SoftBank leads $640 million investment in Klarna, valuing buy-now-pay-later firm at $46 billion
Summary
LONDON — Swedish fintech firm Klarna said Thursday that it raised $639 million in a new funding round led by SoftBank, valuing the company at $45.6 billion. "Consumers continue to reject interest-and fee-laden revolving credit and are moving toward debit while simultaneously seeking retail experiences that better meet their needs," Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Klarnas founder and CEO, said in a statement Thursday. "The international money is coming into Europe," Hans Otterling, general partner at Northzone and an early investor in Klarna, told CNBC. Klarnas other backers include the likes of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group and U.S. rappers Snoop Dogg and ASAP Rocky. SIGN UP for our weekly, original newsletter that goes beyond the list, offering a closer look at CNBC Disruptor 50 companies, and the founders who continue to innovate across every sector of the economy.