C2FO

C2FO

Type	Private
Industry	Financial technology
Founded	2008
Founder	Sandy Kemper
Headquarters	Kansas City, MO, United States
Products	dynamic early payment program, working capital marketplace, supplier early payment portal, short-term cash optimization
Website	www.c2fo.com

C2FO is a financial technology company and the creator of the first market for working capital. C2FO operates the C2FO working capital market for companies of all sizes around the world.^[1] C2FO is the only working capital exchange that allows companies to "Name your rate" to improve cash flow and to increase profit.

The company was founded in January 2008 by Sandy Kemper, former CEO of UMB Financial Corporation. ^[2] C2FO was previously known as Pollenware. The name changed to C2FO based on customer feedback that the market delivered collaborative cash flow optimization or C2FO, an acronym for what the market provides.

The first C2FO market clearing took place in 2010, and quickly earned the attention and backing of venture firm Union Square Ventures which is well known for the investment in other fast growing companies like Twitter and Zynga.^[3] In Q2 2015, C2FO completed a $40MM round of equity funding led by Temasek, a global investment company based in Singapore.^[4] Temasek joined a growing list of world-class C2FO investors including Union Square Ventures, Summerhill Venture Partners, OPENAIR Equity Partners, Mithril Capital, and Tiger Global. In Q1 2016, Citi Ventures became the newest investor to support C2FO's continued global expansion. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

C2FO posted its first $1 billion quarter in the fourth quarter of 2013. It experienced dramatic growth during 2014, handling $2.9 billion worth of transactions in the fourth quarter of 2014, with $1.4 billion of that happening in December.^[8] In September, 2015 C2FO announced it had reached the $1 billion-a-week milestone for the amount of working capital trading on its platform.^[9]

In the past six years, C2FO has generated more than $57 billion in working capital flows volume and over 220 million days of accelerated payment.

Working capital marketplace

C2FO provides a transparent marketplace for companies to deploy and secure working capital. Using the market, suppliers can request early payment from buyers on approved invoices. If early payment is awarded the funds are facilitated directly from the buyer to the supplier.^[10]

C2FO enables collaboration between buyers and suppliers in a real-time marketplace to discover the unique price for early payment that's profitable for both.^[11]

C2FO does not process payment or hold funds. The market is operated in an online environment with no fees or contracts for suppliers. C2FO currently operates in multiple currencies and is available in all countries. The market is a direct exchange between existing customers with no intermediaries or financial institutions, so it is free from regulation .^[12]

Market Insights in the Media

CNBC interviewed Chris Dark, President International of C2FO, on their Shake It Up program and asked him to explain how C2FO functions as the world's first marketplace for working capital. Dark discussed how C2FO benefits big customers such as Costco, Amazon and Pfizer and brings value to their suppliers at the same time.^[13]

In May, 2015, Karen Mills, Senior Fellow with Harvard Business School composed an article discussing the importance of small businesses in America and the three things they need to thrive, including access to working capital. In the article, Mills cited C2FO as an innovative new entrant in accounts receivable lending.^[14]

The Supplier Finance Survey, fielded by C2FO, polled leading UK corporate treasurers in Q4 2015, and shows that most treasury functions are looking into the value of accelerating payment to suppliers. The majority (71%) of corporate treasurers believe invoice discounting can act as a means for the Treasury to provide tangible value add, according to the research. ^[15] Suppliers are getting paid late across the globe, but it’s a particular problem in the U.K., where late payments have led to high-profile political action and lawsuits. ^[16] The research also found that 96 percent of treasurers agreed that the role of supplier financing services is on the rise. ^{[17] [18]}

City A.M. interviewed Colin Sharp, SVP EMEA for C2FO, and discussed C2FO's innovative approach to invoice financing. ^[19]

Recognition & Awards

In early 2015, C2FO was named to Global Finance magazine's 'The Innovators 2015' list ^[20] and received the 2015 Impact Award, from the American Cities Business Journals.

In December 2015, C2FO was recognized by Forbes as one of the most important financial tech companies on the magazine's 2015 Forbes Fintech 50 List.^[21] After considering more than 300 fintech companies, C2FO was recognized by for its ability to help solve the Liquidity Paradox, through its unique marketplace model. C2FO was also the only company listed from the dynamic discounting category.

H2 Ventures and KPMG also named C2FO to their 2015 Fintech 100 list of startups from around the world who are taking advantage of technology to revolutionize the industry by offering fresh, new, disruptive ideas.^[22]

The Supply Chain Finance Community has named C2FO among the six shortlisted vendors in its 'Open RFI' project, launched on behalf of a group of Dutch corporations.^[23]

Global Footprint

C2FO is headquartered in Fairway, KS. The company has offices around the globe.

• London
• Hong Kong
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Frankfurt
• Singapore

References

External links

• C2FO.com (company website)