Neo Financial Raises $50 Million in Series A Funding and Debt Financing

Distributed by Business Wire
16th December 2020

Fintech startup raises one of the largest Series A rounds in Western Canada amidst unprecedented year

CALGARY, Alberta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Neo Financial (Neo), a technology company created by two of the co-founders of SkipTheDishes, announced it has completed a $25 million Series A fundraising round alongside $25 million in debt facility financing, bringing this funding round total to $50 million CAD. Amidst an unprecedented year, this raise marks one of the largest Series A funding rounds in Western Canada.

Valar Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm, led the funding round. Known for its successful investments in the financial technology space, Valar Ventures was started by James Fitzgerald, Andrew McCormack, and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Valar Ventures has previously backed several prominent companies including Xero, N26, Transferwise, and more.

Other Series A backers included Tobi Lutke, the CEO and founder of Shopify; Golden Ventures; Inovia Capital; Thomvest; Afore Capital; Maple VC; FJ Labs; and District Ventures, the venture firm founded by Arlene Dickinson from Dragon’s Den. Neo also closed a $25 million debt facility with financial partner, ATB Financial.

“With the tremendous support of our investors, particularly through the challenging circumstances of COVID-19, we’re accelerating the development of Neo’s product offerings and expansion across Canada,” says Neo co-founder and CEO, Andrew Chau. “Now more than ever we are seeing the need for digital transformation in industries like banking, and Neo is at the forefront of that in Canada. Our team has set out to not only build new technology that challenges Canada’s existing financial sector, but also drives a cultural shift in how Canadians bank.”

“We’re excited to partner with the team building Neo Financial,” said Andrew McCormack, a founding partner of Valar Ventures. “They are building a powerful technology platform which provides the modern banking services consumers around the world have come to expect – and are still not getting from the traditional banks in Canada. We see massive opportunities for new entrants in the banking industry globally, particularly in places dominated by a few old banks that have gotten too comfortable and forgotten how to innovate. Neo’s unique approach will have a significant impact for consumers all over Canada who are ready for a financial platform that works for them.”

In a country where the Big Five banks own 90 percent of the market share, Neo was created to bring much-needed innovation and choice to consumers in Canada. As the new challenger in Canada’s financial sector, Neo’s proprietary technology has been designed to simplify finances and create rewarding experiences for Canadians.

Neo offers Neo Savings, a high-interest savings account that earns members up to 30 times more than the Big Five banks, and the Neo MasterCard and Rewards program that combines spending and savings together on one seamless platform.

With this latest investment, Neo will continue to serve the increasing demand for financial innovation and optionality in Canada. Consumers across Canada can open a Neo account today, and have access to Neo spending, savings and reward products, and be the first to access new account features as they continue to roll out.

For more information on Neo, visit NeoFinancial.com

About Neo Financial:

Neo Financial (Neo) is a technology company working hard to build a better financial experience for all Canadians. Founded in 2019 by co-founders of SkipTheDishes, Neo is re-imagining spending, savings and rewards by using technology to simplify finances and create rewarding experiences for all Canadians.

Through partnerships with leading financial institutions, Neo provides members with a safe and secure way to spend and save. Neo’s credit card is issued by ATB Financial and backed by the Mastercard network, and the Neo Savings account is provided by Concentra Bank, a CDIC member institution, and is eligible for CDIC deposit protection. Neo is headquartered in Calgary, AB, and is backed by top investors across North America. For more information, please visit neofinancial.com.

About Valar Ventures:

Valar is a New York-based venture firm known for its investments in financial technology companies. Valar’s core thesis is that an increasing number of transformative technology companies are being started outside of Silicon Valley, and that the founders of those companies benefit from having a partner that understands their unique challenges and opportunities and can help them achieve optimal growth. For more information, please visit valar.com.