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Helcim Raises $53 Million Series C as Banks Exit Small Business Payments

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The round led by Business Development Bank’s (BDC) Growth Venture Fund lifts Helcim’s valuation to $250 million CAD, with participation from Curql Collective, Gold House Ventures, and existing investors.

CALGARY, AB, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Helcim, a Calgary-based payments company that powers small and mid-sized businesses across North America, today announced it has closed a $53 million CAD Series C funding round led by Business Development Bank’s (BDC) Growth Venture Fund. The round also included participation from new investors Curql Collective, a strategic investment fund backed by more than 160 North American credit unions, and Gold House Ventures, alongside continued investment from existing backers Headline, Aquiline, Information Venture Partners, Vesey Ventures, Clocktower Ventures, and Alberta Accelerate Fund.

The financing brings Helcim’s total equity raised to $100 million since its 2022 Series A and lifts the company’s valuation to $250 million, up from $97 million at its Series B in 2024. It follows a year in which Helcim crossed $150 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), grew its team to 200 people, expanded its merchant base to more than 22,000 active businesses across Canada and the U.S., and is on track to process nearly $10 billion in annual payment volume.

The raise lands at a pivotal moment for the industry: several of Canada’s largest banks have recently sold off or outsourced their merchant services businesses, leaving a vacuum for small and mid-sized companies in need of a partner built specifically for them. Helcim is moving to fill that gap for small businesses – and, increasingly, mid-market companies – with three commitments: transparent pricing, an open merchant platform for accepting in-person and online payments, and great customer service.

“There’s a real void in the market right now – merchants are coming to Helcim faster than ever, looking for a modern alternative,” said Nic Beique, Helcim’s Founder and CEO. “This round lets us act on this at scale: expanding our platform, growing our team, and moving up-market so no business outgrows what we can offer them.”

Helcim launched as its own payments company in 2020, building its end-to-end infrastructure from the ground up rather than reselling another processor’s technology. That decision is what lets Helcim offer volume-based interchange plus pricing today instead of the inflated flat-rate fees many providers pass on to merchants.

In January 2026, Helcim released an AI-powered Payment Extension that lets merchants self-integrate Helcim’s payments processing into the software they already use, giving merchants the freedom to choose their preferred payment processor rather than being locked into a single embedded-payments provider. Adoption of the tool has scaled quickly since launch, and it’s one of the clearest signals of the demand now underpinning this round.

“Helcim is having a unique moment, growing fast and building a real advantage in the market,” said Jack Fraser, Partner at BDC Capital’s Growth Venture Fund. “Their recent AI-powered integration tool is a good example of the kind of fast-moving innovation we’re backing, and exactly what it will take to capture that opportunity.”

Helcim plans to use the new capital to continue investing in its payments platform and to grow into additional financial services for its merchants. The company is also expanding partnerships with regional banks and credit unions that are moving away from traditional providers themselves, in search of a modern payments platform for their small business members.

“Credit unions need to continue to upgrade their product offering for their small business members in the communities they serve if they want to remain relevant, compete and retain deposits,” said Nick Evens, President and CEO at Curql. “Helcim’s payment hub is the best we have seen and their value proposition for the CUs is far more robust than what is currently in market.”

To learn more about Helcim, visit helcim.com.

About Helcim

Helcim is on a mission to build the world’s most loved payments company. Launched in 2020 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Helcim provides an all-in-one payments and software platform – including point of sale, invoicing, online checkout, a smart terminal, and embedded payments tools – built specifically for small and mid-sized businesses. Helcim serves more than 22,000 active merchants across North America and processes billions in payments annually. For more information, visit helcim.com.

About BDC

BDC focuses on small- and medium-sized business owners, providing them financing, investment, and advice. As Canada’s development bank, they also support entrepreneurs who don’t fit the traditional mold working with a network of partners and help develop underserved markets to unlock economic potential. Their mission is to build strong, resilient businesses that drive Canada’s economic growth. BDC is a perennial Canada’s Top 100 Employer and B Corp certified. Learn more at bdc.ca or connect on social media.

About Curql Collective

Curql, a collective of over 160 credit unions jointly investing in fintech, brings timely solutions to the credit union industry. With over 50 fintech investments in the portfolio, Curql ensures that technology is designed specifically for credit unions, allowing them to better serve their members and remain competitive in an evolving financial landscape. Interested in learning more about how Curql brings fintech to credit unions? Visit curql.com

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Replit Awarded 2026 Microsoft for Startups Partner of the Year

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November 11, 2026

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SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Replit, the agentic software creation platform used by builders in 85% of the Fortune 500 companies, today announced it has been named the 2026 Microsoft for Startups Partner of the Year. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

“Replit’s mission is to give everyone the ability to build software without learning to code, and we’re honored to receive this recognition from Microsoft,” said Jeff Burke, VP of Partnerships at Replit. “Our work together is making it easier for companies to build and deploy software using the cloud infrastructure and enterprise tools they already rely on. It’s an important step toward our vision of the self-driving company where people set direction and AI agents handle more of the execution.”

Replit’s collaboration with Microsoft combines AI-powered software creation with Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure, enterprise data and tools, enabling businesses to build applications while maintaining security, governance and control.

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards celebrate partners delivering exceptional customer outcomes through Microsoft Cloud, AI, services, and devices. This year’s winners and finalists were selected from more than 4,500 nominations submitted worldwide across a diverse range of categories and geographies. Replit was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services in Microsoft for Startups.

“Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards,” said Nicole Dezen, Chief Partner Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft. “This year’s honorees are harnessing the power of Microsoft Cloud and AI to deliver transformative solutions, accelerate customer success, and expand what’s possible. Their ingenuity and impact inspire us, demonstrating what can be achieved when bold vision and technology come together to empower organizations around the world.”

The 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced ahead of Microsoft Ignite, which will be held in San Francisco from November 17-20.

About Replit
Replit is the agentic software creation platform that enables anyone to build applications without learning code. Founded in 2016, the company has more than 60 million users worldwide, including users at 85% of the Fortune 500. Teams at enterprises including Atlassian, Accenture, Adobe, and Databricks use Replit to build apps, and the company has partnerships with Stripe and Slack, among others. Replit is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in London and Tokyo.

Media Contact: press@replit.com

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Oxford Computer Group, a MajorKey Technologies Company, Recognized as a Finalist of 2026 Microsoft Secure Access and Defense and Intelligence Partner of the Year Awards

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November 11, 2026

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OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Oxford Computer Group, a MajorKey Technologies company, today announced it has been named a finalist of both the Secure Access 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award and the Defense and Intelligence 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that the company has been named a Defense and Intelligence finalist.

“Being named a finalist in both Secure Access and Defense and Intelligence is a great honor and a testament to our team’s identity expertise,” said Michael Yario, CEO of MajorKey Technologies. “Our purpose-built solutions, including HorizonID and IDProof+, accelerate Microsoft Entra adoption and unify identity and network access across complex environments. The recognition as a Defense and Intelligence finalist for the fourth consecutive year reflects the impact of our NomadID solution, which secures identity services and mission resilience for federal agencies when connectivity cannot be assumed.”

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards celebrate partners delivering exceptional customer outcomes through Microsoft Cloud, AI, services, and devices. This year’s winners and finalists were selected from more than 4,500 nominations submitted worldwide across a diverse range of categories and geographies. Oxford Computer Group was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services in two categories: Secure Access and Defense and Intelligence.

The Secure Access Partner of the Year Award recognizes partners that deliver innovative Microsoft Entra solutions to protect identities, govern access, and enable Zero Trust across hybrid, multicloud, and AI-driven environments. The award honors measurable customer impact achieved through end-to-end services spanning strategy, deployment, and managed secure access.

Honoring partners that deliver innovative, mission-focused Microsoft solutions, the Defense and Intelligence Partner of the Year Award highlights work addressing complex operational, security, and national security challenges. The award recognizes deep industry expertise, measurable customer impact, scalable offerings, and successful adoption of Microsoft cloud, AI, and security technologies.

“Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards,” said Nicole Dezen, Chief Partner Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft. “This year’s honorees are harnessing the power of Microsoft Cloud and AI to deliver transformative solutions, accelerate customer success, and expand what’s possible. Their ingenuity and impact inspire us, demonstrating what can be achieved when bold vision and technology come together to empower organizations around the world.”

The 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced ahead of Microsoft Ignite, which will be held in San Francisco from November 17-20. Additional details about the 2026 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are available on the Microsoft Partner blog: https://aka.ms/2026POTYA_Announcement. The complete list of categories, winners, and finalists can be found at https://aka.ms/2026POTYAWinnersFinalists.

About MajorKey Technologies

MajorKey Technologies is an identity security and advisory firm that turns complex identity programs into secure, scalable, and operational capabilities. Through strategic advisory, deployment and integration, managed operations, and purpose-built accelerators, MajorKey helps enterprises secure and govern access, modernize identity platforms and programs, and prepare for human, non-human, and AI-driven identity demands. With deep expertise across leading identity technologies and strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Idira by Palo Alto Networks, SailPoint, and Saviynt, MajorKey connects strategy to execution, removes operational roadblocks, and advances measurable outcomes in security, governance, modernization, resilience, and AI readiness.

For more information, visit majorkeytech.com and follow MajorKey on LinkedIn.

Media Contact

Kristie Scarbinsky, VP of Marketing

MajorKey Technologies

kscarbinsky@majorkeytech.com

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Vipboss Helps Outdoor Enthusiasts Prepare for Next Year’s Adventures with Black Friday Sale

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November 11, 2026

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NEW YORK, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — While winter may signal the end of this year’s outdoor season, many RV travelers, boat owners, anglers, and golf cart users are already looking ahead to their next adventure. To help outdoor enthusiasts prepare early, Vipboss, a specialist manufacturer and developer of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery packs for energy storage and mobility applications, has launched its Black Friday promotion, offering savings of up to 50% on selected lithium battery products.

For those who spend time on the road, on the water, or exploring the outdoors, preparation often begins long before spring arrives. From upgrading equipment to planning future trips, the off-season provides an opportunity to make improvements that can enhance performance and reliability when outdoor activities resume.

Plan in Winter, Explore in Spring

Experienced outdoor enthusiasts understand that the best time to prepare for peak travel and recreation seasons is often months in advance. As temperatures cool and travel schedules slow down, many consumers use the winter months to inspect, maintain, and upgrade their equipment.

For RV owners, that may mean evaluating onboard power systems before next year’s road trips. Boat owners often use the off-season to prepare vessels for upcoming fishing and boating adventures. Golf cart users and anglers may also take the opportunity to upgrade batteries and electrical systems to support more reliable performance when warmer weather returns.

By planning ahead during Black Friday, consumers can take advantage of seasonal discounts while avoiding the rush that typically accompanies the start of spring and summer recreation seasons.

Reliable Power for Every Journey

No matter the destination, dependable power plays an important role in outdoor experience. Whether running onboard appliances in an RV, powering marine electronics, supporting trolling motors, or keeping golf carts operating efficiently, battery performance can significantly impact both convenience and enjoyment.

Vipboss’s LiFePO4 lithium battery lineup is designed to address common challenges associated with traditional lead-acid batteries. With lighter weight, faster charging capabilities, longer service life, and reduced maintenance requirements, lithium battery technology helps users spend less time managing power systems and more time enjoying their activities.

Black Friday Savings for the Next Adventure

Through its Black Friday event, Vipboss is offering discounts of up to 50% across selected products, providing customers with an opportunity to upgrade their power systems before the next outdoor season begins.

While the first spring trip may still be months away, the preparation starts now. For outdoor enthusiasts who value reliability, performance, and long-term convenience, Black Friday offers an opportunity to invest in the power solutions that will support future adventures.

About Vipboss

Vipboss is a specialist in the lithium battery industry, focusing on the research, production, and manufacturing of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery packs. The company is committed to advancing battery technology with an emphasis on reliable performance, safety, and extended service life. Its mission is to deliver safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible energy solutions that contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

For more information, please visit: https://vipbosspower.com/.

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