In 2025, the European payments landscape is navigating a seismic shift, driven by a growing demand for instant, cost-efficient, and automated transactions. A prime example of this evolution comes from the Spanish fintech company Devengo, which recently raised €2 million in a pre-Seed round backed by leading investors such as Bankinter, Banco Sabadell, Demium, the venture arm of Wayra, TheVentureCity, and business angels.
As a serial entrepreneur who has built and scaled businesses across multiple industries, I, Violetta Bonenkamp, see this development as a microcosm of the transformation happening in Europe. Not only is Devengo addressing inefficiencies within payment systems, but they're also redefining the banking-fintech relationship at a crucial juncture for innovation. Entrepreneurs and founders across industries should take note, this is about more than payments; it's about positioning yourself for success in a rapidly changing ecosystem.
Why Devengo Matters for Entrepreneurs
Before diving into the technical aspects of Devengo’s innovation, let’s highlight why their actions resonate across entrepreneurial realms:
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Direct Connection to Iberpay:
For many businesses, one of the pain points in payment processing is the reliance on intermediary banking systems. With Devengo’s direct connection to Iberpay, Spain’s clearing house, they remove bottlenecks in payment speed and efficiency. Imagine integrating such instantaneous account-to-account (A2A) payment capabilities into your business workflows, whether you're running an e-commerce store, a SaaS platform, or even an insurance brokerage. -
Multi-Sector Impact:
Devengo isn't limiting itself to one niche. Their API-first infrastructure caters to sectors like finance, insurance, real estate, and online gaming. For startups planning their go-to-market strategy, their versatility offers crucial insights into building adaptable solutions that cater to diverse client bases. -
Bank Participation Is a Signal:
The inclusion of major banks like Bankinter and Banco Sabadell showcases a shift in how traditional players perceive fintech. This isn’t just a funding round; it’s validation of Devengo’s technology as foundational to payment infrastructure modernization. Entrepreneurs should look at this as an indicator that collaboration, not competition, will shape the future.
A How-To Guide for Entrepreneurs Inspired by Devengo
While Devengo impresses with its ability to raise funds and scale innovation, what can entrepreneurs actively take away from their success? Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1. Adopt an API-First Approach
APIs (application programming interfaces) allow businesses to scale without overengineering their processes. Devengo’s API-first model ensures flexibility and compatibility across sectors, empowering businesses with automated and programmable payments. Entrepreneurs must think about how their solution can be API-driven to ease adoption for users.
2. Collaborate with Established Players
Devengo’s engagement with top-tier banks and corporate investors like TheVentureCity and Wayra highlights the power of building strategic alliances. When starting out, focus on partnerships that give you credibility and amplify your market reach, whether with industry leaders, accelerators, or localized venture capital players.
3. Prioritize Compliance and Regulatory Compatibility
As a payment institution authorized by the Bank of Spain, Devengo demonstrates that compliance is non-negotiable. Whether you're in fintech, AI, or blockchain, aligning with regional regulations like GDPR or PSD2 is crucial for scaling sustainably across borders.
4. Prepare for SEPA Expansion
If you're a European entrepreneur, the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) offers a unified market allowing euro transactions across 36 countries. Devengo is leveraging this setup smartly to amplify their scalability. Founders who locate their operations in Europe should plan to align workflows with SEPA’s norms to unlock broader market access.
Avoiding Pitfalls: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Devengo
As entrepreneurs, we know that success stories only tell half the tale. The other half involves understanding potential pitfalls in accelerating innovation. Here are three common mistakes to avoid:
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Settling for Incremental Innovation:
Devengo isn’t just upgrading existing payment protocols, they're integrating advanced features like “Request to Pay” that could define the next era of digital payments. Entrepreneurs must learn to challenge legacy systems and invest in bold, scalable ideas. -
Neglecting User Experience:
While Devengo focuses deeply on operational efficiency and automation, startups must ensure their technology feels intuitive. Poor user experience can delay adoption, even for groundbreaking solutions. -
Underestimating the Complexity of Scaling Across Borders:
Devengo is ready to scale within the SEPA zone because their infrastructure addresses compliance and market uniformity. Entrepreneurs looking to go global must similarly ensure they anticipate international challenges: differing laws, linguistic nuances, and cultural preferences.
Eye-Opening Stats Supporting Devengo’s Vision
- 90% of payments in Europe will be real-time by 2030, according to a report on European instant payments trends.
- €10 trillion in payments are processed annually across SEPA, creating a massive market opportunity for compliant innovations like A2A systems.
- Businesses using instant payments see a 35% increase in transaction speed and a reduction in costs of up to 40% per transaction, enabling them to allocate more budget to growth opportunities.
The Entrepreneurial Insights
Devengo’s €2 million pre-Seed round speaks volumes, not just in terms of capital raised but also in highlighting the convergence of banking traditionalists and digital disruptors. Building a funding coalition with entities like TheVentureCity and Wayra while involving powerhouse banks like Banco Sabadell signifies where the industry is heading, towards hybrid models.
There’s no doubt that for current and aspiring fintech founders, Devengo is laying down the blueprint for financial innovation in Europe. The emphasis on APIs, regulatory alignment, and collaborative scaling provides actionable strategies that transcend payments systems. In a world demanding instantaneous service and agility, we can all take cues from Devengo’s methodical approach embodied in their ability to bridge the gap between agility and compliance.
Closing Thoughts
As someone who’s straddled the education, blockchain, and now deep tech industries, I encourage entrepreneurs not just to innovate, but to innovate deliberately. Devengo’s story reflects the power of foresight, understanding market demands and proactively meeting them with technology that solves pressing bottlenecks. This isn’t just about payments. It’s about positioning your startup where the future of the industry transforms.
For founders looking to explore and adopt this model within their own ventures, start by asking: "Am I building to make real change, or just to fit into existing systems?"
To learn more about how Devengo operates and how you can integrate A2A payments into your project, visit Devengo’s official site.
FAQ
What does Devengo specialize in?
Devengo is a Spanish fintech specializing in account-to-account (A2A) payment infrastructure. It provides instant, automated, and intelligent payment solutions tailored for various sectors, including insurance, real estate, online gaming, and e-commerce. Learn more about Devengo
What is the significance of Devengo’s direct connection to Iberpay?
Devengo’s direct connection to Iberpay, Spain’s clearing house, eliminates reliance on traditional banking intermediaries, enabling faster and more efficient payment processing. Learn more about Iberpay
Who are the key investors in Devengo’s €2 million pre-Seed round?
Devengo’s pre-Seed round was led by prominent backers such as Bankinter, Banco Sabadell, and Demium, with additional support from TheVentureCity, Wayra, and various business angels. Read more about the funding round
How does Devengo’s API-first model benefit businesses?
Devengo’s API-first approach allows businesses to integrate automated, programmable payments seamlessly into their workflows, improving efficiency and adaptability across sectors. Discover Devengo’s API-first model
What is SEPA and how does Devengo plan to utilize it?
The Single European Payments Area (SEPA) allows streamlined euro transactions across 36 European countries. Devengo leverages this framework to expand its A2A payment solutions across Europe. Explore SEPA’s market potential
What emerging payment features is Devengo focusing on?
Devengo is working on implementing advanced payment features like “Request to Pay” and instant international transfers, shaping the future of European payments. Read about future payment features
How does the involvement of banks reflect on Devengo’s credibility?
The participation of major banks like Bankinter and Banco Sabadell validates Devengo’s technology, demonstrating that traditional financial institutions view its innovation as integral to modern payment systems. Check out Bankinter for more details
What makes instant payments a focus for Devengo and European fintech?
Instant payments significantly enhance transaction speed, reduce costs, and improve financial inclusion. It’s projected that 90% of European payments will be real-time by 2030. Explore European payment trends
What compliance measures does Devengo have in place?
As a payment institution authorized by the Bank of Spain, Devengo aligns with all relevant European regulations, including PSD2 and GDPR, ensuring trust and scalability in its operations.
Why is Devengo considered a trailblazer in European payment systems?
Devengo’s ability to attract bank support, its advanced technological infrastructure, and its focus on regulatory compliance make it a leader in modernizing European A2A payment systems. Learn more about Devengo’s market position
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
