reporting a net revenue of $10.5 million in the first nine months of the year. This strong performance adds a substantial and immediate revenue stream to Bemobi's consolidated operations.
Bemobi's swift acquisitions of Celer and Paytime mark a significant acceleration of its competitive strategy in the fintech landscape. The creation of a dedicated PaaS unit and the integration of sophisticated new technologies position the company for substantial growth. This decisive expansion strengthens its enterprise offerings and solidifies its role as a key innovator in Brazil's digital payments industry.