Why are the embedded finance and buy now pay later business segments so relevant for Cembra?

As a market leader in the consumer finance business, we clearly see that the market trend is moving away from traditional financing towards more flexible payment and financing solutions. This trend is well under way in the Anglo-Saxon world, and Switzerland has also recorded strong growth in this area. So for us, one thing is clear: these business segments will be strategically very important if we are to continue to offer our customers the best financing solutions and to embed them seamlessly into the customer journey.

What progress was made in this business area in 2022?

With Swissbilling, we have already achieved robust growth in recent years and estab­lished ourselves as a leading provider on the Swiss market. The acquisition of Byjuno, a major provider of invoice payment solutions in Switzerland, has enabled us to broaden our offering and market reach not only nominally, but in complementary way. As a result, we expanded our BNPL business significantly in 2022.

Peter Schnellmann,
Chief Sales and Distribution Officer

What is Cembra’s goal in this business area?

The integration of Byjuno will enable us to become a leading platform for invoice payment solutions in Switzerland. By 2026, we expect these solutions will contribute CHF 10–20 million to our earnings.

What are the benefits of merging Swissbilling and Byjuno?

Swissbilling and Byjuno are a perfect match. They have a very complementary product range: Byjuno, for example, has a wallet solution, offers a monthly billing option and has a stronger online approach, while Swissbilling has more physical points of sale and is stronger in “billing as a service”, i.e. outsourcing all aspects of managing the billing process. Thanks to the merger, we can now offer our customers an even more comprehensive and optimised service. The two companies are also an ideal region­al fit. Swissbilling was stronger in French-speaking Switzerland and Byjuno in Geman-speaking Switzerland. With Christian Stolz as CEO and Jean-Christophe Calmes as Deputy CEO, we also have a strong management duo with complemen­tary skills. Together, we will be able to offer our partners a broader range of products and services, and our end customers will benefit from even simpler and more flexible payment options. Two companies that in the past approached the market as competitors now form an exceptionally strong duo in this business. Alongside our established credit factory, Swissbilling and Byjuno are an ideal fit.