Januar ApS, a financial infrastructure provider for crypto businesses, has successfully closed a €1.5 million seed extension round, landing investments from prominent international investors including CMT Digital, Third Prime and Skyfall Ventures alongside Michael Grønager, Chainalysis Co-founder & CEO, and with follow-on from current investors, bringing the total for seed to €7.5 million.
The company also announced the launch of Januar Crypto – an institutional Wallet and Crypto Trading solution integrated alongside Januar’s proven fiat account and payment solutions. The combination of Januar Wallet and Januar Trade will allow businesses to easily convert fiat to crypto right on the Januar platform, a testament to the Company’s commitment to streamlining operations by reducing time-consuming, costly transaction processes currently plaguing businesses and user experiences.
Since its seed round in April 2022, the company has obtained a full payment institutions license with the Danish FSA, which has been fully passported to permit service across all 30 EEA markets. Januar’s team of ex-Chainalysis compliance experts, crypto entrepreneurs, and banking veterans is now ramping up to meet demand across Europe and to expand its product with remarkable new features.
“I am tremendously excited to share the news about our latest fundraise that will fuel our international expansion and drive profitability, further establishing Januar as a key player in the crypto space. This is a critical step in our journey, and we’re excited to use these resources to create an even better experience for our users. At Januar, we are committed to providing trusted and seamless fiat-to-crypto conversions, and our new crypto services are a testament to that commitment,” said Simon Ousager, co-CEO and Founder at Januar.
This latest round highlights Januar’s compelling status as a compliance-first licensed payment institution dedicated to servicing crypto and web3 native businesses. Januar is strategically positioned within Europe, which is renowned for providing leading regulatory clarity to the crypto industry due to its incoming Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation. Januar’s position within this jurisdiction provides unique standing to build a regulated product with the benefits of predictability and scalability.
Investors recognise the potential of Januar’s one-stop platform, which facilitates seamless fiat-to-crypto money flows for all businesses. As centralized and decentralized financial systems converge, Januar is live with a trusted, fully integrated and compliant platform where crypto sits right next to fiat.
“We are thrilled to be investing in Januar. The crypto ecosystem is notoriously underbanked, and Januar fills an important gap by servicing compliant crypto businesses with the critical financial services they need to operate. We believe a major hurdle to being successful in this space is a high degree of compliance and a regulatory focus, and we believe Januar is hyper-focused on these points. Moreover, Januar’s innovative one-stop platform integrates fiat and crypto operations, marking a significant step towards redefining banking and payments in the crypto sphere,” added Sam Hallene, Investor at CMT Digital. “A prerequisite for innovation, and for conducting business in general, is having a bank account. As long as you are fully transparent, comply with rules and regulations, getting bank services should not be difficult. However, today traditional banks are gatekeepers, blaming their reluctance to onboard Web3 companies as clients on high risk and KYC/AML regulations.
We believe that Januar is uniquely positioned as a crypto-friendly financial partner, and is poised to enable a large and growing industry the freedom to operate by being experts in KYC/AML assessment of crypto companies and by tailoring product offerings to the industry,” commented Espen Malmo, Co-founder & Managing at Skyfall Ventures.
“Crypto businesses have been provided with minimal formal banking services, making it difficult to conduct their day-to-day financial operations. Januar fills a gap in the industry and continues to professionalize the ecosystem through its compliance and regulatory-first approach. Third Prime is excited to be backing Januar and is looking forward to partnering with the team as it provides crypto with much needed financial services.” Christian Kaczmarczyk, Principal at Third Prime.
Founded in 2021, Januar’s mission is to bridge the gap between traditional financial systems and decentralized future financial markets. The company remains dedicated to enabling the crypto industry by being a trusted financial service provider that understands the nature of crypto businesses and how they operate.
As Januar continues to navigate the intricate landscape of crypto financial services, the company remains dedicated to providing a secure, compliant, and trusted experience for businesses operating in the digital asset space.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2024/02/copenhagen-based-januar-raises-e1-5-million-seed-extension-to-launch-b2b-crypto-services-platform/
