Aug 17, 2020 - Economy

American Express to buy Kabbage

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

American Express on Monday announced an agreement to acquire online small-business lender Kabbage for an undisclosed amount.

Why it matters: Kabbage is one of the fintech companies that helped small businesses tap into the Paycheck Protection Program despite furloughing hundreds of workers at the beginning of the pandemic.

  • Bloomberg first reported on the deal talks last week, suggesting that Amex may pay $850 million in cash, inclusive of possible employee retention bonuses.
  • Kabbage had raised nearly $1 billion in venture capital funding since 2009, from firms like SoftBank, Thomvest Ventures, BlueRun Ventures, and Reverence Capital Partners.
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