PAIR Finance has been honoured with the prestigious “Fintech of the Year Award” in the category “Exit of the Year”. The award ceremony took place on 22 November 2023 at the Alte Münze in Berlin. Every year since 2014, the financial blog Payment & Banking has honoured fintechs and companies in Germany that successfully shape disruptive business areas with this award. PAIR Finance receives an award from Payment & Banking for the first time. It recognises the exit at the end of 2022, when private equity investor Pollen Street acquired a majority stake in the company.
“Exit in the style of a fintech fairytale”
PAIR Finance was founded in 2016 by Stephan Stricker and quickly established itself as a pioneer in the debt collection industry. With annual growth of over 100 per cent, PAIR Finance is already profitable just three years after its foundation. The new approach of using AI, modern behavioural research and data science to increase consumer payment behaviour and personalise the debt collection process is what made the company’s success and exemplary exit at the end of 2022 possible in the first place.
Nina Pütz, jury member and CEO of Ratepay, speaks of an exit in the style of a fintech fairytale. She hands over the award to PAIR Finance CEO and founder Stephan Stricker and says in her laudatory speech:
This exit does not mark an end, but the beginning of a new chapter that emphasises the importance of innovative approaches in finance. With PAIR Finance, Stephan has proven that vision, dedication and bold strategies bear fruit. Today, over 350 companies from various digital industries cooperate with PAIR Finance. The startup has been recognised multiple times for its revolutionary approach and these successes are thanks to the team […] who strive for innovation and are determined to change the industry.
Exit emphasises the importance of PAIR Finance in Europe
With the exit, we have shown how important PAIR Finance is in the debt collection industry in Europe. I am delighted that we have now been honoured with an impressive award for this. Many thanks to the jury and Payment & Banking! I would like to dedicate this award to my family, my team and our customers, who believe in us, trust us and continue to accompany us on our journey.
Stephan Stricker, CEO and Founder of PAIR Finance
This was the jury of the Payment & Banking Award
More than 100 candidates were viewed, evaluated and honoured by a high-calibre jury. It was made up of 16 well-known experts from the German fintech industry – including Sibylle Strack (jury chairwoman), Nina Kristin Pütz (CEO of Ratepay), Tilo Hacke (Board Member, DKB), Sherin Maruhn (Venture Deals Manager at PWC), Dr Anika Patz (Associated Partner, YPOG law firm), Klaus Driever (Managing Director, Allianz), Andreas Hack (Managing Director, Allianz), Andreas Hack (Managing Director, Allianz) and Dr Anika Patz (Associated Partner, YPOG). Katrin Stark, Dr Susanne Grohé (Partner at the law firm Annerton) as well as Christina Cassala, (Payment & Banking) and Nadja Merten (Payment & Banking).
Awarded several times
In addition to the award for Exit of the Year in 2023, PAIR Finance has already been honoured as FOCUS Growth Champion 2024 and Kununu Top Company 2024. In 2022, the fintech from Berlin was also recognised as one of the fastest-growing companies in Germany among the Deloitte Fast 50. PAIR Finance also received a Tech Award and its second MPE Award in the same year.
