Personio vs VIA equity

Personio acquires Circula to unify payroll, expenses, benefits

Personio, the Munich-based HR software provider, has acquired Circula, a Berlin-based fintech specializing in employee spend management, including expenses, travel costs, corporate cards, and benefits. This marks Personio's second acquisition of the year and its largest to date, announced on October 6, 2026, with financial terms undisclosed. The acquisition aims to create the first European platform combining HR, payroll, and spend management. Circula, founded in 2017, had raised a €15 million Series A in 2025 and serves over 3,000 European mid-market businesses with more than 250,000 users, including clients like Aston Martin, DATEV, and Securitas. The combined offering integrates expenses, corporate cards, and benefits with Personio's payroll engine, leveraging deep DATEV integrations and shared integrations with over 500 joint customers. Circula will operate as 'Circula by Personio' and remain available as a standalone product to non-Personio customers. This move intensifies competition in the spend management market, where Pleo, Spendesk, and Moss operate.

• Personio acquires Circula, a Berlin-based spend management platform, in its largest acquisition to date, announced on October 6, 2026.
• The acquisition aims to create the first European platform combining HR, payroll, and spend management.
• Circula had raised a €15 million Series A in 2025 and serves over 3,000 European mid-market businesses with more than 250,000 users, including clients like Aston Martin, DATEV, and Securitas.

Custodea Raises €350K to Empower European SMEs with Data Control

Custodea, a European AI data platform, has secured €350,000 in seed funding from its network of investors. The platform helps SMEs centralize and manage fragmented business data from systems like Exact Online, HubSpot, and Personio in a private data environment. It offers continuous synchronization, integration with tools like Excel, Power BI, and Looker, and an AI assistant for analytics. The infrastructure is EU-based, emphasizing data control and privacy. The funding will support the platform's launch and European expansion.

• Custodea raised €350,000 in seed funding
• Funding from investors in Custodea's network
• Platform integrates with Exact Online, HubSpot, and Personio

WeKomply acquires Granite

VIA equity portfolio company WeKomply has acquired Granite, as announced on September 28, 2026.

VIA equity Student Event 2026

VIA equity announces its Student Event 2026, scheduled for September 10, 2026. Additionally, portfolio company WeKomply strengthens its position in Finland with the acquisition of Ilmoituskanava, and completes its third acquisition in one month with the acquisition of Argus.

VIA equity adds Fund VI to its fund lineup

VIA equity a/s now manages VIA equity Fund VI K/S, with 3% Danish family offices, 12.9% Danish financial investors, and 84.1% international financial investors.