Lightyear closes $23 million Series B

European investment platform Lightyear has announced a $23 million Series B funding round led by the European-Japanese fund NordicNinja, with participation from Superangel and Specialist VC, as well as individual investors such as Markus Villig, founder of Bolt. Existing investors in the platform, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Metaplanet and Skaala (the fund of Taavet Hinrikus, one of the co-founders of Wise), also contributed fresh capital.

Lightyear will use this funding to strengthen its position as one of the fastest-growing investment platforms in Europe. In just three years since its pan-European launch, it now operates in 25 markets and in 10 languages. The fintech will deepen its presence in existing markets such as Spain—where it aims to grow both its customer base and assets under management—and expand into new countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Bulgaria, where it has just launched operations.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for the company. This funding round is a vote of confidence in the untapped potential of retail investing across Europe and in our ability to unlock it. Europe remains a continent of savers, with fully independent tax systems, different regulations, and complex infrastructure; there is certainly no one-size-fits-all solution. Unlocking this market means removing barriers to entry and democratizing investing, which is why we strongly believe in our mission to enable 750 million Europeans to build meaningful wealth,” said Martin Sokk, CEO and co-founder of Lightyear.

Rainer Sternfeld, Partner at NordicNinja, added: “We’re thrilled to lead Lightyear’s Series B round—a company that continues to make waves across Europe. As investors, our goal is to find companies solving real problems with innovative solutions, and founders Martin and Mihkel have a unique vision for the future of retail investing in Europe.”

Markus Villig, founder of Bolt, stated: “Scaling a business across multiple countries in a highly regulated sector like ours is no easy task. That’s why it’s essential to have an agile and talented team focused on building a product that helps Europeans grow their wealth while delivering a great user experience. I’m excited to support Martin and Mihkel in their mission to transform this market.”

In addition to strengthening its structure and operations, Lightyear will use this capital to advance its technology and improve the tools available to users. Today it launches the first phase of Lightyear AI, which includes new features that provide access to expert analysis and summarised financial news within the context of each user’s portfolio. By the end of this year and throughout 2026, Lightyear AI will continue expanding to offer retail investors powerful wealth management capabilities.

$1 Billion in Customer Assets

This round coincides with a major milestone in Lightyear’s journey: the platform has just surpassed $1 billion in customer assets. Since its founding in 2021, Lightyear has experienced rapid growth across Europe. In the past year alone, it launched business accounts in 18 countries, surpassed 6,000 investment instruments available, and introduced fractional European stocks and ETFs.

In Spain, Lightyear has been operating since 2022 and strengthened its presence in 2023 by adding IBEX 35 stocks and BlackRock money market funds, responding to growing interest in accessible investment products. In 2024, it launched its Spanish-language service, following strong adoption of its commission-free ETF and savings portfolios.

About Lightyear

Lightyear is a simple and accessible way to invest globally, with no barriers or unnecessary fees. Founded in October 2020 by Martin Sokk and Mihkel Aamer—both formerly of Wise (previously TransferWise)—Lightyear is headquartered in London (UK) and Tallinn (Estonia).

Lightyear Europe AS is authorised and regulated as an investment firm by the Estonian Financial Supervisory Authority, allowing it to provide services across all EU and EEA countries. In the UK, Lightyear Financial Ltd is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 775330).

To date, the company has raised $35 million and is backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mosaic Ventures, Metaplanet, and Taavet+Sten. Other investors include Sir Richard Branson and Eileen Burbidge MBE, one of the first backers of Monzo and former UK Treasury special envoy for fintech.