topi

topi provides a technology platform that enables hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) for the business-to-business (B2B) market. The company was founded in Berlin in 2021 by Charlotte Pallua and Estelle Merle, who met during their MBA at Harvard Business School. Pallua previously managed hardware subscription programs at Apple, while Merle structured financing at Goldman Sachs and handled European expansion for a SaaS mobility company. This experience allowed them to identify a gap in the market for modernizing B2B leasing and device financing.

The firm's core product is an API-based platform that integrates into the point-of-sale for retailers and manufacturers, both online and in physical stores. This allows their business customers to offer hardware products—such as laptops, smartphones, and other IT equipment—as a monthly subscription instead of an outright purchase. For the merchants, topi handles the entire rental process, including risk and fraud checks, monthly billing, and pays the merchant the full value of the hardware upfront, eliminating default risk. For business customers, benefits include preserved liquidity, predictable monthly expenses that are fully tax-deductible, and access to the latest technology without large capital expenditures.

topi's business model is designed to be modular, allowing partners to choose the services they need, such as using their own financing or insurance providers. The company has established a strategic partnership with GRAVIS, a major German electronics retailer, and has secured funding through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) co-owned with Macquarie to finance the hardware assets. In August 2025, topi was acquired by PEAC Solutions, an independent provider of equipment financing and leasing, to expand PEAC's offerings in the HaaS segment. Following the acquisition, topi continues to operate from its Berlin headquarters.

Since its inception, topi has raised approximately $19.5 million over three rounds, including a $4.5 million pre-seed round in December 2021 and a larger Series A round in August 2022, with investors such as Index Ventures, Creandum, and TriplePoint Capital. The company also promotes a circular economy by partnering with trade-in merchants to refurbish, resell, or recycle used devices at the end of their rental term.

Keywords: hardware-as-a-service, B2B payments, equipment leasing, fintech, subscription platform, asset financing, point-of-sale financing, hardware subscription, circular economy, device-as-a-service, IT procurement, SME financing, rental solutions, API integration, merchant payment solutions, PEAC Solutions, Charlotte Pallua, Estelle Merle, tech rental, business equipment