Small and medium‑sized enterprises across Europe are operating in increasingly challenging environments, where long payment terms and rising uncertainties put significant pressure on cash flow and reduce their resilience. One model that has proven highly effective is bank–fintech collaboration, combining the stability and credibility of a bank with the speed, automation, and flexibility of fintech.
A recent example is the pilot project launched by Tatra banka and the factoring fintech Malcom Finance. Through this collaboration, a selected group of Tatra banka’s business customers can now test the Invoice Financing service — a fully digital solution that enables businesses to finance their issued invoices and quickly unlock cash directly within the Tatra banka mobile app.
The pilot phase is currently limited to selected customer segments to validate the solution under real conditions and gather feedback before a potential wider rollout.
Tatra banka has long been recognized as a digital innovator in the Slovak market. Its cooperation model allows the bank to test new solutions with fintech partners in a controlled environment. Malcom Finance brings extensive experience in invoice financing across the CEE region, together with its own automated risk‑assessment technology.
Bank–fintech partnerships are the future of business financing. Banks bring certainty; fintech brings speed and specialization. With Tatra banka, we are testing how to jointly accelerate access to cash for smaller companies that historically struggled to access factoring,”
says Jaroslav Ton, CEO of Malcom Finance.
“Our goal is to deliver modern, flexible financial solutions for smaller companies. Thanks to this cooperation, we can test new products quickly and safely. Invoice Financing combines the financial security of the bank with the digital convenience and speed of a fintech,”
adds Monika Beseda, Partnership Development Manager at Tatra banka.
Why Invoice Financing Matters for SMEs
SMEs frequently operate in supply chains dominated by larger companies, where payment terms of 30, 60, or even 90 days are standard. Even with contracts in place, cash often arrives much later — while ongoing expenses cannot wait.
Invoice Financing allows businesses to convert issued invoices into cash quickly:
- Up to 80% of the invoice amount is paid out — usually within 24 hours.
- The remaining amount is transferred once the buyer pays, minus a fee starting from 1.7% for 30‑day maturities.
- Multiple invoices can be financed at once, including lower‑value ones.
- The process is fully digital — from application to payout.
- It is offered as non‑recourse factoring with insurance — meaning SMEs retain the advance even if their counterparty becomes insolvent.
How the pilot works for customers
The service is accessible directly in the Tatra banka mobile app:
- The customer selects Invoice Financing from the menu.
- After a simple activation, the customer is redirected to the secure Malcom Finance client zone to sign the agreement electronically.
- They upload the invoices they wish to finance.
- After approval, 80% of the invoice value is paid to their account — typically within a day.
- When the buyer pays, the remaining 20% (minus fees) is released.
- Customers can track the entire process in real time in both the app and the Malcom Finance portal.
- All financed invoices are insured.
The future: deeper cooperation, broader access
Bank–fintech partnerships will become increasingly important in shaping how SMEs finance their growth.
The pilot initiative demonstrates that even more complex services — such as invoice financing — can be delivered simply, digitally, and securely.
Malcom Finance has been providing factoring for SMEs in logistics, transport, export, construction, and manufacturing since 2018. The company has financed more than 250,000 invoices for over 4,000 companies, with a total volume exceeding 7 billion CZK, and now operates in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. It is also one of the fastest‑growing tech companies in Central and Eastern Europe (ranked 9th in the Deloitte Fast 50 CEE).
In 2024, Malcom Finance was awarded by WOA.digital as Best Digital Factoring, Breakthrough of the Year.
The goal for both partners during the pilot is to understand customer needs and build a scalable collaboration model that will ultimately benefit entrepreneurs across the region.
Source: Hrot24.cz, Malcom Finance
