Miriam Wohlfarth, Ratepay & Banxware | Founder Stories

About this episode

Miriam Wohlfarth has become an indispensable figure in the German fintech scene. This serial entrepreneur has proven with her companies Ratepay and Banxware that she can identify complex financial problems and solve them successfully.

The Path to Her First Venture

Miriam's professional journey began unconventionally: with a phase of self-discovery through world travel. After her return, she worked at bbit – a company that was led by, among others, today's Adyen founders. This experience would prove formative for her later path into the fintech world.

The idea for Ratepay emerged when the previous team wouldn't jump on a promising business idea. Miriam recognized the potential and took the leap into entrepreneurship in 2009 – a decision that would prove absolutely correct.

Ratepay: 15 Years of Success

Since 2009, Miriam has been in the market with Ratepay and has developed the company into an established player in the German fintech sector. As a white-label B2B solution, Ratepay now serves more than 30 million customers – an impressive number that underscores the reach and success of the business model.

The white-label strategy enables other companies to offer Ratepay's payment solutions under their own brand. This B2B model has proven particularly scalable and has made Ratepay an indispensable partner for many e-commerce companies.

The Next Step: Banxware

After 11 years as managing director at Ratepay, Miriam identified a new market problem and founded Banxware last year. The new company focuses on digital platforms and offers them "a seamless white-label solution to provide their merchants with credit and financial services."

Banxware thus expands Miriam's portfolio with another building block in the fintech ecosystem. While Ratepay primarily focuses on payment solutions, Banxware goes a step further and enables platforms to offer their users comprehensive financial services.

Running Companies in Parallel as a Challenge

Particularly noteworthy is that Miriam leads both companies in parallel. This dual role as a serial entrepreneur requires not only exceptional organizational skills but also the ability to manage different business models and teams simultaneously.

The experience from over a decade with Ratepay certainly flows into the development of Banxware. At the same time, she must ensure that both companies can maintain and further expand their respective market positions.

Lessons from a Fintech Pioneer

Miriam's career path impressively demonstrates how important it is to recognize market gaps and act courageously. Her decision to start with Ratepay in 2009 proved forward-thinking – at a time when the German fintech ecosystem was still in its infancy.

The fact that she founded again after more than a decade of successful business leadership underscores her entrepreneurial drive and ability to continuously identify new business opportunities.

With Ratepay and Banxware, Miriam Wohlfarth has created two companies that sustainably shape the German fintech ecosystem. Her story is an inspiring example of how perseverance, market understanding, and willingness to take risks can lead to long-term entrepreneurial success.