Pliant acquires hi.health, expanding Into digital insurance payments

Berlin fintech Pliant has acquired the Austrian insurtech startup hi.health. 

hi.health has developed a unique digital interface between insurance carriers and customers. By using a payment card, insured individuals no longer have to pay upfront and can submit invoices (e.g. healthcare invoices and prescriptions) for reimbursement directly via a mobile app. The Vienna- and Berlin-based startup was founded in 2019 by Fredrik Debong (co-founder of mySugr) and Sebastian Gruber (formerly McKinsey). 

The acquisition enables Pliant to apply its payment expertise to the insurance sector while also gaining valuable industry-specific know-how. This marks the company’s second acquisition following the purchase of Friday Finance in 2023. 

Pliant specialises in B2B payment solutions. Its modular, API-first platform helps businesses streamline spending, improve cash flow, and integrate payments into their financial workflows. It supports over 3,500 businesses and more than 20 partners globally. As a licensed e-money institution (EMI), it issues Visa-powered credit cards in 11 currencies across more than 30 countries, helping companies streamline and simplify payments. 

While Pliant already handles digital card and payment infrastructure for banks, the acquisition of hi.health brings insurance-specific expertise to the company. 

hi.health will continue to operate independently, while benefiting from Pliant’s support and infrastructure to increase the strength, stability, and efficiency of its product offering. 

According to Malte Rau, CEO of Pliant: 

“hi.health has developed an impressive solution at the intersection of Fintech and insurance.

By embedding a payment option into the submission process, they are revolutionising what has traditionally been a cumbersome reimbursement workflow and creating real value in the process.”   

Sebastian Gruber, CEO and co-founder of hi.health shared:

“Together, we have the opportunity to transform financial processes in the insurance and healthcare industries — eliminating the cumbersome reimbursement procedures and significantly improving the experience for both users and healthcare providers. 

Lead image: Pliant founders Fabian Ternera and Malte Rau. Photo: uncredited.