📰 The YouLend Monthly #1

Welcome to the first edition of YouLend's Newsletter!

Our monthly publication will cover all things embedded finance and all things YouLend!

To kick things off, this month we’re exploring:

• How SMEs around the world are feeling as we hit the halfway point of 2024

• The surge in demand for embedded financial services across Europe

• The role of AI in embedded finance

• Highlights from our panel with Booking.com @ Money 20/20 Europe

• Hot off the press: YouLend's rapid expansion across France, Spain, and the United States

📣 New year, new SME?

As we enter H2, small businesses are feeling more optimistic about their businesses and are looking for ways to turn this optimism into opportunity - perhaps through financing options?

At the end of last year, UK SMEs were not feeling optimistic about their business outlook. The survey of Small Business Sentiment clocked in at -13 points in the fourth quarter of 2023. However, a recovering British economy seems to be lifting the mood, and sentiment has since increased by the UK government’s declaration that 2024 is “The Year of the SME,” accompanied by a number of policy announcements to support small business growth.

Across Europe - a Quento survey found that businesses were feeling good about their business revenues for 2024 too, with optimism levels varying from 74% in France, 84% in Germany, 85% in Italy and 86% in Spain. 

In the US, the Q1 2024 CNBC | SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Index found that optimism surrounding the economy is at its highest since the index began in 2022. Only 17% of SMEs envision their revenue decreasing over the next 12 months. 

The question for platforms serving these SMEs is how do you help them turn this optimism into opportunity? Find out more here.

 📙 The YouLend Reading Room

Is Europe poised for an embedded lending revolution? We certainly think so.

What do Amazon, Just Eat Takeaway, and Mollie have in common? They're all European giants that recognize the need for embedded financial products for their SME customers. Amidst the deteriorating cost of doing business, we think that this transformative strategy by platforms for merchants is ready to take off!

In particular, embedded lending has displayed record adoption rates, with three of the largest European marketplaces having launched embedded lending solutions to alleviate cash flow challenges for their customers.

👉 Read the full whitepaper here for more insights.

Smart Lending: The Fusion of AI and Embedded Finance

The AI genie is well and truly out of the bottle. But what does that mean for embedded lending?

Well, AI is here to help businesses get approved for funding faster and with better terms.

Sounds too good to be true, right? But powerful AI-driven decision-making models have the ability to analyze large volumes of data and improve the speed and accuracy of underwriting processes that paint the most accurate picture of a business’s financial health. 

For YouLend, this means that our financing solutions are constantly improving to provide a better product for SMBs and our partners.

👉 To read more about our AI capabilities, click here.

👋 Highlights from Money 20/20 Europe

Our CCO, Jakob Pethick, shares the stage with Christel Karsten, Director of Fintech Strategy at Booking.com to talk about the “Power of Embedded Finance in the Travel Sector” ✈️

This deep-dive discussion probed into how fintech partnerships are disrupting the online travel and hospitality sector - particularly how YouLend and Booking.com are partnering to solve the cash flow and seasonality challenges faced by Booking's travel partners.

👉 Full coverage of the event here.

📰 In the Press

Mollie Capital, powered by YouLend, expands to the UK and France

A truly global partnership 🌎 Mollie Capital launches in the UK after unlocking incredible growth across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany 📈

👉 Read the full announcement here.

YouLend sets sight on expanding in the US - signs new partnerships with WorkWave and Electronic Payments

The strategic deals come as YouLend is rapidly scaling its operations in the United States, marking a significant step forward in empowering more American small businesses with access to capital.

🗞️ Catch the announcements from Electronic Payments and WorkWave.

YouLend to extend over €50m of financing to Spanish SMEs as funding demand grows

Ariam Rodríguez Pou, Country Head for Spain at YouLend, comments: “This financing milestone emphasises YouLend’s expansion in Spain and our commitment to continually invest in the platform and serve our customers in the region.

At the core of our mission lies a dedication to providing businesses with financial support whenever and wherever required. We remain steadfast in collaborating with our strategic partners in Spain to offer fast, accessible, and equitable financial solutions, empowering businesses to thrive.”

📢 Full release here.

That's it for our first edition!

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With YouLend, every company can offer flexible and inclusive. financing to its business customers, from technology companies and marketplaces, to payment service providers and banks.