Aria Raises $7.6M, Launches $260M Debt Fund for Late Payments

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-10

Aria, a Paris-based FinTech scale-up, just raised a $7.6 million Series A extension and launched a $260 million debt facility to tackle Europe's late-payment crisis. That's a big deal for small businesses drowning in unpaid invoices. ### The Funding Details The equity round was led by 115K, the venture capital arm of La Banque Postale, with returning investor 13books Capital also chipping in. This brings Aria's total Series A to $23.9 million. 115K will join Aria's board of directors. The company plans to use this capital to invest in AI tooling, hire new talent, and onboard more clients. The debt facility is structured across two vehicles. The main one is a securitisation fund led by Nomura with Fost. Aria buys invoices from suppliers and transfers the receivables to the fund, which issues securities backed by buyers' future payments. When buyers settle, cash recycles to finance new purchases. In a separate legal vehicle, Sienna and Montpensier Arbevel have committed additional capital. ### Why This Matters Late payments are a nightmare for small businesses. Clément Carrier, CEO and co-founder of Aria, puts it bluntly: "No business owner should spend an average of 86 hours a year chasing late payments. That's more than two working weeks spent on the phone and writing emails instead of building their business. We want suppliers to get paid straight away and move on to the next order." According to the EU Payment Observatory annual report 2025, tackling late payments could unlock over $109 billion in additional cash flow each year. The problem is just as bad in the UK, costing the economy $14 billion annually and contributing to 38 business closures a day. That's why the UK government introduced its first late payments legislation in over 25 years back in March. ### How Aria Works Founded in 2020, Aria provides pan-European embedded invoice financing infrastructure for B2B marketplaces, ERP systems, and vertical SaaS platforms. The platform bridges the gap between suppliers who need quick payment and buyers who prefer longer terms. Here's the clever bit: suppliers get paid immediately, while buyers keep their usual 60-day payment terms. Aria buys the invoice rather than lending against it, so suppliers get predictable cash flow without taking on debt. A single API handles identity checks, credit assessments, collections, insurance, and payments, adapting to local rules, currencies, and payment methods across Europe. ### What Makes Aria Different Aria isn't like revenue-based financing, B2B BNPL, or traditional factoring. As the company explains on its website: "We're not credit for buyers, and we're not a separate application process. We're infrastructure that sits inside your platform—one API call, no redirect, no separate signup. Your users get paid instantly without anyone leaving your software. Traditional factors reject 95% of invoices; we underwrite them. BNPL players assess buyers and send them elsewhere; we assess debtors and stay invisible." ### Who It's For Aria works with B2B marketplaces, talent and staffing agencies, vertical SaaS, ERPs, and corporate treasury systems—anywhere invoices are created or managed digitally. It's ideal for platforms with SMB sellers invoicing larger corporate buyers. The company says this equity raise and securitisation fund lets them bring that experience to more businesses. "Having the right backers who understand the complexity of our market is key," Carrier adds. "So we're pleased to bring the financial and regulatory acumen of investors like 115K to our cap table."