New York City-based fintech companies that you should have on your radar in 2024
Matt Sadowski
CEO @ fintech expert and advisor
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Introduction
In the heart of New York City, the fintech sector blossoms, defining the future of financial services with innovation and technology. As a pivotal hub for fintech companies, NYC has emerged as a formidable counterpart to Silicon Valley, driven by a unique blend of traditional financial institutions and investment banks like JPMorgan Chase and an ever-evolving tech scene. This bustling ecosystem attracts investors, entrepreneurs, and fintech innovators, making it a fertile ground for fintech startups and established fintech firms alike. The NYC fintech landscape is vibrant and diverse, with various financial technology companies ranging from alternative investment platforms to next-generation financial services platforms.
Amid this dynamic environment, New York fintech companies and startups stand at the forefront of financial market evolution, propelled by global funding and a supportive community, including fintech incubators, associations, and fintech meetups. This article aims to spotlight the top fintech startups and companies in New York, showcasing those that have secured significant funding and made substantial impacts on consumers and businesses. As we explore the NYC fintech scene, we will explore why these fintech businesses represent the next generation of financial technology startups, offering innovative investment products, enhancing financial services, and reshaping the financial industry.
Fintech Sector in New York
The New York fintech scene is a beacon of innovation and growth. As part of the United States, which secured a staggering $24.2 billion in fintech investments in 2023—representing 47% of the worldwide total—the New York fintech ecosystem has firmly established itself as a crucial player. This investment underscores the city's pivotal role in the financial industry, with an impressive average deal size of $15.8 million, highlighting investors' significant confidence in fintech startups and companies in the region.
New York, often dubbed the world's financial capital, has witnessed a remarkable transformation over the past decade. From a modest $449 million invested across 60 deals a decade ago, the city has become a leading fintech market in the United States, with $4.7 billion invested across 339 deals in 2023 alone. This monumental growth has earned New York the nickname "Silicon Alley," a nod to its burgeoning tech scene and robust fintech landscape.
The city's fintech sector is characterized by a vibrant mix of startups, top fintech companies, and financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase, contributing to a prosperous financial services and technology ecosystem. The influx of funding and support for early-stage and growth-stage deals underscores the opportunities available for entrepreneurs and fintech innovators in NYC. This environment fosters the development of new products, alternative investments, and innovative financial services platforms, making it a hotbed for fintech activity.
The establishment of Innovate Finance in New York in 2023 is a testament to the city's growing influence in the fintech industry. With plans for expanded programming and engagement throughout 2024, this initiative aims to bolster the fintech community further, facilitating a corridor for U.S. fintech companies to expand into the UK market and vice versa. Such developments signal New York's vital role in the global fintech landscape. Promising exciting prospects for the fintech sector in New York, from startups venturing into the financial market to established firms seeking to innovate and scale.
Criteria selection of the companies
Several critical criteria were used to curate this distinguished list when identifying the New York City-based fintech companies leading the charge in transforming the financial services industry. Below are the specific factors considered.
Headquarters in New York City
The first and foremost criterion is the company's base of operations. Only those fintech companies and startups headquartered in New York City were considered. This geographic focus highlights the city's role as a critical hub for financial technology, underscoring the vibrant NYC fintech scene and its significance in the global fintech ecosystem.
From 20 to 350 employees and no layoffs reported in the last quarter
The size of a company often correlates with its growth stage and operational scale. For this list, companies with a workforce ranging from 20 to 350 employees were selected. This range includes burgeoning startups that have moved beyond the initial phases of development and established companies that continue to innovate within the fintech industry. This criterion ensures agility and stability among the selected companies, reflecting a broad spectrum of innovation and success within NYC's fintech landscape.
Recent Funding Round
Financial backing strongly indicates a company's market potential, innovation capacity, and investor confidence. Therefore, inclusion on this list required the company to secure a funding round in the last 90 days. This recent influx of investment highlights the company's current relevance, growth trajectory, and the confidence that investors have in its future, aligning with the dynamic nature of fintech and the New York fintech startups scene.
Mobile Reality's Fintech Experience and Knowledge
Lastly, leveraging Mobile Reality's extensive experience and deep knowledge in the fintech sector provided additional insight into evaluating these companies. This expertise helped assess the technical and operational innovations, the practical application of their financial solutions, and their contribution to advancing financial technology. Companies that align with Mobile Reality's standards for innovation, user engagement, and potential for positive disruption within the financial services sector were given preference.
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List of Top NYC-based fintech companies that you can not miss in 2024
Yieldstreet
Website: yieldstreet.com
The latest funding round: $66,197,463 announced in this article.
Headcount: around 260, including 75 people engineering and IT team
Yieldstreet is a premier platform in New York's fintech landscape, revolutionizing how individuals approach alternative investments. With a focus on democratizing access to private market investments, Yieldstreet enables its users to confidently and effortlessly explore diverse investment opportunities. The platform offers an expansive portfolio that includes real estate, venture capital, private equity, art, and short-term notes. Yieldstreet is committed to providing exclusively curated and thoroughly vetted opportunities managed by leading investment professionals. This approach ensures that Yieldstreet investors have a gateway to premium investment options, reinforcing the company's position as a pivotal player in NYC's fintech sector.
Grasshopper Bank
Website: grasshopper.bank
The latest funding round: $10,563,399 shared in the following SEC report.
Headcount: around 125, including 20 people engineering and IT team
Grasshopper Bank emerges as a forward-thinking digital bank within New York City's vibrant fintech ecosystem, prioritizing client needs with digital banking solutions tailored for small businesses, startups, and investors. Grasshopper specializes in the innovation economy and provides comprehensive services, including Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) for fintechs, commercial API banking platforms, SBA lending, commercial real estate lending, and even yacht financing. Grasshopper Bank is backed by the security of being a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) member. It upholds the principles of being an Equal Housing and Equal Opportunity Lender. This combination of innovative financial solutions and commitment to client success firmly establishes Grasshopper Bank as a key player in New York's fintech domain.
EasyKnock
Website: easyknock.com
The latest funding round: $28M Series D funding announced in this article.
Headcount: around 125, including 25 people engineering and IT team
EasyKnock emerges as a groundbreaking solution within New York City's fintech ecosystem, offering homeowners a novel way to unlock their equity without the traditional constraints imposed by lenders. Through its innovative sale-leaseback programs, EasyKnock allows homeowners to sell their property to the company and continue living in it as renters. This unique approach will enable individuals to access cash for various purposes—paying off debts, acquiring a new home, or injecting funds into a business—without needing to take on loans or relocate. EasyKnock's model is particularly beneficial for those seeking to navigate financial decisions more freely and with less stress, positioning it as a notable fintech player in NYC.
Vestwell
Website: vestwell.com
The latest funding round: Series D of $125 million led by Lightspeed Venture Partners announced in this article.
Headcount: around 350, including 80 people engineering and IT team
Vestwell shines as a beacon of innovation in New York's fintech scene, redefining the approach to savings and investments for small businesses and individual savers nationwide. By bridging the savings gap, Vestwell introduces flexible, modern, and cost-efficient solutions for life's pivotal goals, including retirement, education, and healthcare. With a robust platform that supports nearly 50,000 small businesses, aids over a million savers, and manages $29 billion in assets across all 50 states, Vestwell is not just a financial platform. It catalyzes economic security and growth, embodying the spirit of New York City's vibrant fintech community.
Pontera
Website: pontera.com
The latest funding round: $60M funding announced in this article.
Headcount: around 215, including 55 people engineering and IT team
Pontera stands at the forefront of New York City's fintech innovation, dedicated to enhancing retirement outcomes for countless Americans. This pioneering fintech firm offers a solution that empowers financial advisors to manage assets in held-away accounts—such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s—securely and within regulatory compliance. Pontera's platform supports various account types and integrates smoothly with current portfolio management systems. This integration aims to bolster financial advisors' capacity to impact their client's financial futures positively. Established in 2012 and based in the heart of NYC, Pontera is reshaping the way retirement planning is approached, reflecting the city's reputation as a hub of fintech advancement.
Capchase
Website: https://www.capchase.com/
The latest funding round: $5,024,985 shared in the following SEC report.
Headcount: around 150, including 50 people engineering and IT team
Capchase stands out in New York City's vibrant fintech scene as a catalyst for growth among SaaS and other recurring revenue businesses. This innovative company is dedicated to propelling businesses forward with its various non-dilutive capital solutions and revenue acceleration tools.
Within its product lineup, Capchase introduces:
Capchase Pay: A cutting-edge B2B buy now, pay later option designed to expedite high-value deal closures—up to ten times faster—while allowing companies to secure their full Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) upfront.
Capchase Grow: Offers flexible, non-dilutive, revenue-based financing, enabling businesses to access up to 60% of their ARR in 48 hours.
Capchase is revolutionizing how SaaS and similar businesses manage growth financing, embodying the innovative spirit of NYC's fintech industry.
SellersFi
Website: https://sellersfi.com/
The latest funding round: $300M credit facility, plus equity funding announced in this article.
Headcount: around 140, including 50 people engineering and IT team
SellersFi emerges as a key player in New York City's fintech landscape, focusing on empowering e-commerce merchants with the tools they need for expansion. This global financial technology firm is committed to simplifying and accelerating the scaling process for online sellers.
Providing a suite of strategic solutions, SellersFi supports a myriad of business needs, including inventory management, marketing, product introductions, and international growth. Trusted by thousands of e-commerce sellers worldwide, SellersFi is instrumental in helping them unlock their full potential and achieve unparalleled success. This dedication to facilitating growth in the e-commerce sector marks SellersFi as a notable entity within NYC's dynamic fintech community.
Kafene
Website: kafene.com
The latest funding round: $15 million in venture debt, announced in this article.
Headcount: around 110, including 15 people engineering and IT team
Kafene is redefining the point-of-sale financing landscape in New York City's fintech ecosystem by championing flexible ownership solutions for a broad spectrum of customers, particularly those often overlooked by traditional financial systems. This innovative platform enables retail partners to extend lease-to-own (LTO) purchasing alternatives to both prime and nonprime consumers, thereby broadening their reach and catering to the increasing demand for various durable goods, such as furniture, appliances, electronics, and tires.
Kafene harnesses the power of over 20,000 data points, along with advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, to deliver an unparalleled financing experience that benefits both merchants and consumers alike. Achieving over $100 million in sales in less than three years, Kafene's rapid growth and expansion are propelled by its commitment to innovation and a team dedicated to reimagining financial accessibility and flexibility.
Salt Labs
Website: https://www.saltlabs.com/
The latest funding round: $8 million as a part of seed financing, announced in this article.
Headcount: around 20, including 10 people engineering and IT team
Salt Labs introduces an innovative approach to recognizing the value of labor in the New York tech scene with its pioneering worker rewards program. Salt transcends the traditional paycheck by valuing a person's most precious asset—their time. Workers earn "Salt" for every hour of work, which can then be exchanged for unique experiences, the opportunity to express appreciation to others, and gradually accumulate assets.
This initiative by Salt Labs is driven by a compelling mission to empower hourly workers, enabling them to capture the enduring value of their labor over time. It's a groundbreaking concept that not only rewards immediate efforts but also invests in the future prosperity of its participants, illustrating a forward-thinking facet of the NYC fintech startups innovation landscape.
ATTUNE
Website: https://getattune.com/
The latest funding round: $2,225,000 in Seed Funding, announced in this article.
Headcount: around 20, including 15 people engineering and IT team
ATTUNE is revolutionizing New York City's fintech ecosystem with its Engagement Banking Platform, delivering groundbreaking technology that enables financial institutions to add value for their customers at every stage of their financial journey. This platform seamlessly integrates services - expanding lending options, streamlining the digital onboarding process, enhancing cross-sell opportunities through digital insurance, driving customer engagement through targeted marketing campaigns, and empowering customer service teams to deliver exceptional experiences. With ATTUNE, financial organizations can manage loans more efficiently, simplify customer entry points, generate additional revenue, and build real-time, engaging marketing initiatives, all while providing superior support. This innovation sets a new standard for how financial institutions interact with their customers, making ATTUNE a key player in transforming NYC's financial services landscape into a more integrated, customer-focused experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, New York City's fintech sector is a beacon of innovation and growth within the global financial landscape. The remarkable achievements and funding rounds of companies such as Yieldstreet, Grasshopper, EasyKnock, Vestwell, Pontera, Capchase, SellersFi, Kafene, Salt Labs, and Attune underscore the dynamic nature of NYC's fintech ecosystem. With substantial investments, ranging from strategic Series D funding to innovative credit facilities and equity raises, these organizations present new opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs, and financial institutions.
From digital retirement savings platforms to alternative investment platforms and financial technology solutions for consumers and businesses, it highlights New York fintech's broad spectrum of innovation. As these companies continue to grow, fueled by significant funding and driven by the ambition to revolutionize the financial sector, they represent the leading edge of fintech innovation globally, not just in New York City.
Fintech and Financial Software Development Insights
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Explore these comprehensive resources to deepen your understanding of the fintech sector. If you have any questions or are interested in exploring partnership opportunities in fintech software development, please contact our sales team. For those aspiring to join our innovative team, visit our careers page to submit your CV. Join us in driving the future of fintech and financial software development!
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Matt Sadowski
CEO of Mobile Reality