Lena Hackelöer

Short Biography Lena Hackel'er is the Founder and CEO of Brite Payments, a Stockholm-headquartered fintech that leverages open banking to offer instant payments and payouts across 27 European markets. Brite's proprietary instant payments network connects more than 3,800 banks and allows consumers to quickly and securely pay directly from their bank account with only top-of-mind information. A distinguished fintech leader, Lena has been recognised by Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten women in European fintech. In 2023, she cemented this status by securing a $60 million Series A round to accelerate Brite's growth, marking Europe's largest fintech Series A by a female founder that year. Her continued impact on the sector is reflected in recent industry accolades, including her selection to the MAD30 European Tech Challengers list, EU Startups' 100 Most Influential Women in Startups & VC, and the Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist as a Senior Leader. Long Biography Lena Hackel'er is the Founder and CEO of Brite Payments, a Stockholm-headquartered fintech that utilises the open banking framework to offer instant payments and payouts across 27 European markets. With more than 15 years of experience in the European fintech sector, Lena has been transforming the industry since joining Klarna in 2010, where she established their global B2B marketing division. She spent over seven years in leadership positions at Klarna during its hyper-growth phase, serving as Director of Global Business Marketing and Director of Market Growth and Strategy, before going on to serve as CEO of a publicly listed Swedish fintech providing consumer credit solutions. Having gained unique insights into the limitations and challenges of growing a successful fintech, Lena founded Brite Payments in 2019. Brite eliminates fraud risk and heightens security by leveraging real-time open banking technology to connect online merchants and consumers directly. In 2023, she secured a $60 million Series A funding round backed by Dawn Capital and Headline, marking the largest Series A raised by a female fintech founder in Europe that year. Under her guidance, Brite Payments has consistently set industry benchmarks, winning prestigious honours such as Best Open Banking Initiative at the EU FinTech Awards, Payments System of the Year at the Retail Systems Awards, Best Use of Open Banking for Payments at the MPE Awards, and Best A2A Payments Platform at Juniper Research's Future Digital Awards. Lena's continuous impact on the ecosystem has earned her widespread recognition. Named by Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten women in European fintech, her industry recognition includes being named to the MAD30 European Tech Challengers, EU Startups' 100 Most Influential Women in Startups & VC, and the Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist as a Senior Leader. As an established voice at the forefront of European fintech, Lena has been a sought-after speaker at global flagship events, including Web Summit, Money 20/20, MoneyLIVE, OMR, and Bits & Pretzels. Having launched Brite Payments, Lena is uniquely placed to speak knowledgeably on technical industry topics, provide insights into founding a business, and make strategic recommendations for topics such as talent acquisition and development across European markets.