Paymill, the Rocket Internet-backed, Strip-like Web payment enabler,raised $13 million last month, but it isn’t quite finished there and the startup has revealed it has taken an additional €4 million ($5 million) from US-based investor Blumberg Capital.
Paymill, which operates in 32 European markets, says that the new funds will be invested in helping increase its hiring and local operations across Europe, while the deal is also a strategic one. January’s investment came via European backers Holtzbrinck Ventures and Sunstone Capital, and Paymill co-founder and CEO Mark Henkel tells TNW that the decision to bring on a new investor from the US brings it a presence in North America, but Europe remains its sole focus with no immediate plans to expand.
“We’re not planning an expansion into the US this year or next year, but we want someone with an ear in that market. An investor with experience helps us keep up with developments in Silicon Valley,” he says. “When they first enquired we told them that the round had closed but they put an offer on the table that helps us invest further into people and local expansion and it’s a good fit for us.”
Today has certainly been a day for development since Stripe — the $500 million rated US company that is leading the space — may have opened a limited beta service in the UK today; invitations were sent out but there’s a degree of uncertainty after its founders backtracked, telling TNW they were distributed by mistake.
