SoftBank has led a $260m series C round for the warranty policies provider, which also featured PayPal and Nationwide.

US-based extended warranty provider Extend secured $260m in a series C round led by internet and telecoms group SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 yesterday, valuing the business at $1.6bn.

The round also featured payment processing firm PayPal’s corporate venturing arm PayPal Ventures and insurance firm Nationwide, as well as Meritech Capital Partners, GreatPoint Ventures, Tomales Bay Capital, Launchpad Capital, 10X Capital and 40North.

Extend uses artificial intelligence technology and a proprietary insurance stack to sell product protection plans for merchants and…

Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast.