The opportunity:
bunch saw a chance to revolutionize the private investment market—where investments are made into privately-owned companies—by further simplifying the setup and management of investment entities for funds and private investors.
The solution:
Having already built a sophisticated product, there was one piece missing. bunch knew they needed to embed payment functionality to create an all-in-one platform with a superior user experience.
The impact:
With the addition of accounts, provided through Swan, bunch clients can now set up and manage their investment entities from within one platform. With accounts tailored to their individual needs, bunch has created a seamless user experience while unlocking new revenue streams.
Bringing innovation to the private investment market
Private markets—where investments are made into privately-owned companies vs. publicly traded companies—is a booming industry. But historically, it’s been a complex landscape to navigate for fund managers, investors, and companies alike.
In 2021, combining leading expertise, operational excellence, and frictionless technology, bunch launched a platform that enables funds and private investors to securely set up and manage their investment entities.
In just over two years, bunch has built an admirable reputation in the investing space, with their clients having collectively committed over €2 billion through the platform. And they’re only just getting started. In 2024, they successfully closed a $15.5 million Series A and developed the bunch proposition even further. How have they done this? With embedded banking.
Building an all-in-one platform with embedded banking
The world of private markets has been stuck in the past for too long. While some companies still rely on outdated spreadsheets, complex workflows, and paper-based processes, bunch decided to bring innovation to investments.
Already leveraging AI and automation workflows to reduce complexity and streamline operations, bunch welcomed the opportunity to embed banking features into its product. Embedding accounts creates a more comprehensive offering and helps further improve bunch’s value proposition to European investment funds.
With embedded accounts integrated into the bunch interface, funds and private investors can operate more efficiently, scale more rapidly, and foster stronger stakeholder relationships. The strategic decision to embed banking marked a significant milestone for bunch as they continue to build superior customer experiences.
Finding a reliable banking partner in Swan
Operating in the investment field, bunch are no strangers to compliance and regulation. And with enough of these topics on their agenda already, the company was eager to find a banking partner that would own this responsibility. bunch's Co-founder, Levent Altunel, shares their experience;
“By relying on Swan to cover the burden of regulation and banking ops, bunch meets all regional requirements without fuss. The team was thrilled to be able to focus all its energy entirely on creating the best possible experience for our investor customers."
By partnering with Swan, bunch benefits from built-in regulation. Swan handles the risky compliance and regulation factors that others often come up against as blockers, including Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), identity verification, and fraud detection.
By embedding banking, bunch joins over 120 European companies using Swan's platform to seamlessly integrate accounts and payments. This approach not only elevates customer experiences but also creates new revenue streams through Swan’s revenue-sharing initiative.
Forging a new path for a traditional market
Moving forward, bunch will continue to deliver much-needed digital transformation to the private markets industry. Swan is excited to partner with an innovative company like bunch to improve the convenience and efficiency of managing investments for both funds and private investors. We look forward to supporting them as they continue to innovate solutions for investors across Europe and beyond.
