Zilch raises $175m to power AI-led expansion in digital payments

By Vriti Gothi

Zilch has raised more than $175 million in debt and equity funding to advance its mission of reshaping global commerce. The raise, led by KKCG with participation from BNF Capital and several other strategic investors, also includes an expansion of Zilch’s securitisation facility led by Deutsche Bank.

This new financing marks a pivotal milestone for Zilch as it enters the next stage of its growth journey. The company plans to deploy the funds towards enhancing product innovation, expanding its AI-driven commerce platform, boosting brand visibility through above-the-line marketing, and exploring strategic M&A opportunities further to strengthen its position in the digital payments ecosystem.

The announcement follows the rollout of two of Zilch’s most significant product launches to date. Intelligent Commerce, an AI-powered platform transforming live engagement data into real-time insights, has rapidly become one of Zilch’s fastest-growing revenue streams, driving the company’s leadership in the emerging landscape of Agentic Commerce. Meanwhile, Zilch Pay, set to launch in H1 2026, will enable customers to enjoy a seamless one-click checkout experience, capturing a larger share of consumer wallets while enhancing payment convenience and security.

Since its founding in 2020, Zilch has pursued a clear mission: to eliminate high-cost credit by building a customer-centric payments ecosystem that rewards users for the retail value they create. The platform connects over 5.3 million customers to thousands of global retailers and brands, including Amazon, eBay, Tesco, and Sports Direct, helping merchants acquire and engage customers more efficiently. Zilch users transact nearly 60 times per year on average, with its most active customers using the service daily. To date, the company has processed more than £5 billion in commerce.

“In just five years, we have rewired the relationship between brands and their customers, offering a different way to pay that brings mass benefits to both consumers and merchants,” said Philip Belamant, CEO and Co-Founder of Zilch. “This funding reflects strong confidence in our team, strategy and execution, enabling us to continue scaling at pace. Our newly launched products are already driving outsized growth, and with the support of a world-class group of debt and equity investors, we’re well-positioned for the next phase of expansion. In a market where many have found raising capital difficult, the network and strategic leadership of my co-founder, Sean O’Connor, have been instrumental in helping us achieve this outcome, and we are excited for the year ahead.”