Affirm / PayBright 2021
Affirm acquired PayBright for $264M on December 3, 2020.
- Target
- PayBright
- Acquirer
- Affirm
- Deal value
- $264M
- Deal type
- Stock
- Announced
- December 3, 2020
- Sub-sector
- Lending
Transaction overview
- Affirm announced the acquisition of Canadian buy-now-pay-later firm PayBright on December 3, 2020.
- Deal valued at approximately CAD 340 million (USD 264 million) in cash and stock.
- Transaction closed January 1, 2021.
- PayBright was a Toronto-based BNPL platform serving Canadian consumers and merchants.
- PayBright had processed over CAD 1 billion in annualized payment volume at time of deal.
- Affirm is a San Francisco-based consumer lending and BNPL platform founded by Max Levchin.
- The acquisition gave Affirm its first material presence in the Canadian market.
- PayBright had partnerships with over 7,000 Canadian merchants including Apple Canada and Hudson's Bay.
Why it matters
- The deal marked Affirm's first international acquisition, extending its BNPL footprint outside the United States.
- Canada's BNPL market was underpenetrated relative to the US at the time, with few scaled domestic players.
Strategic rationale
Affirm enters Canada by acquiring Toronto-based BNPL platform with merchant network across Hudson's Bay, Wayfair Canada, and Endy.
Deal terms & multiples
About PayBright
PayBright was a Toronto-based buy-now-pay-later company founded in 2009. The platform allowed Canadian consumers to split purchases into installment payments at the point of sale, both online and in-store. At the time of the acquisition, PayBright had partnerships with more than 7,000 merchants across Canada, including Apple Canada and Hudson's Bay. The company had processed over CAD 1 billion in annualized payment volume.
- Founded
- 2009
- HQ
- Canada
- Prior funding
- Approximately CAD 109 million raised, including a CAD 75 million round in 2019 led by Telesystem and IG Wealth Management
- Key metric
- Over CAD 1 billion in annualized payment volume as of late 2020
About Affirm NASDAQ: AFRM
Affirm is a San Francisco-based consumer lending platform founded by Max Levchin in 2012. The company offers point-of-sale installment loans to consumers through merchant integrations, underwriting each transaction individually rather than issuing a revolving credit line. Affirm went public on Nasdaq in January 2021, shortly after this acquisition closed. Its merchant network at the time included Walmart, Peloton, and Shopify.
- Founded
- 2012
- Ticker
- NASDAQ: AFRM
Frequently asked questions
How much did Affirm pay for PayBright?
Affirm paid approximately USD 264 million (CAD 340 million) in a mix of cash and stock.
When did the Affirm PayBright deal close?
The transaction closed on January 1, 2021, roughly four weeks after announcement.
Why did Affirm acquire PayBright?
The acquisition gave Affirm its first scaled presence in Canada, where PayBright had over 7,000 merchant partnerships.
What did PayBright do?
PayBright offered buy-now-pay-later installment financing to Canadian consumers at the point of sale, online and in-store.
How large was PayBright at the time of the acquisition?
PayBright had processed over CAD 1 billion in annualized payment volume and worked with more than 7,000 Canadian merchants.
Was Affirm public when it bought PayBright?
Affirm was still private at announcement in December 2020 and completed its Nasdaq IPO in January 2021, after the deal closed.
Sources
- investors.affirm.com /news-releases/news-release-details/affirm-announces-acquisition-paybright-leading-canadian-buy-now