Project Overview & Headline

 

This case study outlines the strategic process behind creating the successful pitch that secured a landmark partnership with Samsung to launch Samsung Pay in Germany. By deeply understanding Samsung's core market challenges and leveraging Solaris's unique technical and regulatory capabilities, a compelling proposal was developed that positioned Solaris as the indispensable partner for one of the world's most valuable brands.​

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The Context & Challenge

 

Samsung, a global leader with millions of devices in Germany, faced a significant strategic problem: launching its mobile payment solution, Samsung Pay, in the highly fragmented German banking market. A traditional approach, requiring individual partnership agreements with hundreds of different banks, was commercially unviable and would have taken years.

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Samsung needed a "silver bullet"—a single, elegant solution that could bypass this complexity and give them instant access to the entire market. The challenge was to prove that Solaris, a young and innovative company, was the only partner capable of delivering this.

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Key challenges to overcome in the pitch were:

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• Solving the Fragmentation Problem: How to credibly offer a solution that connected Samsung Pay to any German bank account, a feat no one else had accomplished.

• Competing with Global Giants: Pitching against other, larger financial technology providers who were also vying for Samsung's business.

• Building Enterprise-Level Trust: Convincing a global powerhouse like Samsung to entrust its brand reputation and the financial data of its German customers to Solaris's platform.

 

The Process & The Role

 

A strategic, three-phase process was undertaken to develop a pitch that was not just compelling but undeniable.

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Phase 1: Deep Strategic Analysis & Insight Generation

 

The project began not by focusing on Solaris's products, but on Samsung's problems. A deep analysis of the German payments landscape and Samsung's strategic imperatives was conducted. The key insight was that Samsung's goal was not just to launch a payment app, but to deepen its ecosystem engagement and create a service that was universally accessible to every Samsung user in Germany, regardless of who they banked with. This insight became the core of the entire pitch.

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Phase 2: Crafting the "Silver Bullet" Solution & Pitch

 

With a deep understanding of the problem, a unique solution was conceptualized and packaged into a powerful narrative.

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• The Core Technical Pitch: The centerpiece of the proposal was a novel solution: a virtual Visa debit card, issued by Solaris, that could be linked to any existing German bank account. This brilliantly sidestepped the need for individual bank integrations. The pitch emphasized how this "over-the-top" model would give Samsung immediate, total market coverage.

• Value-Add Proposition: To further differentiate the offer, the pitch also included Solaris’s innovative "Splitpay" (Buy Now, Pay Later) feature. This was framed not just as a feature, but as a way for Samsung to offer its users superior flexibility and financial wellness, directly within the Samsung Pay experience.

• Building the Pitch Deck: A pitch deck was created, telling a clear and compelling story. It started with Samsung's problem, introduced the innovative Solaris solution, detailed the business case and revenue model, and concluded with a clear vision for a long-term strategic partnership.

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Phase 3: Supporting the High-Stakes Engagement

 

This phase focused on supporting the leadership team during the high-stakes negotiations and due diligence process. The core responsibility was to act as the subject-matter expert, providing detailed, data-backed answers to Samsung's rigorous questions about the technical solution, the go-to-market plan, and the financial projections laid out in the pitch. This ensured that every claim made in the initial proposal stood up to intense scrutiny, building the essential trust needed to finalize the deal.

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The Results & Impact

 

The strategic pitch was successful, leading to one of the most significant partnerships in European FinTech and delivering transformative results.

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• Secured a Landmark Partnership: The pitch directly led to Solaris being chosen as the exclusive technology and banking partner for the German launch of Samsung Pay.

• Enabled a Market-First Solution: The proposed solution was successfully implemented, allowing Samsung to offer a mobile payment service connected to virtually any German bank account—a first in Europe.

• Fueled Exponential Growth: The partnership was a massive catalyst for Solaris, projected to add hundreds of thousands of new customer accounts and solidify its position as Europe's leading BaaS platform.

• Deepened a Strategic Relationship: The success of the pitch and the subsequent launch cemented the relationship between the two companies, with Samsung's venture arm later participating in Solaris's Series C funding round.

• Delivered a Major Competitive Win: Successfully positioned Solaris as the innovative and trusted partner of choice for global technology brands, beating out larger and more established competitors.