Lightspeed Raises CA$80 Million to Drive International Growth, eCommerce Expansion

MONTREAL, Sept. 16, 2015 /CNW/ -- Today, Lightspeed, the most powerful cloud POS platform for retailers and restaurants, announced CA$80 million in funding co-led by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Investissement Québec (IQ), alongside existing investors Accel Partners and iNovia Capital. This brings Lightspeed's total funding to date to CAS$150 million.

The financing will support the company's rapid global growth, technology infrastructure enhancements and deeper investment in its omnichannel offering. Currently more than 25,000 customers in over 100 countries use Lightspeed to build, manage and grow their stores and restaurants, online and offline. The company has seen 123 percent year-over-year growth and its customers now process over $10 billion annually.

"Today, our cloud platform processes more than 17,000 actions per minute. We are investing heavily in scaling our platform to support our rapidly growing and increasingly global user base as well as developing offline transaction capabilities," said Dax Dasilva, Lightspeed CEO and founder. "With omnichannel becoming increasingly important to our retailers and their customers, this funding will also further support the expansion and development of our eCommerce offering."

Expanding Globally
With newly opened offices in London and Ghent, Lightspeed's European business has taken off. Since the start of this year, the company has grown 745 percent year-over-year in Europe, largely due to the company's restaurant product launch and European payment processing regulations requiring restaurants to upgrade their POS systems.

Deepening Canadian Roots
This $80 million investment round is yet another indicator of the rapid growth and financial support for Canadian tech companies, driven by global investors seeking out the strongest Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies worldwide.

"Over the past few years, Lightspeed has grown rapidly, becoming a Canadian technology industry leader in the SaaS market," said Christian Dubé, Executive Vice-President, Québec at CDPQ. "This investment fits with la Caisse's strategy to back the efforts of Quebec's innovative companies in their international growth and acquisition plans."

"We are pleased to support Lightspeed and help make this thriving and innovative Québec-based company a dominant force in the industry," stated Investissement Québec President and Chief Executive Officer Pierre Gabriel Côté. "This investment will not only create high-quality jobs in Québec, but also help build a world-class technology company right here. It is also a clear demonstration of Investissement Québec's desire to continue supporting innovative businesses and confirms its position as one of Québec's venture capital leaders."

About Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed provides retailers and restaurateurs the simplest way to build, manage, and grow their business and create a better customer experience. More than 25,000 businesses processing over $10 billion in transactions annually use Lightspeed's mobile POS and commerce platform to manage inventory, customer preferences, sales, and analytics to get a complete view of their entire business in one place. Founded in 2005 with offices in Canada, USA, and Europe, Lightspeed is backed by Accel Partners, iNovia Capital,  Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Investissement Québec (IQ). Visit us at www.lightspeedpos.com.

About Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at June 30, 2015, it held $240.8 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, la Caissse, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information about la Caisse: www.cdpq.com.

About Investissement Québec
Investissement Québec's mission is to foster the growth of investment in Québec, thereby contributing to the economic development and creation of jobs in all regions of the province. The Corporation offers businesses a full range of financial solutions, including loans, loan guarantees and equity investments, in order to support them at all stages of their development. It is also responsible for administering tax measures and prospecting for foreign investment.

Media Contacts

US:
Grace Emery
Bateman Group for Lightspeed POS
[e-mail]
[phone]

Canada:
Michelle Laberge
[e-mail]
[phone]

UK:
Lucy George
[e-mail]
+ 44 (0) 7817 892 217 / 44 (0) 207 725 9798

SOURCE Lightspeed