Klarna, the Sweden-based digital bank and payments provider, recently completed a significant risk transfer (SRT) transaction involving EUR 1.7 billion in loans.
This three-year agreement was structured with a consortium led by Värde Partners and marks Klarna’s sixth SRT transaction, described by the company as its largest and most efficient to date.
SRT transactions enable banks to transfer credit risk on a specified loan portfolio to third-party investors, thereby freeing up regulatory capital that can be used for further lending and growth. For Klarna, which holds a Swedish banking license, this mechanism serves as an effective tool to support the global expansion of its lending operations.
Capital strategy and recent developments
Following this transaction, Klarna announced a USD 2 billion facility supporting USD 17 billion in US financing expansion, reflecting an ongoing period of balance sheet optimization as the company continues to grow its lending portfolio internationally. The SRT structure permits Klarna to retain the underlying loan assets while transferring the related risk, thus improving capital deployment efficiency without diminishing exposure to revenue generated by those loans.
Niclas Neglén, Chief Financial Officer at Klarna, highlighted that the banking license is one of Klarna’s biggest competitive advantages. He described the transaction as its largest and most efficient SRT to date, enabling Klarna to maximize every unit of capital for continued growth momentum.
Recently, Klarna has also engaged in several strategic collaborations to further solidify its position in the industry. For instance, just at the end of March 2026, Klarna partnered with EuroParcs to offer flexible payment solutions for holiday bookings across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria. Earlier this year, Klarna announced a series of new and extended retail partnerships, enhancing the availability of its flexible payment methods in luxury fashion, retail, and payments across Europe. These collaborations include a partnership with Harvey Nichols in the UK, an expansion of the global alliance with H&M to cover online shoppers in Romania and Hungary, and increased access through Buckaroo.
