Berlin-based Pliant raised an $80M Series C led by Seaya Nova and Speedinvest, as it opens its B2B payments infrastructure to AI agents

AI agents can now initiate business payments through a licensed and regulated infrastructure, bypassing traditional human oversight for routine transactions.

Berlin-based fintech Pliant has secured $80 million in Series C funding, led by Seaya Nova and Speedinvest. The company plans to use this capital to expand its North American presence and further develop its B2B payments infrastructure. Pliant's platform, which integrates commercial card issuing, payment accounts, foreign exchange, and spend management, now allows external AI agents, including large language models like ChatGPT and Claude, to initiate payment workflows. This integration is facilitated by Pliant's Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI to automate business payments within existing processes while maintaining built-in controls and audit trails. Pliant, which has surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, aims to serve both established businesses seeking to integrate AI into their financial operations and AI-native companies requiring a fast, licensed payment partner.

This funding round signifies a growing trend of AI agents being integrated directly into core financial infrastructure, moving beyond simple data analysis to active transaction execution. Pliant's ability to provide a licensed, auditable, and controlled environment for AI-driven payments addresses a critical market need for security and compliance as automation becomes more sophisticated. This development suggests a future where AI agents are not just tools but active participants in business finance, impacting how companies manage cash flow and vendor relations.

The expansion of Pliant into North America and its opening to third-party AI agents positions it as a key player in the burgeoning AI-powered fintech space. Companies that leverage AI for operational efficiency may find Pliant's infrastructure a crucial enabler, potentially lowering transaction costs and speeding up payment cycles. This move also puts pressure on incumbent payment processors and traditional banks to adapt and offer similar integrated AI capabilities, indicating a significant shift in the competitive landscape of B2B financial services.