lemon.markets secures €12m to expand brokerage services

lemon.markets, a Berlin-based FinTech specialising in brokerage-as-a-service, has raised an additional €12 million in funding to support its ambitious goal of opening 100 million brokerage accounts.

Established in 2020, lemon.markets offers a comprehensive digital brokerage and custody infrastructure, enabling various companies to provide investment products.

The potential for innovation in digital investment solutions is acknowledged by both traditional financial institutions and FinTech companies, which seek to enhance accessibility for consumers. In Germany, a considerable share of financial assets—41.7 per cent, according to the Bundesbank—are held in cash and bank deposits, such as overnight and fixed-term deposits.

lemon.markets facilitates access to capital markets by providing brokerage and custody infrastructure for ETFs, Funds, and, in the future, Stocks. This enables FinTechs, Banks, and Wealth Managers to offer investment opportunities to their customers.

The platform’s modular design allows customisation based on the partner’s requirements, while its API-first architecture ensures swift integration.

Supporting its partners throughout the entire value chain, lemon.markets assists with migration projects and the launch of tailored investment products.

In January 2024, lemon.markets obtained the necessary licences from BaFin to operate as an investment firm, enabling it to offer contract broking, investment advice, financial portfolio management, financial commission business, proprietary trading, and custody services.

Max Linden, founder and CEO of lemon.markets, stated, “With CommerzVentures, we have found a strong partner who has impressed us with its deep understanding of our market. We share a common vision and philosophy for developing lemon.markets into one of the most influential players in the industry. With the fresh funding, we will double down on the momentum in the market, bringing more partners and products to life over the coming months.”

CommerzVentures, Heliad, and existing investors, including Creandum, Lakestar, Lightspeed, and System.one, participated in the fundraising round.

Jonas Wenke, Principal at CommerzVentures, commented, “At CommerzVentures, we love partnering with the most talented teams that are solving financial services’ most complex problems. lemon.markets certainly ticks both boxes. Max is an impressive young leader who has built a first-class team around him, and we are beyond excited to lead this round and join them on the journey to make lemon.markets the largest and most modern brokerage and custody platform in Europe.”

Simon Schmincke, General Partner at Creandum, added, “I am convinced that expanding the range of digital investment products is crucial to encourage broader participation in the capital markets. Achieving this goal requires established players in asset management, banking, and brokerage to reevaluate their infrastructure. The lemon.markets team combines extensive securities services expertise with a deep technical understanding, uniquely positioning them to win both FinTechs and traditional players as clients.”

With the new capital, lemon.markets will expedite the development of its platform and launch new partnerships.

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