Pay With Spire Appoints Jennifer LaClair as CEO as Company Secures $10M Series B

Pay With Spire, Inc. — a Dallas-based fintech innovator developing pay-by-bank payment solutions for everyday spend — has announced the appointment of Jennifer LaClair as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking a strategic leadership transition as the company scales its market presence and pursues broader merchant adoption.

The leadership change comes alongside the company’s $10 million Series B funding round, led by Continental Investment Partners with participation from additional investors, bringing Pay With Spire’s total capital raised to approximately $27.5 million to date.

LaClair succeeds Matt Brennan, who — after serving as CEO — transitions into the role of President and Chief Commercial Officer, where he will continue to support the company’s go-to-market strategy and client growth.

A Proven Leader Takes the Helm

Jennifer LaClair brings more than two decades of leadership experience across the banking, payments and fintech sectors to Spire, with senior roles at major industry players that underscore her credentials for scaling high-growth ventures.

Before joining Pay With Spire, LaClair served as Head of Merchant Solutions at Fiserv, where she led global payment solutions for more than 1,000 enterprise merchants and millions of small business accounts. Prior to that, she was Chief Financial Officer at Ally Financial, one of the largest digital-only banks and a major retail lender. Earlier in her career, LaClair spent a decade at PNC Financial Services, where she held multiple leadership and finance roles — including Head of PNC’s Business Bank and management of its strategic merchant joint venture with Fiserv.

Her deep expertise in payments, merchant strategy and financial operations positions her to drive Spire’s next chapter of growth as the industry embraces real-time bank-connected payment models.

Strategic Shift in Leadership at a Pivotal Time

LaClair’s appointment arrives at a moment when pay-by-bank solutions — which enable consumers to pay directly from their bank accounts without traditional interchange fees — are gaining traction among merchants looking for lower-cost and frictionless alternatives to card networks.

Under her leadership, Pay With Spire plans to leverage the fresh capital to:

• Drive client growth and merchant adoption of its pay-by-bank solution
• Scale company infrastructure and operations across verticals
• Expand access to both merchants and consumers seeking secure, low-cost payments
• Support innovations that redefine everyday payments and rewards programs

“I’m honored to step into this role during such a pivotal time for Spire; there is clearly a surging demand from merchants and consumers for a cost effective and frictionless in-store Pay-by-Bank solution,” said LaClair. “Spire is making everyday spending seamless, secure, low-cost, and rewarding for both merchants and consumers. And with this new investment, we can expand and scale our industry leading platform across verticals.”

Company Vision and Market Opportunity

Pay With Spire’s core product enables direct bank-to-merchant payments by routing transactions over bank networks while leveraging traditional card-network settlement rails, giving merchants near-universal terminal compatibility with lower processing costs and greater security.

The company’s solution does not require point-of-sale (POS) integration, making it especially appealing to retail sectors such as:

• Grocery and specialty stores
• Gas stations and convenience retail
• Quick service restaurants
• Home improvement and clothing retailers

This approach helps merchants reduce payment costs, potentially pass savings on to consumers through discounts, loyalty rewards and incentives, and foster deeper customer engagement. At the same time, consumers benefit from a familiar checkout experience via app, digital wallet or physical payment token — without the typical interchange fees associated with debit or credit cards.

A New Phase of Growth

With LaClair at the helm, Spire is entering what it describes as a new phase of “hyper-growth” — catalysed by both capital infusion and strategic leadership realignment. The Series B funding will support expansion of operations, product enhancements and deeper penetration into key markets at a time when open banking and real-time payment adoption continue to disrupt traditional payment ecosystems.

Paul Purcell, Spire board member and Head of Growth Capital at Continental Investment Partners, said the firm is enthusiastic about both the financing and LaClair’s appointment: “Spire is redefining the future of payments for everyday spend, and that’s why we’re excited to lead this financing. With this investment and the onboarding of Jennifer as CEO, we’re confident Spire will set the standard for Pay-by-Bank adoption as open banking in the U.S. takes hold.”

Looking Ahead

As competition in the payments sector intensifies and merchants seek alternatives to interchange-driven models, the pay-by-bank category is gaining momentum. Pay With Spire — with its low-cost payment model and leadership talent — is positioning itself as a leading player in this emerging space under Jennifer LaClair’s guidance.

By aligning with merchant needs and consumer expectations, the company aims to reshape payment experiences at retail — making them simpler, more secure and more rewarding.

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