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Features
Payments maintains strong percent; 2015 revenue $17.3 million.
presence on Inc. 5000 • No. 22: Paykings: debit and credit card processing;
three-year growth rate 7,905 percent; 2015 revenue
P ayments honorees have once again graced the $8 million.
2016 Inc. 5000 list. Published online in August
2016 by Inc. Media, the 35th annual compi- • No. 155: Capital Advance Solutions: business
lation represents America's fastest growing financing; three-year growth rate 2,328 percent;
privately held companies. Westchester, Ill.-based C&H 2015 revenue $4.8 million.
Financial Services Inc., a merchant acquirer, ranked 21st
this year. Inc. Media President and Editor in Chief Eric • No. 176: Channel Partners Capital: short-term
Schurenberg called the list a true measurement of suc- working capital loans and cash advances; three-
cess, noting the award must be earned and cannot be year growth rate 2,074 percent; 2015 revenue $2.2
inherited. "No one makes the Inc. 5000 without building million.
something great – usually from scratch," he said. "That's
one of the hardest things to do in business, as every com- • No. 183: Kabbage Inc.: online marketplace lending
pany founder knows. But without it, free enterprise fails." and financial services; three-year growth rate: 2,027
percent; 2015 revenue $97.4 million.
The 2016 Inc. 5000 collectively billed $200 billion,
generating 640,000 jobs over the last three years, • No. 208: Payline Data Services LLC: technology
approximately 8 percent of the total U.S. economy during to simplify payment acceptance; three-year growth
the same period, the company stated. An interactive rate: 1,866 percent; 2015 revenue $4.9 million.
database with details and company profiles is available at
www.inc.com/inc5000. • No. 335: Lighter Capital: growth capital source for
digital media and technology companies: three-
Qualifying criteria year growth rate 1,144 percent; 2015 revenue $4.3
million.
The talent pool consisted of private, for-profit companies
founded no later than March 31, 2012, with U.S. • No. 346: Quick Bridge Funding LLC: alternative
headquarters and standalone operations through Dec. lending services, including working capital loans,
31, 2015. Some contestants that subsequently went public to help small and midsize businesses. Three-year
or were acquired in 2016 by larger firms met the criteria growth rate: 1,114 percent; 2015 revenue $48.9
due to their independent status at the end of 2015. Annual million.
minimum revenue requirements climbed from $100,000
in 2012 to $2 million in 2015. Inc. Media stated it reserves • No. 466: National Merchants Association: credit
the right to exclude applicants for subjective reasons. The card processing services for small and midsize
top 500 companies will be featured in a special September businesses; three-year growth rate 816 percent; 2015
issue of Inc. magazine. revenue $19.2 million.
Payments, lender, fintech categories If your payment-related company was in the top 500 this
year and isn't on this list, email laura@greensheet.com. We'll
Payments analysts expect to see even more small add you to this article's online version.
to midsize financial institutions, fintech firms and
independent software vendors represented in the 2017 Cautionary examples
Inc. 5000. Continued growth in financial services,
fintech and payments categories may warrant additional Rapid growth can be a double-edged sword, as a company
category designations beyond generic headings currently called Fuhu Inc. recently learned. The startup topped the
provided in the interactive database, such as "business Inc. 5000 list in 2013 and 2014, only to implode in 2015. To
products and services," "financial services," "software," help others learn from their mistakes, founders Lindsay
and "computer technology." Blakely and Burt Helm are scheduled to speak at the Inc.
5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony to be held Oct. 18
The financial services category included alternative to 20 in San Antonio, Texas.
lenders, cash advance companies, merchant acquirers and
an array of business service providers. Congratulations "We twice celebrated with the Fuhu founders; now, in
to the following top 500 honorees in the payments realm: sadness, Blakely and Helm offer a postmortem designed
to help you learn from their missteps," Inc. Media wrote,
• No. 21: C&H Financial Services Inc.: payment adding that the Inc. 5000 is typically "a milestone on the
processing and alternative lending solutions for way to further success."
small businesses; three-year growth rate 8.053
2016 honorees will be formally recognized at the
upcoming conference. The event will feature a mix of
workshops, keynote presentations and social functions.
Speakers will include best-selling author Tony Robbins,
SoulCycle co-founders Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice,
and other leading business strategists.
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