About benfinia
Competitive, responsible business financing without compromises plus embedded flexible pay for employees
benfinia is an innovative start-up that leverages embedded finance and ESG intelligence to transform employee well-being into a tangible lever for accessing competitive, flexible and ethical free-cashflow financing.
We transform pay into a superior asset as collateral that allows us to finance any business, independent of its credit rating while also giving its employees free access to their earned salary – thereby reducing employees’ financial stress and improving their well-being.
With this, benfinia aims to reinvent the employer-employee relationship and making it a foundation for mutual value creation.
Background & aspiration
Businesses face multiple challenges in a financially stormy environment
Across Europe, companies are expected to do more — not only to survive market volatility and labour competition but also to meet growing regulatory and social expectations. From stricter ESG frameworks to employee well-being mandates, businesses face a rising burden of responsibility.
Access to short-term financing — especially for working capital — has however become increasingly difficult:
- Credit remains heavily dependent on balance sheets, real assets as collateral, or insurance guarantees – and therefore difficult to receive at affordable terms especially for small and medium businesses
- Regulatory requirements around sustainability and transparency (ESG) increase compliance complexity and cost
- Labour shortages and high turnover in certain sectors require employers to offer costly benefits (e.g. flexible benefits, mobility subsidies, retention bonuses).
- Human Resources departments are overextended, managing not only payroll and compliance, but also well-being, social impact, and internal communications.
In short, businesses are caught in a paradox: their need to stomach increasing sustainability and employee well-being responsibilities yet have less access to affordable financing.
benfinia was born to resolve this contradiction. Companies investing in employee well-being and sustainability deserve better access to financing. These non-financial efforts are real, measurable, and recurring — and should be transformed into financial leverage.
That’s benfinia’s promise: converting responsible business conduct into a tangible advantage in financial markets – for all businesses.
Virtuous cycle
Creating benfinia’s virtuous benefits & finance cycle
We believe that employee well-being is not just a social responsibility — it is a strategic asset.
When an employer invests in a healthy, satisfied, and engaged workforce, it reduces risk, improves performance, and creates long-term value. These benefits are not intangible: they can be quantified and certified through a structured ESG framework.
When well-being becomes measurable, benfinia can transform it into an asset that can be used as collateral for financing.
benfinia sets in motion a virtuous benefits and finance cycle giving businesses competitive financing and employees enhanced well-being:
- Business provides well-being in form of flexible pay to its employees
- Employees’ well-being score increases and gives the business access to favourable funders
- Funder provides favourable, ethical, short-term funding at favourable rates to the business
- Financing facility is flexible and can exceed the financing of the flexible pay. Costs of financing include the financing of flexible pay. It is favourable compared to alternative financing
This cycle is self-propelling and can be entered at any point of the cycle.
This virtuous cycle creates a new standard — a charter — where social responsibility is directly rewarded.
benfinia provides the tools to establish, validate, and capitalize on this model.
The benfinia team is committed to delivering this promise to every business and it’s employees
The benfinia team
Hans-Nicolai Hars
Founder / CEO
Serial entrepreneur with start-up/scale-up experience in executive positions or as co-founder at ICG Commerce/Accenture, MRM and Hi55 Ventures. Prior to that 30 years senior leadership experience in professional services, market entry, sales and delivery with leading consulting firms Kearney, The Hackett Group and Kerkhoff Consulting.
During the last three years developing and shaping pay-backed financing, benfinia’s finance innovation across Europe.
Preparing the Greek roll-out of benfinia during the last two years.
Prince Mishal Al Faisal Al Saud
Co-Founder, Greek Relationship
Serial entrepreneur with 15 years experience in corporate venturing, Greek market entry strategy and private equity real estate.
Strong Greek corporate, banking and political network.
During the last two years preparing the Greek roll-out of benfinia.
Claudia Elena
Cuzuban-Perri
Co-Founder / Investor Relations / Product
Seasoned business development executive & entrepreneur with 17+ years of international experience in banking technology, fintech, and commercial finance transformation – helping start-ups, scale-ups and financial institutions bridge the gap between insight and execution.
Member of Crowdcruit’s Advisory Board and a founder of KonX.
Since Q3 2025 Claudia is actively involved in benfinia’s investor and partner relationship management and supports product development.
