DMI Acquires ZestMoney, Plans to Grow Merchant Network
Summary
DMI Group, a pan-India financial services platform, has acquired ZestMoney, a digital credit provider in India. The acquisition will allow DMI to incorporate the ZestMoney checkout financing platform into its product suite, broadening its engagement with current and potential customers, the company said in a Wednesday (Jan. 17) press release. DMI will leverage its customer base, balance-sheet strength and risk-management experience to drive growth across ZestMoney’s extensive online and offline merchant network, the release said. Once valued at $445 million, the startup faced a setback in May when acquisition talks with FinTech giant PhonePe fell through, leading to the departure of its founders. Stricter capital rules in the financial services sector in India, designed to reduce risk tied to loans, are thinning the pool of FinTechs in the country.