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§ Private Profile · Calgary, Canada
Payment processing solutions for small to medium-sized businesses, offering transparent interchange-plus pricing for online and in-person transactions.
Helcim provides transparent and affordable payment processing solutions for businesses, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The company offers merchant services and business software, primarily targeting small to medium-sized businesses in Canada and the United States with an interchange-plus pricing model. After years of bootstrapping, Helcim raised $16 million CAD in Series A funding, having pivoted to become its own direct payment processor and officially launching this model in the summer of 2020. With approximately 115 employees, Helcim serves thousands of merchants by focusing on a segment often overlooked by larger processors. Nic Beique, the company's founder and CEO, was recognized as EY Entrepreneur of the Year Prairies technology overall category winner in 2018. Helcim was founded in 2008 by Nic Beique.
Helcim has raised $33.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Helcim has raised $33.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Helcim has raised $33.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $20.0M Series B in February 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2024 | $20M Series B | — | Grand Ventures, Headline, Accelerate Fund III, Aquiline Capital Partners, Clocktower Technology Ventures, Information Venture Partners, SilverCircle, Vesey Ventures | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2022 | $13M Series A | Information Venture Partners | Founders Co OP, MHS Capital, Version ONE Ventures, Bob. Wertz, Hanif Joshaghani, Jason Smith, Kevin Singh Sandhu, Accelerate Fund III, Generational Partners | Announced |
Helcim has raised $33.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Helcim's investors include Grand Ventures, Headline (formerly e.ventures), Accelerate Fund III, Aquiline Capital Partners, Clocktower Technology Ventures, Information Venture Partners, SilverCircle, Vesey Ventures, Founders Co-op, MHS Capital, Version One Ventures, Bob. Wertz.
Helcim is a technology company specializing in payment processing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in North America. It builds an all-in-one platform that integrates point-of-sale (POS) software, card readers, billing tools, and financial management features, enabling merchants to accept credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, and ACH payments both in-person and online with transparent interchange-plus pricing, no contracts, and no monthly fees.[1][3][6][7]
Helcim serves retail stores, professional services, healthcare, home services, auto repair shops, and omnichannel SMBs, solving pain points like hidden fees, complex contracts, outdated software, and fragmented tools from traditional processors. Its growth momentum includes rapid innovation during the 2020 pandemic—launching contactless tools like QR codes and online ordering—followed by a 40% team expansion from July to December 2020, and ongoing product releases like the Helcim Smart Terminal and developer APIs.[2][3]
Helcim was founded by Nic Helcim, driven by frustration with payments companies that burdened small businesses with difficult contracts, expensive pricing, and antiquated software. The company emerged with a core mission to provide a "decidedly human" payment processing solution that prioritizes transparency, ease of signup, affordability, and digital tools tailored to business needs.[2][6]
Early traction came from focusing on merchant-first values, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Amid uncertainty, Helcim pivoted quickly by developing tools for contactless payments, curbside pickup, and online operations—such as payment requests, recurring invoicing, and QR code payments—helping businesses adapt while briefly implementing a hiring freeze before expanding the team by 40% later that year.[2] This responsiveness solidified its reputation as a supportive partner for SMBs.
Helcim stands out in the payments industry through its merchant-centric design, innovative hardware/software integration, and developer-friendly tools. Key differentiators include:
Helcim rides the wave of digital transformation in payments, capitalizing on SMBs' shift to omnichannel, contactless, and embedded finance amid e-commerce growth and post-pandemic habits. Its timing aligns with rising demand for affordable, integrated tools as traditional processors lag with legacy systems, while market forces like mobile wallets, QR payments, and API-driven fintech favor agile players.[2][3][7]
By empowering SMBs with free POS, developer APIs, and innovations like embeddable NFC, Helcim influences the ecosystem as a "payments-as-a-service" provider, enabling software platforms (SaaS, CRMs, POS systems) to monetize integrations without handling compliance or support. This expands access to modern payments, fostering innovation in retail, services, and beyond, while challenging incumbents through transparency and speed.[4][5][8]
Helcim's trajectory points to accelerated expansion in embedded payments and hardware innovation, with "Tap to Pay on Anything" (launched April 2025) enabling seamless, brand-aligned experiences on everyday objects, potentially disrupting POS hardware norms.[5] Trends like AI-driven personalization, global SMB digitization, and regulatory pushes for transparency will shape its path, alongside deeper API ecosystems for platforms.
Its influence may evolve from SMB specialist to key enabler in fintech stacks, drawing more merchants via word-of-mouth as "the world's most loved payments company." As it continues prioritizing merchant tools and partnerships, Helcim is poised to redefine accessible payments, empowering the SMBs that fuel North American commerce.[2][4]