Helcim Raises $53 Million Series C as Banks Exit Small Business Payments

The round led by Business Development Bank's (BDC) Growth Venture Fund lifts Helcim's valuation to $250 million CAD, with participation from Curql Collective, Gold House Ventures, and existing investors.

CALGARY, AB, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Helcim, a Calgary-based payments company that powers small and mid-sized businesses across North America, today announced it has closed a $53 million CAD Series C funding round led by Business Development Bank's (BDC) Growth Venture Fund. The round also included participation from new investors Curql Collective, a strategic investment fund backed by more than 160 North American credit unions, and Gold House Ventures, alongside continued investment from existing backers Headline, Aquiline, Information Venture Partners, Vesey Ventures, Clocktower Ventures, and Alberta Accelerate Fund.

The financing brings Helcim's total equity raised to $100 million since its 2022 Series A and lifts the company's valuation to $250 million, up from $97 million at its Series B in 2024. It follows a year in which Helcim crossed $150 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), grew its team to 200 people, expanded its merchant base to more than 22,000 active businesses across Canada and the U.S., and is on track to process nearly $10 billion in annual payment volume.

The raise lands at a pivotal moment for the industry: several of Canada's largest banks have recently sold off or outsourced their merchant services businesses, leaving a vacuum for small and mid-sized companies in need of a partner built specifically for them. Helcim is moving to fill that gap for small businesses - and, increasingly, mid-market companies - with three commitments: transparent pricing, an open merchant platform for accepting in-person and online payments, and great customer service.

"There's a real void in the market right now - merchants are coming to Helcim faster than ever, looking for a modern alternative," said Nic Beique, Helcim's Founder and CEO. "This round lets us act on this at scale: expanding our platform, growing our team, and moving up-market so no business outgrows what we can offer them."

Helcim launched as its own payments company in 2020, building its end-to-end infrastructure from the ground up rather than reselling another processor's technology. That decision is what lets Helcim offer volume-based interchange plus pricing today instead of the inflated flat-rate fees many providers pass on to merchants.

In January 2026, Helcim released an AI-powered Payment Extension that lets merchants self-integrate Helcim's payments processing into the software they already use, giving merchants the freedom to choose their preferred payment processor rather than being locked into a single embedded-payments provider. Adoption of the tool has scaled quickly since launch, and it's one of the clearest signals of the demand now underpinning this round.

"Helcim is having a unique moment, growing fast and building a real advantage in the market," said Jack Fraser, Partner at BDC Capital's Growth Venture Fund. "Their recent AI-powered integration tool is a good example of the kind of fast-moving innovation we're backing, and exactly what it will take to capture that opportunity."

Helcim plans to use the new capital to continue investing in its payments platform and to grow into additional financial services for its merchants. The company is also expanding partnerships with regional banks and credit unions that are moving away from traditional providers themselves, in search of a modern payments platform for their small business members.

"Credit unions need to continue to upgrade their product offering for their small business members in the communities they serve if they want to remain relevant, compete and retain deposits," said Nick Evens, President and CEO at Curql. "Helcim's payment hub is the best we have seen and their value proposition for the CUs is far more robust than what is currently in market."

To learn more about Helcim, visit helcim.com.

About Helcim

Helcim is on a mission to build the world's most loved payments company. Launched in 2020 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Helcim provides an all-in-one payments and software platform - including point of sale, invoicing, online checkout, a smart terminal, and embedded payments tools - built specifically for small and mid-sized businesses. Helcim serves more than 22,000 active merchants across North America and processes billions in payments annually. For more information, visit helcim.com.

About BDC

BDC focuses on small- and medium-sized business owners, providing them financing, investment, and advice. As Canada's development bank, they also support entrepreneurs who don't fit the traditional mold working with a network of partners and help develop underserved markets to unlock economic potential. Their mission is to build strong, resilient businesses that drive Canada's economic growth. BDC is a perennial Canada's Top 100 Employer and B Corp certified. Learn more at bdc.ca or connect on social media.

About Curql Collective

Curql, a collective of over 160 credit unions jointly investing in fintech, brings timely solutions to the credit union industry. With over 50 fintech investments in the portfolio, Curql ensures that technology is designed specifically for credit unions, allowing them to better serve their members and remain competitive in an evolving financial landscape. Interested in learning more about how Curql brings fintech to credit unions? Visit curql.com

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SOURCE Helcim