Berlin's topi raises $45 million in new funding round, reveals hardware-as-a-service platform for retailers and manufacturers

Berlin-based fintech topi has raised $45 million in a new financing round aimed at supporting the launch of its hardware subscription service. Thats $3.7 trillion before the market took a dive, crypto winter set in, Russia invaded Ukraine, supply chain shortages got even shorter, and the list goes on and on.What topi is offering is a brush to that creative accounting canvas by converting a capital expenditure into a monthly operating expense via a subscription-based transaction.So instead of buying a fleet of that shiny, new Mac whatever-the-flavour-of-the-week-is for the graphics team, businesses are able to subscribe to a service that provides and maintains them. "The as-a-service models that have long been established for software will also become the standard for hardware, explained topi co-founders Estelle Merle and Charlotte Pallua. We strongly believe that every reseller and manufacturer will need to offer their products through a subscription model in order to stay competitive.From where Im sitting this sounds great! With the ability to embed the topi-powered subscription option in the sales flow, B2B merchants gain access to a completely new revenue stream, while topi handles the vetting of qualified buyers, all in the blink of an eye.And this isnt just some snazzy idea sketched on the back of a cocktail napkin; topi is coming out of the gate with its hardware-as-a-service offer hand in hand with GRAVIS, one of Germanys leading electronics retailers.This is a total game changer for us.