Calgary-based payments company Helcim plans to grow its roughly 200-person team after closing a $53-million Series C round to accelerate its expansion across North America.
The financing was led by BDC Capital’s Growth Venture Fund and included new investors Curql Collective, a strategic fund backed by more than 160 North American credit unions, and Gold House Ventures. Existing backers Headline, Aquiline, Information Venture Partners, Vesey Ventures, Clocktower Ventures, and Alberta Accelerate Fund also participated.
The round brings Helcim’s total equity raised since its 2022 Series A to $100 million. It also values the company at $250 million, up from $97 million following its Series B in 2024.
Helcim has not disclosed how many employees it expects to add or which roles it will prioritize. The company said the new capital will support additional hiring as it expands its core payments platform, adds financial services for merchants, and moves further into the mid-market.
The hiring plans follow a period of significant growth. Helcim recently surpassed $150 million in annual recurring revenue, serves more than 22,000 active businesses in Canada and the United States, and is on track to process nearly $10 billion in payments annually.
“There’s a real void in the market right now—merchants are coming to Helcim faster than ever, looking for a modern alternative,” founder and CEO Nic Beique said.
Helcim traces its roots to 2006 but launched its current payments infrastructure in 2020, shifting from reselling another processor’s merchant services to operating its own end-to-end system. The company has also developed its own point-of-sale hardware and, in January, introduced an AI-powered Payment Extension that helps merchants connect Helcim’s technology with software they already use.
The company believes a broader shift in Canadian payments is creating room for its next phase of growth. Major banks have sold or outsourced merchant-services operations, while Helcim is positioning itself as an independent alternative offering volume-based interchange-plus pricing, online and in-person payment tools, and direct customer service.
Helcim is also pursuing partnerships with regional banks and credit unions seeking new payment options for small-business customers. Curql Collective’s participation in the round could help advance that strategy across the credit-union sector.
The Series C gives Helcim more resources to build its technology and talent base in Calgary while competing for a larger share of the North American payments market. For the city’s tech workforce, the key detail will be how the company translates that expansion plan into new jobs—and which skills it needs for its next stage.