In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Lena Hackelöer, founder & CEO at Brite Payments, to explore the company’s growth, the future of European payments, and the challenges facing fintech founders. Lena shares how Brite has evolved from a Swedish startup founded in 2019 into a leading pay-by-bank provider operating across 27 European markets. Following its Series A round, the company expanded into Germany and France. She reflects on how her early career shaped her entrepreneurial approach. Her experience at Klarna during its hypergrowth phase taught her how to build and internationalise a fast-moving fintech company, while a later role in a listed financial services business exposed her to operating in a highly regulated environment. Lena also discusses European payment sovereignty. Brite is building a pan-European instant payment network that reduces reliance on non-European infrastructure, but she argues that sovereignty alone will not drive adoption. Merchants and consumers ultimately prioritise convenience, reliability, conversion rates, and lower processing costs. The conversation examines the difficulty of scaling across Europe. Differences in language, culture, banking systems, regulation, and consumer behaviour mean the continent cannot be treated as a single market. Although licences can be passported across the European Union, requirements may still vary between regulators. Lena explains why localisation is essential. German consumers often place greater emphasis on security and data protection, while Swedish users are more comfortable with digital transparency. Brite therefore combines centralised technology with local expertise, adapting its strategy to each market. Looking ahead, Lena sees convenience as the main driver of pay-by-bank adoption. Improvements in mobile banking, app-to-app authentication, and instant payments are making the experience faster, enabling instant confirmation, rapid refunds, and quicker payouts. The interview concludes with a discussion about female entrepreneurship and representation in fintech. Lena believes progress is being made as more women gain senior experience and professional networks. However, funding inequalities, limited access to technical careers, and low female participation in engineering remain significant barriers. Key Points • Brite Payments has grown from a Swedish startup into a pan-European pay-by-bank platform operating across 27 markets. • Lena’s experience at Klarna helped shape her entrepreneurial approach and payments expertise. • European payment sovereignty matters, but adoption depends on convenience, reliability, conversion rates, and commercial value. • Fragmented regulation, banking infrastructure, and consumer behaviour make European expansion complex. • Mobile banking, instant payments, and app-to-app authentication are making pay-by-bank services faster and more attractive. • Greater female representation will require better access to funding, technical careers, and senior leadership opportunities.
