Pair Finance

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PAIR Finance GmbH
Private
IndustryFinancial technology
Founded2016 in Berlin, Germany
FounderStephan Stricker
Headquarters
Berlin
,
Germany
Productsreceivables management, debt collection
Number of employees
approx. 250[1] (2024)
Websitepairfinance.com

Pair Finance is a financial technology company that provides digital debt collection and receivables management services, headquartered in Berlin. The company’s approach has been described as using behavioral research and data analysis, including artificial intelligence, in its debt-collection process.[2][3] Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported that the company mainly contacts debtors through digital channels.[1]

History

Pair Finance was established in 2016 by entrepreneur Stephan Stricker.[4] Early investors include fintech incubator Finleap and Yabeo Venture.[5]

In 2017, Zalando invested in the company as part of a Series A funding round in which Pair Finance raised a total of €4.5 million.[6] In 2018, Pair Finance received a Diamond Star in the Handelsblatt Digital Banking Award.[7] In 2020 Zalando increased its investment in the company, and former Deutsche Postbank Board Member and Deutsche Bank-Manager Ralph Müller joined as investor.[4][8]

In 2022, British private equity firm Pollen Street Group acquired a majority stake (60%).[5] Stephan Stricker, Finleap, Zalando, and members of the management team remained minority shareholders.[3][9]

Pair Finance initially operated in Germany before expanding to Austria in 2021 and then to the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland in 2023.[10] Further international expansion took place in 2024 with the company entering the Spanish and Swedish markets.[11]

In 2024, Pair Finance received approval from the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) as a credit services institution.[12]

Operations

Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported that, unlike many established debt collection firms that rely on letters and telephone calls, Pair Finance contacts debtors almost exclusively through digital channels, with only occasional postal letters, and does not make telephone calls to end consumers.[1]

In an interview with Puls Biznesu, founder and CEO Stephan Stricker described artificial intelligence as a central element of the company’s operating model.[3]

As of 2024, the company employed around 250 people, including more than 80 software developers, as well as behavioral researchers and psychologists.[1] Media estimates published by Bilanz put the company’s customer base at around 600 corporate clients in 2025.[13]

As of October 2025, Pair Finance operated in eleven markets.[14]

In 2023, company researchers co-authored an article in the International Journal of Marketing Studies on cross-generational differences in attitudes toward debt.[15] Media outlets including Die Welt and Business Insider have reported on survey findings by Pair Finance about debtor behavior. [16][17][18]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Baches, Zoé (8 June 2024). "Inkasso mit Herz wie man Stammkunden wieder an Bord holen kann". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Schweizer Hochdeutsch). {{cite news}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  2. ↑ Drost, Frank Matthias (20 September 2017). "Inkassomarkt: „Hey, hast Du Deine Rechnung noch nicht bezahlt?"". Handelsblatt (in Deutsch).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Morawiecka, Agnieszka (3 June 2025). "Niemiecki PAIR Finance zmienia polski rynek windykacji". Puls Biznesu (in polski). {{cite news}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Schwär, Hannah (6 July 2020). "Fintech-Deal: Zalando investiert erneut in Inkasso-Startup Pair Finance". Business Insider (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Schlenk, Caspar Tobias (11 October 2022). "Inkasso-Startup Pair Finance wird für rund 100 Millionen Euro verkauft". FinanceFWD (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  6. ↑ Stüber, Jürgen (11 December 2017). "Zalando steigt bei Inkasso-Startup Pair Finance ein". Business Insider/Gründerszene. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  7. ↑ Schneider, Katharina (30 August 2018). "Diese 4 Fintechs haben die Jury mit innovativen Geschäftsideen überzeugt". www.handelsblatt.com. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  8. ↑ Schlenk, Caspar Tobias (6 July 2020). "2 Millionen Euro für Pair Finance – Bewertung steigt auf 60 Millionen". FinanceFWD (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  9. ↑ "Pair Finance wird verkauft". sueddeutsche.de (in Deutsch). 10 October 2022. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  10. ↑ "Pair Finance plant schnelleres internationales Wachstum". finanzbusiness.de (in Deutsch). 11 October 2022. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  11. ↑ Niemsch, Victoria (23 October 2024). "Organigramm: Das sind die Schlüsselpersonen bei Pair Finance". Business Insider (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  12. ↑ "Inkasso-FinTech Pair Finance erhält BaFin-Zulassung als Kreditdienstleistungsinstitut". IT Finanzmagazin (in Deutsch). 15 October 2024. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  13. ↑ Kneubühler, Ueli (6 November 2025). "Dieses Unternehmen mischt die Inkassobranche auf". Bilanz. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  14. ↑ Schwär, Hannah (15 October 2025). "Umbruch bei den Family-Offices der reichsten Deutschen". manager-magazin.de. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  15. ↑ Goetze, Minou; Herdt, Christina; Conrad, Ricarda; Stricker, Stephan (15 June 2023). "Consumer Preferences and Attitudes in Debt Collection: A Cross-Generational Investigation". International Journal of Marketing Studies. 15 (2): 1. doi:10.5539/ijms.v15n2p1. ISSN 1918-719X.
  16. ↑ "Schuldeneintreiber: Inkasso-Unternehmen setzen auf künstliche Intelligenz - WELT". DIE WELT (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  17. ↑ Schallenberg-Kappius, Judith (9 August 2021). "Das sind die fünf häufigsten Typen von Schuldnern". Business Insider (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  18. ↑ Lehmann, Torsten (2026-02-11). "Schulden: KI senkt die Schamgrenze bei Verbrauchern um rund 36 Prozent". Computerbild. Retrieved 2026-02-16.

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