EIB Grants €70M Scale-Up Debt to Boost Growth of Italian Fintech Scalapay

The financing will help Scalapay expand its portfolio of smart financial solutions, broaden its payment services, and continue scaling its operations across Europe.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €70 million Scale-Up Debt financing agreement with Scalapay, a fast-growing Italian fintech that has become one of Europe’s leading Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) providers since its founding in 2019. The agreement marks a major milestone for the European tech ecosystem, as it is the first time the EIB has directly financed an Italian unicorn.

The signing took place in Milan, represented by EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and Scalapay CEO Simone Mancini. The investment aims to strengthen Scalapay’s technological capacity, diversify its financial services, and enhance the user experience across its payment platforms.

Strengthening Europe’s Digital Payments Landscape

The financing will help Scalapay expand its portfolio of smart financial solutions, broaden its payment services, and continue scaling its operations across Europe. The funds will also deepen Scalapay’s focus on security, digital innovation, and user-friendly payment experiences, all essential as BNPL increasingly influences online shopping behavior and retail partnerships across the continent.

“This EIB financing will strengthen the European digital payment ecosystem, backing a company that has grown rapidly with a focus on technology, security and service quality,” said Gelsomina Vigliotti, EIB Vice-President. She emphasized that the investment aligns with TechEU, the EIB Group’s flagship technology program that supports innovative companies from early-stage growth to global expansion.

Scalapay: A Rising European Fintech Leader

Since its inception, Scalapay has disrupted the payments market by enabling consumers to split purchases into interest-free installments—making it a preferred BNPL partner for both merchants and shoppers. With millions of users and thousands of merchant partners, the company has established itself as one of Europe’s fastest-growing fintech ventures.

“We are delighted to announce this agreement,” said Scalapay CEO Simone Mancini. He noted that the financing will accelerate Scalapay’s growth trajectory, expand its product offerings, and reinforce support for the markets in which it operates. “For our customers, it means more products and better flexibility to meet their needs.”

Scale-Up Debt: Fueling Innovation Without Dilution

The €70 million financing is delivered through Scale-Up Debt, an instrument designed under TechEU to support innovative, high-growth European companies during the crucial pre-IPO phase. Key elements of Scale-Up Debt include:

• Non-dilutive financing, preserving founder and investor equity

• Long-term support for innovative business models

• Strengthened capacity for companies to scale internationally

This operation is also backed by the InvestEU programme, which aims to mobilize investments across the European Union by supporting sustainable and innovative initiatives. The EIB Group serves as a primary implementing partner of InvestEU.

TechEU: Europe’s Push for Technological Leadership

TechEU aims to invest €70 billion across 2025–2027 in equity, quasi-equity, loans, and guarantees, with the goal of mobilizing up to €250 billion in real-economy investments. The program prioritizes sectors such as fintech, AI, cybersecurity, cleantech, deep tech, and advanced mobility—areas seen as critical for Europe’s long-term technological competitiveness.

Through its support for companies like Scalapay, the EIB reinforces Europe’s ambition to develop homegrown tech champions capable of competing at the global level while maintaining operations and value creation within Europe.

The EIB–Scalapay partnership represents a strong commitment to accelerating innovation, strengthening digital finance, and equipping European consumers and merchants with modern, secure, and flexible payment options.