FinTech startups have revolutionized the financial sector in recent years, blending technology and finance to enhance, simplify, and democratize financial services. These innovative companies are reshaping how we handle money, from mobile banking and cashless transactions to complex financial algorithms. As a founder, understanding the landscape of these trailblazers is crucial. They're not just altering consumer habits but are also reshaping the very fabric of the global financial system.
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1. Chime
- Location: San Francisco, United States.
- Year Founded: 2012.
- Funding Series/Amount: Raised a total of $2.3 billion over several funding rounds.
- Prominent Investors: The Series G round was led by Sequoia Capital and included other notable investors.
Chime is a leading FinTech company offering mobile banking services through partners like The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank. Known for its fee-free banking products, including checking accounts with no minimum balance and an automated savings feature, Chime emphasizes customer convenience and accessibility. A standout service is SpotMe, a program allowing fee-free overdrafts up to $100. Chime's innovative approach, deviating from traditional banking practices, has made it a significant figure in modernizing personal banking services, catering to a large customer base seeking alternatives to conventional banks.
2. Stripe
- Location: Headquarters in San Francisco.
- Year Founded: 2010.
- Funding Series/Amount: Raised $8.7b billion over multiple funding rounds.
- Prominent Investors: Early-stage investors include Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, and Founders Fund. Angel investors like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel also contributed in the seed round. Later stages saw participation from Allianz X, Axa, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Management & Research Company, and Ireland’s National Treasury Management Agency.
Stripe is a key player in online financial services, specializing in payment processing for internet businesses. The company offers a range of services, including e-commerce, subscription management, and invoicing solutions, and has developed a point-of-sales device, Terminal.
Stripe's business model is based on charging a percentage of the transaction value and a fixed fee per transaction. With its innovative technology and global reach, Stripe has become integral to the growth of digital commerce and financial services, expanding its influence through strategic acquisitions and investments in the FinTech sector.
3. Plaid
- Location: Headquartered in San Francisco.
- Year Founded: 2013.
- Funding Series/Amount: Raised $425 million in a Series D funding round.
- Prominent Investors: The Series D round included investors such as Altimeter Capital, Silver Lake Partners, and Ribbit Capital.
Plaid facilitates data connectivity between financial institutions, consumers, and digital finance applications. Their technology integrates traditional banking systems with modern financial apps, enhancing user experiences across personal finance, lending, and payment solutions.
Plaid's significant role in the FinTech sector stems from its innovative approach in linking the conventional banking sector with the digital financial world, making it a vital contributor to the evolution of financial services.
4. Affirm
- Location: San Francisco, California, USA
- Year Founded: 2012
- Funding Series/Amount: Not specifically disclosed but the company has raised significant funding over the years.
Affirm is a notable financial technology company known for its innovative approach to digital and mobile-first commerce. The company specializes in offering flexible payment solutions, primarily through its "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) service, which has become increasingly popular in online retail. Affirm's services are designed to provide consumers with more transparent and manageable payment options compared to traditional credit.
The company's business model is based on partnerships with merchants where Affirm's payment options are integrated into the checkout process. This model benefits consumers by providing immediate purchasing power with the flexibility of paying over time. Merchants benefit from potentially increased sales and customer loyalty. Affirm earns revenue through commissions from merchants and interest on loans to consumers, with a commitment to not charging late fees. The company's emphasis on using data analytics and machine learning to assess credit risk and fraud detection further enhances its service efficiency. By catering to a range of industries, including electronics, travel, and health and beauty, Affirm has established itself as a key player in the evolving fintech landscape, adapting to changing consumer behaviors and the increasing shift towards online shopping.
5. Revolut
- Location: London, England
- Year Founded: 2015
- Funding Series/Amount: Total funding of $1.7 billion
- Prominent Investors: SoftBank, Tiger Global Management
Revolut is recognized as one of the UK's most valuable financial technology startups, with a market valuation of $33 billion as of July 2021. Revolut's financial services are comprehensive, offering a pre-paid debit card, currency and cryptocurrency exchange, money transfer, stock trading, and other solutions. This wide array of services has positioned Revolut as a versatile player in the FinTech sector.
The company's business model revolves around its platform, which caters to both personal and business banking needs. Revolut's innovation lies in its ability to integrate traditional banking services with modern technology, making financial transactions more accessible and efficient. This integration includes features like spending in various currencies, cryptocurrency trading, and stock investments, all managed through a user-friendly mobile app. Revolut's success is marked by its rapid expansion, with services available in several countries and a large customer base. Its approach to modern banking, coupled with its commitment to simplifying complex financial services, has solidified its status as a key figure in the FinTech landscape.
6. Chipper Cash
- Location: Headquarters in San Francisco, CA, USA
- Year Founded: 2018
- Funding Series/Amount: Raised a total of $152.2 million
- Prominent Investors: FTX, Jeff Bezos, Silicon Valley Bank, Joe Montana
Chipper Cash specializes in mobile cross-border money transfers in Africa. It has successfully developed a mobile app available on both iOS and Android platforms, catering to several African countries with peer-to-peer transfer capabilities. The company's approach to simplifying financial transactions across borders, particularly in regions with significant remittance flows, has positioned it as a notable entity in the FinTech landscape.
The core business model of Chipper Cash is centered on offering free peer-to-peer financial transfer services, a strategy that has been crucial for customer acquisition. Leveraging this model, Chipper Cash has expanded its service offerings to include cryptocurrency trading, investment services, and business payment solutions. This diversification allows the company to upsell various financial products to its user base, effectively generating revenue through fees on stock and cryptocurrency transactions, interchange fees, and payment fees. Chipper Cash's innovative approach to eliminate high transaction fees traditionally associated with sending money, particularly in Africa, has enabled rapid user growth and expansion into multiple countries. Its business strategy mirrors that of other successful FinTech companies that started with low-cost cross-border payments and later expanded their revenue streams.
7. Gohenry
- Location: London, England
- Year Founded: 2012
- Funding Series/Amount: Raised a total of $125 million
- Prominent Investors: Edison Partners, Revaia, Citi Ventures, Muse Capital, Nexi
Gohenry is focused on providing financial services for the younger generation, specifically targeting children aged 6 to 18 years. The company offers a unique combination of a prepaid debit card and a financial education app. This blend of services is designed to empower young people to learn about earning, saving, and responsible spending, effectively integrating financial literacy into their early learning.
The business model of Gohenry revolves around providing an innovative family banking tool. This tool allows parents to set up regular pocket money transfers, make one-off payments, and monitor their children's spending habits. Additionally, the platform sets tasks for children, enabling them to earn money, thus instilling a sense of financial responsibility from a young age. Gohenry's approach to financial education and its dedication to serving a younger demographic make it a prominent figure in the FinTech landscape. Its acquisition by Acorns further underscores its significance in the sector, enhancing its potential to expand its offerings and reach a global audience. This strategic move positions Gohenry to continue shaping the future of financial education and management for the younger generation.
8. Creditas
- Location: São Paulo, Brazil
- Year Founded: 2012
- Funding Series/Amount: Raised US$879 million through 6 financing rounds.
- Prominent Investors: Investors include, Softbank Latam fund, Amadeus Capital Partners, VEF, Kaszek Ventures, and Redpoint ventures.
Creditas operates a digital lending platform, providing secure consumer loans and positioning itself as a leader in the secured lending market in Brazil and Mexico. The business model of Creditas is centered on offering a comprehensive suite of financial services. Their products range from home equity and auto equity loans to innovative consumer solutions like Creditas Store, which is the first e-commerce platform in Brazil that allows payment through salary deductions. This diversified approach extends to Creditas @work, offering payroll loans, salary advances, and benefits cards. Creditas' strategic expansion into Mexico marks its growth beyond Brazilian borders, signifying its impact and potential in the broader Latin American market.
Creditas stands out in the FinTech landscape for its asset-light ecosystem that caters to various financial needs throughout a customer's lifetime. Their success is reflected in their ability to attract substantial investments and the backing of prominent investors. The company's agile adaptation to market needs and its digital-first approach have been crucial in reshaping the Brazilian financial system, particularly in terms of offering more efficient services and lower lending rates compared to traditional banking institutions.
9. Vivid Money
- Location: Based in Berlin, Germany.
- Year Founded: 2020.
- Funding Series/Amount: Vivid Money has raised a total of $200 million over several funding rounds. This includes a Series C round in February 2022, where they raised $114 million.
- Prominent Investors: Key investors include SoftBank in Series C and Ribbit Capital in Series A.
Vivid Money is a rapidly growing FinTech startup. It offers a comprehensive financial platform, combining traditional banking services with innovative investment opportunities like stock and cryptocurrency investing. Known for its user-friendly "super app," Vivid caters to a new generation of consumers exploring decentralized finance. The app's free investing services, supplemented by revenue from exchange rates and other fees, along with a premium subscription model, underline its unique approach in the FinTech sector. This blend of accessible financial services and investment options positions Vivid Money as a notable player in the European FinTech landscape.
10. Rapyd
- Location: Israel.
- Year Founded: 2015.
- Funding Series/Amount: As of their last funding round, Rapyd raised $300 million in a Series E round, contributing to a total of $960 million raised to date.
- Prominent Investors: Investors include BlackRock, Fidelity, General Catalyst, Target Global, and Spark Capital.
Rapyd operates as a global payment services provider, offering a platform that facilitates the transfer of electronic funds across borders through various payment methods like bank transfers, digital wallets, and cash. This startup distinguishes itself in the FinTech landscape by its comprehensive approach to international payments and acquisitions, mainly focusing on European and Asian markets.
Rapyd's rapid growth, demonstrated by a surge in valuation to $15 billion, reflects its successful strategy of acquisitions and expanding payment solutions. These achievements have positioned Rapyd as Israel's highest-valued private tech and FinTech company, underscoring its impact in the evolving digital payment sector.
11. Sunbit
- Location: Los Angeles, California.
- Year Founded: 2016.
- Funding Series/Amount: Achieved unicorn status with a Series D funding round of $130 million, leading to a valuation of $1.1 billion.
- Prominent Investors: Group 11, Zeev Ventures, Migdal Insurance, Harel Group, AltaIR Capital, More Investment House.
Sunbit is renowned for its Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) technology, catering to everyday needs and services. Their innovative approach has led to high approval rates, supporting a wide range of transaction amounts. Sunbit's technology is utilized in over 7,300 locations, including auto dealership service centers and various retailers. This rapid expansion and unique financing solutions underline Sunbit's significant role in the evolving FinTech landscape.
12. Cash App
- Location: San Francisco, California.
- Year Founded: 2013 (as Square Cash).
- Funding Series/Amount: Being a service of Square, Inc., Cash App's funding is part of Square's broader financial activities.
- Prominent Investors: As a part of Square, Inc., Cash App benefits from the investors in Square, including notable names such as Sequoia Capital, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan.
Cash App is a mobile payment service that allows users to transfer money to one another using a mobile app. The service is part of Square, Inc., a larger financial and merchant services aggregator. Cash App's standout features include the ability to buy and sell Bitcoin and the unique "Cash Card" – a customizable debit card linked to the user's Cash App balance.
Its simple interface, along with versatile functionality, has made it popular among a younger demographic. Cash App's growth is reflective of the broader trend towards digital banking solutions and fintech innovation, positioning it as a major player in the mobile payments space.
13. Brex
- Location: San Francisco, California.
- Year Founded: 2017.
- Funding Series/Amount: The company has undergone several funding rounds, notably raising $425 million in a Series D round in April 2021.
- Prominent Investors: Investors in Brex include DST Global, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator, Kleiner Perkins, Lone Pine Capital, Max Levchin, and Peter Thiel.
Brex started as a VR company before pivoting to FinTech during their participation in Y Combinator's accelerator program. The company provides financial services tailored to businesses, offering products like corporate credit cards, cash management accounts, and expense management tools.
Targeting initially early-stage technology startups for quick access to capital, Brex has since expanded its services to include life science, late-stage, e-commerce, and enterprise companies.
Brex stands out in the FinTech landscape for its innovative approach to business credit and financial management. The company's credit cards are designed with startup needs in mind, featuring high credit limits based on a company's cash balance and financial backing. This focus on serving the unique needs of startups and growing businesses, combined with their substantial funding and rapid expansion, positions Brex as a key player in the evolving world of business finance.
14. CapWay
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia.
- Year Founded: 2017.
- Funding Series/Amount: Not specified.
CapWay focuses on creating financial access and opportunities for underserved communities. It offers an ecosystem that includes digital banking tools, savings tools, and financial content, catering to both individual consumers and businesses. The company addresses the needs of the cashless economy and those looking for alternatives to traditional financial systems. CapWay's emphasis on financial inclusion for overlooked demographics sets it apart in the FinTech sector.
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