Two Female-Led UK FinTechs Join Forces as Cashflows Invests in Tap & Go

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-14

When two challenger brands in the payments space decide to team up, you can bet the industry pays attention. That's exactly what's happening with Cashflows, a London-based FinTech that simplifies payment acceptance for businesses, and Tap & Go, a Blackpool-born startup carving out a name in card payment tech and merchant services. The investment amount wasn't made public, but the intention behind it is crystal clear: Tap & Go is ready to scale. The fresh capital will fuel an expanded product lineup across more verticals, all while the two companies deepen their existing commercial partnership. It's a move that signals confidence, not just in the product, but in the people building it. ### A Partnership Built on Shared Grit Anna McDonald, Managing Director at Tap & Go, put it plainly: "We are building a brand and proposition that means customers come to Tap & Go because they know we can support them wherever their growth takes them." She went on to highlight the chemistry between the two firms, calling them both challengers in their own right. "There's something particularly powerful about two female-led businesses coming together with that mindset," she added, "as together, we can be ambitious about what we build and deliver for our customers." That energy is hard to fake. Tap & Go was founded in 2022 by McDonald and Nichola Eagle under the International Connections Group (ICG) umbrella, and it recently spun out on its own. The company focuses on card payment machines and business cash advances, tools designed to help businesses of every size keep moving forward. ### What Cashflows Brings to the Table Cashflows isn't a newcomer. Founded in 2010 and led by CEO Hannah Fitzsimons, the company has built a secure ecosystem for processing payments across Europe. It offers its own acquiring platform and gateway, making it easier for growing businesses and financial institutions to accept card and digital payments without the usual headaches. The relationship between the two companies started in 2025, with Cashflows handling the infrastructure and transaction settlement for Tap & Go's card machines. Now, that partnership is leveling up. The investment lets Tap & Go shift its focus to growth, broadening what it offers customers beyond just card payments into e-commerce, virtual payments, and multi-site solutions. ### Where the Money Will Go Tap & Go has a clear roadmap for this capital. Here's what's on the agenda: - **Investing in people** – building out the team to support a bigger operation - **Boosting brand awareness** – getting the name out there to attract new customers organically - **Expanding into new verticals** – think universities, stadiums, dentistry, hotels, builders' merchants, and the motor sector - **Leveraging Cashflows' expertise** – tapping into their experience to accelerate growth It's a smart play. Instead of trying to do everything alone, Tap & Go is leaning on a partner that's already been through the scaling grind. ### A Signal of Bigger Things to Come For Cashflows, this isn't just a one-off check. According to the company, the investment opens up new growth areas by combining the strengths of both businesses. It also hints at a wider strategy, with more strategic investment opportunities being explored down the line. Fitzsimons summed it up well: "While the relationship may have started as a commercial partnership, this is not simply a financial investment – we believe in what Tap & Go are building and the energy from the team is palpable." She sees a real opportunity to blend Tap & Go's drive and customer focus with Cashflows' experience and expertise to push the next stage of growth. When two teams with that kind of mutual respect come together, the potential is exciting. For customers, it likely means better products, more options, and a partner that can grow alongside them. And for the broader FinTech scene, it's a reminder that sometimes the best moves are the ones that bring together two ambitious, female-led companies with a shared vision.