In November 2025, Denmark-based fintech start-up Flatpay, which facilitates card payments for SMBs (small and medium businesses), joined the ranks of European fintech unicorns (start-ups valued at over USD 1 billion). Flatpay wants to challenge larger players in the fintech sector by charging small merchants a flat transaction rate to use its card terminals and point-of-sale systems.
As per the European Commission’s 2023 data, 99% of European businesses are small and medium-sized ones. Apart from providing jobs to more than 85 million citizens in the continent, SMEs are also driving innovation and entrepreneurship in the region, while promoting a sustainable and digital economy. The start-up wants to revolutionise the sector further by redefining the payment experience for merchants, eliminating things like hidden fees, outdated hardware, and poor customer service.
Hand-holding European SMEs To Growth Highway
Flatpay’s operational value is simple: European merchants deserve a payment solution that is easy to understand, affordable, and free from hidden fees. To execute this, the start-up is offering a straightforward pricing model with no setup fees for terminals, no subscription fees, and a flat rate for all card types.
Flatpay’s journey began in 2022 when three digital entrepreneurship and payment solution experts came together in Copenhagen to disrupt the market with a simple, transparent, and affordable payment solution for small and medium-sized merchants. Since then, it has expanded its presence to Finland, Germany, Italy, and France, while continuing to grow rapidly.
Apart from witnessing a quick growth on the customer front, Flatpay’s own valuation has grown at a similarly fast pace as well. Now valued at 1.5 billion euro (USD 1.75 billion), the Danish start-up reached unicorn status in only three years. CEO and co-founder Sander Janca-Jensen, while interacting with TechCrunch, said that his company recently crossed the 100-million-euro mark, when it comes to annual recurring revenue (ARR).
He added that the amount (approximately USD 116 million) is increasing by nearly 1 million euro a day (USD 1.16 million) currently. The plan for 2026, as per Jensen, is to grow another 300% and close the year with between 400-500 million euro of ARR.
The Products
Flatpay’s payment options help SMEs thrive by streamlining their order and payment processes, giving the business owners more time and freedom to focus on operational growth. Apart from keeping the customer support active on a 24/7 basis to keep the payments running smoothly, day and night. Businesses, in return, only need to pay Flatpay at simple rates, with no hidden fees.
Take the payment terminal, for example, that automates the task of creating annual payment reports by uploading transactions and Z-reports directly to the businesses’ bookkeeping systems, saving time and reducing human errors. The payment terminal provides everything an entrepreneur needs to accept major cards like Visa and Mastercard, including contactless options, in one device.
Also, the device’s intuitive interface ensures less waiting time for customers, due to lightning-fast payments. All the business owners need to do is choose the payment terminal they need for their ventures, following which Flatpay takes over, in terms of completing full on-site installation of hardware, software, and setup.
Next is Flatpay’s POS (Point of Sale) solution, which streamlines payments, product management, and sales analytics for all businesses. Designed to make accepting payments faster, easier, and stress-free, the solution tracks sales, manages inventory, and generates reports directly from the client’s business’ POS, thereby donning the role of an “all-in-one business hub.” And it also integrates seamlessly with a wide range of accounting tools.
The POS has been customised for businesses of all sizes. For small ones seeking simple payment and management tools, the solution comes with a simple, clean setup with a tablet and portable terminal. For businesses that are ready to shell out more, the premium all-in-one POS comes equipped with a 15.6″ touch screen, built-in printer, and customer-facing display.
On the online payment front, Flatpay is enabling SMEs to receive online payments quickly and securely, at a competitive price. Not only do the start-up’s technologies and encryption methods ensure protection of payments and personal information of the business owners and customers, but it is also compatible with popular payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Expanding At A Steady Pace
As Flatpay entered the league of European fintech unicorns, the start-up will use the newly raised capital to support its continued growth in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, as well as eyeing further expansion into one or two new markets in 2026.
Flatpay currently has 1,500 staffers, or “flatpayers,” and plans to double that by the end of 2026. Increasing headcount is another crucial goal the company has locked in on the same level as revenue, as the start-up aims to grow both by 10x by 2029.
Flatpay believes that SMB owners actively look for new solutions, even if their current systems are overpriced or insufficient. As per Janca-Jensen, “That’s where we come in the door.” The start-up’s staffers show up with pen and paper to explain its pricing, and with card terminals for instant demos.
Flatpay is betting big on this particular hands-on approach to increase its market share against legacy providers like PayPal, Stripe, and SumUp, as well as new entrants focusing on specific sectors, such as hospitality. As SMBs want operational simplicity, Flatpay is ready to provide that.
The start-up is not completely averse to AI, as it uses the technology for real-time features and is currently experimenting with voice AI agents. The venture is also planning to expand further into fintech with a banking suite that would include cards and accounts.