Tell us about the business 鈥� how did it start?听
HELPFUL was set up in 2019 by William Nordh and myself. We鈥檝e known each other for a听 while, in fact this is the third business that we have set up together and the most ambitious one, balancing purpose, people and profit.听听
At HELPFUL we use payments as a force for good, not just an add-on to complete a听 transaction, but to deliver seamless experiences that people expect from a sustainable听 society.听
We do this by building b2b partnerships with sustainable partners to meet the demands of听 the net zero future; from shopping for fashion and food and drink, to recycling, to urban mobility and EV charging.听
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How is your business different?
We鈥檝e not come across anyone else approaching payments in the same way as us.听
The current landscape is complex, with multiple apps, registration processes and payment听 options for consumers to choose from, which results in abandoned purchases and low repeat听 purchases. This means that we need cross industry simplification, that will deliver a seamless听 experience.听
At HELPFUL we work across sustainable industries, we integrate with existing and new听 business models to simplify the user experience and provide sustainable outcomes. We bring听 new and repeat customers, savings, rewards and a seamless experience.
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What challenges have you overcome? What have you learnt?
The biggest challenges a start-up faces are funding and partnerships and it is usually one听 that brings the other! We were very fortunate to secure some key partnerships early on,听 including Railsbank and Mastercard. This helped us shape the solution and has saved us a lot听 of time and resources, on our journey to date.听听
As a result of the pandemic, we鈥檝e seen companies reflect on their models and look at听 alternative ways to deliver more sustainable products, with a digital focus, thanks to a leap of听about 5 years in adoption of digital, by consumers and business, according to McKinsey. This听 has been a great benefit to us.听
There鈥檚 still a long way to go in terms of everyone embracing digital solutions, but we see a听 real opportunity for digital payments to play a big part in simplifying the consumer听 experience. Our first piece of consumer analysis revealed that 18-34 year-olds make up 80%听 of HELPFUL users.听听
We鈥檙e starting to see more integrated experiences, companies working together, combining technologies to deliver solutions and I think we鈥檒l see barriers to sustainable options听 removed, providing better access to products and services, as well as more rewards for听 consumers who make responsible choices.
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What are your plans for growth?
We think that collaboration is key to deliver a seamless and sustainable experience and we听 expect to see some really exciting partnerships and pilots in 2022 that reflect the move from听 business as usual, towards more sustainable models. We work alongside policy and听 regulation, meaning businesses who partner with HELPFUL can prepare for regulation听 changes, address the requirements of a net zero future, engage with new customers and听 operate a more cost-effective model.
