SumUp adds in-app investing for merchants with Upvest

SumUp has partnered with Upvest to add in-app investing to its business banking service, with the feature launching first in Germany.  The product will roll out more broadly across Europe and the UK.

Under the arrangement, small businesses and merchants will be able to invest from as little as €1 in fractional money market funds within the SumUp platform. The initial offer focuses on euro-denominated money market funds, which hold short-term debt instruments while aiming to maintain liquidity.

The addition brings an investment option to SumUp's broader banking and payments app, where merchants already manage card payments, accounts and other business tools. It also expands Upvest's role as an infrastructure provider for financial groups looking to embed securities products into their services.

Money market funds are often used by companies to hold surplus cash that may be needed at short notice. By offering them inside an existing merchant app, SumUp is aiming to make that option available to smaller businesses that might otherwise leave spare funds in standard deposits.

The service will sit within SumUp's existing business banking offering, rather than requiring users to switch to a separate investment provider.

How it works

Upvest is providing the underlying infrastructure, including order execution and settlement, custody, regulatory reporting and tax processing. SumUp will present the investment function inside its own app.

The structure reflects a broader trend in European fintech, where consumer and business platforms are adding savings and investment features through specialist providers instead of building full securities operations themselves. For merchants, the appeal is being able to manage different parts of their finances in one place.

The new function is aimed at businesses that hold cash balances but want a low-entry route into investing. Fractional investing means users do not need to commit large sums upfront, lowering the threshold for smaller traders and sole operators.

Felix Lamouroux, SVP Global Banking at SumUp, outlined the rationale for the launch.

"Small businesses are under constant pressure to set money aside for a rainy day. Yet too often this money sits idle in deposits, when it could be earning interest through investments. That's why we're thrilled to be partnering with Upvest to help build investing into the everyday banking experience for small business owners. By bringing simple, low-risk investment options onto the SumUp platform, merchants can build wealth on their existing deposits all within a trusted, familiar environment," said Lamouroux.

Broader push

Founded in 2012, SumUp has expanded from card payments into a broader range of merchant financial services. It says it serves more than 4 million small merchants across 37 markets, offering products including accounts, cards, point-of-sale tools, invoicing and online store services.

The addition of investment products suggests SumUp is seeking to deepen its relationship with merchants beyond payment acceptance and day-to-day banking. For smaller businesses, cash management has become more important as higher interest rates have made returns on idle balances more noticeable.

Founded in 2017, Upvest provides API-based investment infrastructure to banks, brokers and wealth managers. Its clients include fintech and banking groups such as Revolut, N26, bunq, Webull, Raisin, Openbank and DKB, and it says it processes more than 100 million trades a year.

The partnership also highlights how embedded investment services are moving beyond retail trading apps and into products aimed at business users. While money market funds are generally seen as lower risk than many other investment categories, they remain investment products rather than deposit accounts.

Martin Kassing, CEO and Co-founder of Upvest, said the agreement showed how securities infrastructure can be integrated into routine financial services.

"We are proud to be working with SumUp to seamlessly integrate investing capabilities into everyday business banking. Powered by Upvest's Investment API, SumUp can now offer a best-in-class investment proposition for merchants to grow their wealth. This partnership shows how modern investment infrastructure can make capital markets investing accessible and operationally simple at scale," said Kassing.