Why are SumUp and Upvest Backing Embedded Investing?

Global fintech SumUp has shared a new integrated investment feature that lets small businesses earn on their idle deposits – showing just how its platform has grown from payments to full-spectrum financial management.

The company is partnering with Berlin-based Upvest to deliver the service through an API-first model, enabling SumUp’s four million merchants to invest directly in euro-denominated money market funds starting with as little as €1 (US$1.16).

Initially launching in Germany this month, the functionality will roll out across Europe and the UK in the coming months. 

The goal, SumUp says, is to give merchants an accessible way to grow surplus cash without complexity or exposure to high-risk investments.

Embedded wealth management to support small businesses

By adding investment options to its existing business banking suite, SumUp is blurring traditional boundaries between payments, banking and investment. 

The move reflects a broader trend in embedded finance – empowering SMEs to manage all financial operations within one digital platform.

The new investing feature sits natively within the SumUp app, where merchants already manage day-to-day transactions, card payments and cash advances. 

Users can now allocate part of their available balance into money market funds – low-risk instruments designed to preserve capital and provide liquidity – without leaving the platform.

Behind the scenes, Upvest’s investment API powers the full stack of infrastructure, from order execution and custody to regulatory reporting and tax processing. 

“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,” says Felix Lamouroux, SVP Global Banking at SumUp. 

“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.”

This emphasises how, for SumUp, the partnership is rooted in a clear mission: to help small businesses build financial resilience and grow wealth over time.

The approach not only modernises SumUp’s banking ecosystem but also gives SMEs access to opportunities that were once exclusive to larger corporations or specialist financial institutions. 

Ensuring innovation is infrastructure-first

Upvest’s involvement further drives home how API-driven investment infrastructure is transforming capital markets access. 

Its platform handles the operational and regulatory complexities – execution, settlement, custody and compliance – behind the scenes, freeing partners like SumUp to focus on user experience.

Martin Kassing, Co-Founder and CEO of Upvest, says: “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.”

Upvest already powers investment features for several high-growth fintechs, including Revolut, N26, Webull and Raisin. 

Its collaboration with SumUp shows how the company’s infrastructure model can extend beyond consumer finance and into the realm of small business banking.