SBI Group finalises majority ownership in Solaris

By Gloria Methri

SBI Group has officially completed the regulatory ownership control process to become the majority shareholder in Solaris, one of Europe’s leading embedded finance platforms.

The investment, part of Solaris’s €140 million Series G funding round secured in February, reflects SBI’s commitment to driving innovation in embedded finance and supporting Solaris’s long-term growth and profitability.

Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman, President, and CEO of SBI Holdings (SBIHD), expressed confidence in Solaris’s future, saying, “We are incredibly proud to become the majority shareholder in Solaris. It’s an exciting time, and with our support, we believe the organisation is well positioned to lead Europe’s ever-growing embedded finance market.”

Alongside this transition, Solaris has appointed Katharina Gehra to its supervisory board, replacing Burkhard Eckes. Gehra brings a wealth of financial expertise to Solaris. She currently serves on the supervisory boards of Fürstlich Castell’sche Bank and Boerse Stuttgart Group and co-edits the financial journal Der Aufsichtsrat. Her previous experience spans large banking institutions, consulting firms, and private equity. She holds an MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gehra will join the existing Solaris supervisory board, which includes James Freis, Tomoyuki Nii, Masashi Okuyama, and Yasuhiro Fujiki.

With SBI’s backing, Solaris aims to accelerate product innovation, expand its partnerships, and strengthen its role as a key FinTech infrastructure provider across Europe. This development marks an essential step in Solaris’s long-term strategy as it continues to innovate and drive embedded finance solutions across Europe.