bant.io Becomes First B2B Lead Generator to Accept Crypto

The B2B lead generation agency bant.io says it will begin accepting cryptocurrency as payment, making it the first company of its kind to do so.

The U.K.-based firm announced the change Wednesday (Sept. 29), saying it would make the company more “flexible and responsive” when helping marketing agencies, software-as-a-service and technology companies find and engage with customers.

“Over the last five years, we’ve innovated B2B lead generation while offering one of the most flexible payment plans in the industry,” said founder Andrei Breaz.

“Now, by accepting cryptocurrency in addition to the fiat currencies, we intend to provide our customers with an even more flexible and seamless payment flow, which will also address the growing needs of the industry,” he said.

bant.io helps clients drive sales conversations with its AI-powered lead generation solution, which includes email, social outreach, managed retargeting and a sales chatbot.

The company says it has helped more than 2000 companies around the world, but has seen a higher demand for its services thanks to a recent boom in startups.

“The global startup ecosystem is evolving and shifting, with more startups created and more investments made,” said COO Jaclyn Curtis. “bant.io has strived to remain nimble and stay ahead of changes and trends, which is why we have revitalized our payment processes in preparation for this rapidly growing startup economy.”

The company’s announcement arrives at a time when a growing number of multinationals are embracing crypto, according to Cryptocurrency, Blockchain And Global Business: Assessing The Potential For Multinational Companies And Financial Institutions, a report done by PYMNTS in collaboration with Circle.

Read more: Crypto for Cross-Border Payments Backed By Half of Multinationals, New Study Shows

According to a survey of 250 executives at multinational businesses  and 250 financial institutions, half said they are already using crypto to pay partners or are planning on doing so, a number that is more than twice the amount of companies who said they held digital assets for investing and asset management on their balance sheets, just 21%.

The survey also found that these global traders were six times as likely to use cryptocurrencies to carry out transactions than to hold it themselves.