The world of finance is experiencing a revolution, and the US is at its forefront with a fintech market now worth a staggering four trillion dollars. Thanks to an investor-friendly climate that fuels innovation and growth, US entrepreneurs are exploring and scaling their ideas faster than ever before. In this article, we’ve handpicked the top 12 US fintech companies that are driving this great transformation. In just a few short years, they’ve transformed the financial landscape and revolutionized the way we think about money, making traditional banks and financial institutions a thing of the past. Read on to discover which companies made the cut and why they’re worth watching!
1. Brex
- Founded in: 2017
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
- Follow Brex on LinkedIn
Brex, founded by Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, is a fintech company that helps over 10,000 businesses across 100 countries manage employee expenses more efficiently.
With a valuation of $12.3 billion and backing from top-tier investors such as Greenoaks, Tiger Global Management, and DST Global, Brex has emerged as a leader in the industry.
Partner at Tiger Global, Scott Shleifer, highlights that the company is building the future of finance for the next generation of businesses, which is why he’s so excited to partner with Brex.
In 2022, Brex was recognized as one of Y Combinator’s top companies and ranked 7th on the Forbes Best Startup Employers list.
2. Flutterwave
- Founded in: 2016
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
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Flutterwave, Africa’s biggest fintech startup with a $3 billion valuation, has processed more than 200 million transactions worth over $16 billion for 900,000 customers across 34 African countries.
The company stands out for its exceptional service delivery and unique ability to cater to businesses across three tiers—many small, medium, and enterprise stores power their businesses with Flutterwave.
It’s no surprise that the fintech company has received numerous awards and recognition, such as being named Africa’s best fintech company at the Apps Africa Innovation Awards just a year after its launch.
Recently, the company’s CEO, Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, was invited to ring the closing bell for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in honor of Black History Month.
3. Silicon Valley Bank
- Established: 1983
- Headquarters: Santa Clara, California
- Follow Silicon Valley Bank on LinkedIn
Silicon Valley Bank, a subsidiary of Silicon Financial Group established in 1983, is a leading global commercial banking services provider for businesses like Shopify, Payoneer, and Pivot Energy. The company has redefined how businesses manage transactions, expand, and safeguard their assets through its innovative banking products and services.
In addition, SVB Capital, the company’s investment arm, provides funding for promising businesses and fund managers. So far, SVB capital has collaborated with major venture capitals such as Sequoia and Index Ventures.
Notably, the company is dedicated to environmental sustainability and has pledged to invest $5 billion in sustainable finance and become carbon neutral by 2025.
In recognition of its efforts, Silicon Valley Bank was awarded Aite-Novarica Group’s 2021 Impact Innovation Award for Customer Experience in 2022.
4. SoFi
- Founded in: 2011
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
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SoFi, founded in 2011 by four Stanford Business School graduates, has established itself as one of the top fintech companies in the United States.
With a focus on providing a wide range of financial products such as student loan refinancing, personal loans, and mortgages, SoFi is a one-stop solution for customers seeking financial independence.
So far, the company has facilitated over $50 billion in funded loans for more than five million people.
Additionally, SoFi has launched the “SoFi at Work” program, which allows employees of partner companies to access SoFi products as part of their work benefits.
The company’s commitment to innovation was recognized in February 2023, when Fast Company named SoFi one of the ten most innovative personal finance companies of 2023.
5. HighRadius
- Founded in: 2006
- Headquarters: Houston, Texas
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HighRadius provides an AI-powered software for order-to-cash and treasury management. With over 800 global customers worldwide, including household names like Uber, Sony, and Warner Bros, HighRadius has revolutionized the way businesses manage their cash flow.
Its cloud-based platform leverages predictive analytics to automate and streamline financial management processes at scale.
To date, HighRadius has raised a total of $475M in funding over four rounds.
The company has received several industry recognitions, including being named a leader in the integrated invoice-to-cash applications industry by Gartner and a MarketScape Leader for Accounts Receivable Automation Software by IDC.
6. Ellevest
- Founded in: 2014
- Headquarters: New York
- Follow Ellevest on LinkedIn
The gender pay gap remains a significant problem in the United States. Data from Pew Research Center stated that white women earned about 82% of what the men made, and the numbers were even lower for BIPOC women.
Ellevest, founded by Sallie Krawcheck, is a mission-driven fintech company dedicated to closing the gender wealth gap and supporting women in achieving financial success.
Ellevest’s platform offers two tiers of service: a basic plan that costs $5 per month and an executive plan that costs $9 per month. As an Ellevest member, you’ll have access to discounted professional financial advisors, free educational resources, and a unique investing algorithm that considers factors such as gender pay gaps, career breaks, and longer lifespans to provide personalized investment advice.
In addition, the company offers a private wealth management fund designed for investors with $1 million or more.
In 2022, Ellevest raised over $53 million in a Series B funding round led by BMO and Contour Venture Partners.
7. Circle Internet Financial
- Founded in: 2013
- Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
- Follow Circle on LinkedIn
Founded by Jeremy Allaire and Sean Neville, Circle Internet Financial is a leading blockchain technology company focused on revolutionizing the financial industry. Circle’s stable digital currencies, USDC and Euro Coin, are trusted by individuals and institutions alike for their secure, reliable, and fast transactions.
Through its innovative blockchain-based solutions, Circle aims to remove the barriers of traditional systems and provide a more accessible and inclusive financial ecosystem for people worldwide.
In addition to its stablecoin offerings, Circle also operates Circle Invest, a user-friendly platform that allows individuals to buy and sell various cryptocurrencies with ease.
In 2022, the company raised a staggering $400M funding round led by top venture funds like Marshall Wace LLP and Fin Capital, bringing its total valuation to about $9 billion.
8. Upstart
- Founded in: 2012
- Headquarters: San Mateo, California
- Follow Upstart on LinkedIn
Upstart, founded by David Girouard, Anna Counselman, and Paul Gu, is an AI-powered lending platform that utilizes machine learning to automate credit pricing and borrowing. The platform is designed to predict how likely a customer is to repay a loan and offer fully automated loans to borrowers.
Upstart helps banks with access to true credit risk, resulting in higher approval rates and fewer defaults from borrowers.
In just over ten years, Upstart has made impressive strides in the industry. The company has transacted over 600,000 personal loans and has helped partner banks reduce default rates by about 75%.
The company went public via an IPO in 2020, further demonstrating Upstart’s success and growth.
9. Chime
- Founded in: 2012
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
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Chime is an innovative financial technology company that has revolutionized the banking industry with its transparent and affordable services.
Founded by Ryan King and Chris Britt, the company believes that “banking should be simple, helpful, and free.” To that end, Chime partners with regional banks to offer inclusive and accessible financial services for its customers.
Chime’s mission to provide easy and free banking services hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2021, CNBC named Chime as one of the top ten technological disruptors, further solidifying the company’s position as a game-changer in the industry.
Since its inception, Chime has raised $2.3 billion in funding, with its latest $750 million funding round led by Sequoia Capital Global Equities.
10. Marqeta
- Founded in: 2010
- Headquarters: Oakland, California
- Follow Marqeta on LinkedIn
Marqeta is a leading payment technology company that provides a reliable and seamless platform for businesses to launch and manage their payment programs seamlessly. Companies like Square, Instacart, and J.P Morgan rely on Marqeta’s infrastructure to provide their customers with top-notch card services.
Speaking on why Marqeta is its preferred card issuing partner, Mike Kim, VP of Finance at DoorDash, said, “We value their cutting-edge technology, reliability, and easy-to-use platform APIs.”
In 2021, Marqeta was included on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list and Fast Company’s list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies. It has also won the Forbes 50 Fintech Award for three consecutive years (2019-2021).
11. Synchrony Financial
- Founded in: 1932
- Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut
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Crunchbase describes Synchrony as “the largest provider of private label credit cards in the United States.” For nearly 90 years, the company has helped more than 72.4 million consumers make purchases seamlessly.
In addition to its credit card services, Synchrony Bank, the company’s award-winning online banking arm, offers a range of financial products and services to help customers grow their wealth. These include money market accounts, IRAs, high-yield savings accounts, and certificates of deposits.
Synchrony’s commitment to excellence has earned it several accolades within the fintech industry. In 2017, the company won the prestigious CIO 100 Award for the third consecutive year.
12. Kiva
- Founded in: 2005
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
- Follow Kiva on LinkedIn
Kiva is a non-profit organization that operates a peer-to-peer lending platform, connecting lenders with borrowers in developing countries who lack access to traditional banking services.
Through Kiva, people like students, low-income earners, people working in underfunded sectors such as agriculture, health, and education, can borrow as little as $25 to start or grow a business, go to school, or improve their living conditions.
Since its launch in 2005, Kiva has crowdfunded over $1.3 billion in loans to more than 3 million entrepreneurs, farmers, students, and educators in more than 90 countries, including Kenya, Pakistan, and Sierra Leone.
In 2013, Kiva won the $3 million Google Global Impact Award for its innovative approach to microfinance and social entrepreneurship.
Final thoughts on 12 best fintech companies in the United States
Thank you for reading our overview of the top US fintech companies. We hope it has helped you understand the innovative solutions and disruptive technologies that are currently driving the fintech industry forward.
By 2025, the US will account for over 62% of global fintech transactions, which will open up unprecedented opportunities for new and existing industry players to thrive and scale their impact and we’re excited to see how the companies on our list will take advantage of these new opportunities in the market.
If you liked this article, here are a few other resources you may find interesting:
- Top 19 Fintech and Insurtech Companies in the UK
- What Specific Challenges Are Fintech CTOs Worried About in 2022?
- 9 Most Innovative UK Fintech Startups to Look Out For in 2022
- What Do Experts Say About the Future of Machine Learning (and Python)?
- Top 16 Fintech and SaaS Companies in the Nordics
Should have an idea for your own revolutionary fintech project, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be glad to help turn your vision into a reality and support you every step of the way!
