Top 10 Fintech Investors & VC Firms in 2025
Fintech funding reached $75B+ globally in 2025 despite market corrections, with fintech-focused VCs deploying $200M-$2B annually, according to CB Insights fintech report. Competition for top fintech investors remains intense—making targeted outreach and professional materials critical.
Peony accelerates fintech fundraising: secure data rooms organize financial compliance docs, track investor engagement on regulatory materials, protect sensitive fintech IP, and demonstrate security posture. Purpose-built for fintech fundraising.
Here are the top 10 fintech investors for 2025.
Top Fintech Investors
1. Accion
Focus: Financial inclusion and underbanked markets
Stage: Seed to Series A
Check Size: $500K-$3M
AUM: $170M+ across funds
HQ: Washington, D.C.
Accion specializes in fintech serving underbanked and underserved populations, with a strong focus on financial inclusion, microfinance technology, and emerging markets. Their portfolio includes companies expanding access to financial services in developing economies and underserved communities in the US.
What they look for:
- Financial inclusion mission alignment
- Underbanked market focus
- Scalable technology platforms
- Measurable social impact
- Sustainable business models
Notable investments: Destacame (credit scoring), Juvo (credit access), Lendable (lending infrastructure)
Why they're valuable: Deep expertise in financial inclusion, strong network of microfinance institutions, emerging market knowledge, and patient capital approach for socially impactful ventures.
2. Canapi Ventures
Focus: Fintech infrastructure and B2B financial services
Stage: Series A to Series B
Check Size: $5M-$20M
AUM: $650M+ across funds
HQ: New York, NY
Canapi invests in fintech infrastructure companies serving banks, credit unions, and financial institutions. Their focus areas include core banking, payments infrastructure, regulatory technology, and enabling technologies for traditional financial institutions.
What they look for:
- B2B fintech infrastructure
- Bank and credit union partnerships
- Regulatory compliance expertise
- Enterprise sales capability
- Deep financial services domain knowledge
Notable investments: Vestwell (retirement platforms), Pagaya (AI underwriting), Oscilar (risk decisioning)
Why they're valuable: Strong relationships with traditional financial institutions, deep regulatory knowledge, enterprise sales expertise, and follow-on funding capability for infrastructure companies.
3. Fort Ross Ventures
Focus: Cross-border fintech between US, Russia, and emerging markets
Stage: Seed to Series A
Check Size: $1M-$5M
AUM: $100M+ across funds
HQ: San Francisco, CA / Moscow, Russia
Fort Ross specializes in cross-border fintech companies bridging developed and emerging markets, with particular expertise in payments, remittances, and financial services connecting the US, Russia, and CIS countries.
What they look for:
- Cross-border payment solutions
- Emerging market expansion capability
- Teams with international experience
- Regulatory navigation across jurisdictions
- Network effects and scalability
Notable investments: Wave (remittances), Paysend (international transfers), ZestMoney (credit in India)
Why they're valuable: Unique cross-border network, emerging market expertise, international expansion support, and connections in both developed and developing financial markets.
4. Core Innovation Capital
Focus: Regulated fintech and financial services infrastructure
Stage: Series A to Series B
Check Size: $3M-$15M
AUM: $270M+ across funds
HQ: San Francisco, CA
Core Innovation Capital invests in fintech companies navigating complex regulatory environments, particularly in banking, lending, insurance, and wealth management. Their team includes former regulators and financial services executives.
What they look for:
- Regulatory-compliant business models
- Proven regulatory navigation capability
- Financial services infrastructure
- Experienced leadership with fintech/regulatory background
- Path to profitability despite regulatory costs
Notable investments: Marqeta (card issuing), Bond (embedded finance), Step (teen banking)
Why they're valuable: Deep regulatory expertise, connections to regulators and financial institutions, strategic guidance on licensing and compliance, and understanding of regulatory cost structures.
5. Day One Ventures
Focus: Early-stage fintech and financial innovation
Stage: Pre-seed to Seed
Check Size: $250K-$1M
AUM: $150M+ across funds
HQ: San Francisco, CA
Day One Ventures focuses on earliest-stage fintech companies, often pre-product, with contrarian perspectives on financial services. Known for backing unconventional approaches and underrepresented founders.
What they look for:
- Novel approaches to financial services
- Underrepresented founder teams
- Contrarian market perspectives
- Strong technical capabilities
- Consumer fintech innovation
Notable investments: Public.com (social investing), M1 Finance (automated investing), Till Financial (family banking)
Why they're valuable: Early-stage focus enables access to capital when most VCs won't invest, hands-on operational support, media and marketing connections, and follow-on funding from their network.
6. Equal Ventures
Focus: Fintech and financial infrastructure
Stage: Seed to Series A
Check Size: $500K-$3M
AUM: $126M across funds
HQ: New York, NY
Equal Ventures specializes in "unsexy" fintech infrastructure—back-office, middleware, and B2B financial services that enable the broader fintech ecosystem. They focus on companies solving complex operational challenges.
What they look for:
- Fintech infrastructure and middleware
- B2B focus (not consumer)
- Complex operational problem-solving
- Long-term defensibility
- Technical depth and expertise
Notable investments: Column (banking infrastructure), Lithic (card issuing), Method (financial connectivity)
Why they're valuable: Deep understanding of fintech infrastructure, focus on long-term sustainable businesses over hype, strong technical advisory, and connections throughout the financial services ecosystem.
7. Velocity Capital
Focus: Growth-stage fintech companies
Stage: Series A to Series B
Check Size: $5M-$25M
AUM: $1B+ under management
HQ: Menlo Park, CA
Velocity Capital invests in later-stage fintech companies with proven business models, significant revenue traction, and clear paths to profitability. They focus on companies ready for institutional scaling.
What they look for:
- $5M+ in annual revenue
- Proven unit economics
- Clear path to profitability
- Institutional-grade compliance
- Scalable business models
Notable investments: Brex (corporate cards), Dave (banking), SoFi (digital banking)
Why they're valuable: Growth capital availability, scaling expertise, institutional investor connections for later rounds, and operational support for rapid expansion.
8. Group 11
Focus: Fintech platforms and marketplaces
Stage: Seed to Series A
Check Size: $1M-$5M
AUM: $220M across funds
HQ: Los Angeles, CA
Group 11 invests in fintech platforms with network effects, marketplace dynamics, and multi-sided business models. They focus on companies that benefit from scale and create switching costs.
What they look for:
- Platform business models
- Network effects and marketplace dynamics
- Multi-sided ecosystems
- Defensible competitive positions
- Strong unit economics at scale
Notable investments: Balance (B2B payments), Pipe (revenue financing), Finix (payment infrastructure)
Why they're valuable: Expertise in platform business models, network effects analysis, marketplace go-to-market strategies, and connections to potential platform partners.
9. GrandBanks Capital
Focus: Banking technology and financial institution infrastructure
Stage: Series A to Series B
Check Size: $5M-$20M
AUM: $400M+ under management
HQ: New York, NY
GrandBanks Capital specializes in technology serving banks, credit unions, and financial institutions. Their portfolio focuses on core banking, compliance technology, and infrastructure modernization.
What they look for:
- Bank and credit union customers
- Financial institution partnerships
- Regulatory compliance capabilities
- Enterprise sales expertise
- Long sales cycles and enterprise complexity
Notable investments: Alloy (identity verification), Unit (banking-as-a-service), Treasury Prime (embedded banking)
Why they're valuable: Deep relationships with traditional financial institutions, understanding of bank procurement processes, regulatory expertise, and patient capital for long enterprise sales cycles.
10. Illuminate Financial
Focus: Financial services technology and innovation
Stage: Seed to Series A
Check Size: $2M-$10M
AUM: $325M across funds
HQ: New York, NY
Illuminate Financial invests across the fintech spectrum with a focus on companies modernizing financial services delivery. Their team includes former operators from leading financial institutions.
What they look for:
- Financial services modernization
- Strong product-market fit evidence
- Experienced fintech leadership
- Regulatory clarity or navigation plan
- Clear competitive differentiation
Notable investments: Petal (credit cards), Albert (personal finance), Tally (debt management)
Why they're valuable: Broad fintech network, operational expertise from portfolio work, connections to potential banking partners, and follow-on funding capability.
What Fintech Investors Look For
Regulatory navigation:
- Clear compliance strategy
- Legal team or advisors
- License roadmap
- Risk management approach
Unit economics:
- Customer acquisition costs
- Lifetime value
- Transaction economics
- Regulatory costs incorporated
Market opportunity:
- Large, underserved market
- Clear distribution advantage
- Network effects potential
- Regulatory moats
Team capabilities:
- Financial services experience
- Regulatory expertise
- Technical capabilities
- Go-to-market strength
Fintech-Specific Pitch Requirements
Must address in pitch:
- Regulatory strategy (licenses, compliance)
- Unit economics (including regulatory costs)
- Distribution channel (how you reach customers)
- Trust and security posture
Data room essentials:
- Compliance documentation
- Regulatory strategy
- Security certifications (SOC 2, etc.)
- License applications/approvals
- Banking partnerships
Reaching Fintech Investors
Best approaches:
- Fintech conferences (Money20/20, Fintech Meetup, LendIt)
- Banking partnerships (introductions)
- Regulatory attorney connections
- Portfolio company referrals
Timing:
- Post regulatory clarity
- After banking partnership secured
- With customer traction
- When compliance documented
Fintech Due Diligence Focus
Investors scrutinize:
Regulatory:
- Compliance status
- License progress
- Legal opinions
- Regulatory relationships
Risk:
- Fraud prevention
- AML/KYC procedures
- Data security
- Operational resilience
Economics:
- Transaction economics
- Regulatory cost impact
- Customer acquisition
- Monetization model
Fintech Fundraising Timeline
Pre-fundraising (3-6 months before):
- Secure banking partnership or commit letter
- Obtain legal opinions on regulatory approach
- Document compliance procedures
- Build financial model incorporating regulatory costs
- Prepare technical documentation
Active fundraising (2-4 months):
- Warm introductions through network
- Initial meetings and pitches
- Share data room access
- Due diligence process
- Term sheet negotiations
Post-term sheet (1-2 months):
- Deep regulatory due diligence
- Banking partner verification
- Legal documentation review
- Compliance audit
- Final closing
Common Fintech Fundraising Mistakes
Mistake 1: Unclear regulatory strategy
- Investors immediately concerned about regulatory risk
- Signals team doesn't understand their industry
- Shows lack of planning for compliance costs
How to avoid: Engage experienced fintech attorneys early, document your regulatory approach, obtain legal opinions on viability, and budget realistic compliance costs.
Mistake 2: Over-optimistic unit economics
- Failing to include regulatory costs in CAC
- Underestimating compliance overhead
- Ignoring fraud/AML costs
- Missing license/audit expenses
How to avoid: Build detailed financial models including all regulatory costs, benchmark against public fintech companies, stress-test assumptions with pessimistic scenarios.
Mistake 3: Generic security posture
- Using consumer file-sharing tools
- No SOC 2 or security certifications
- Weak data handling practices
- Poor access controls
How to avoid: Obtain SOC 2 Type I minimum, use secure platforms for sensitive data, implement proper access controls, document security practices comprehensively.
Mistake 4: Weak banking relationships
- No committed banking partner
- Unclear path to banking partnership
- Unrealistic partnership expectations
- Poor sponsor bank understanding
How to avoid: Start banking partnership conversations early (12+ months pre-launch), understand sponsor bank economics and requirements, get letters of intent when possible, build relationships not just transactions.
Investor Comparison Matrix
| Investor | Best For | Regulatory Expertise | Network Strength | Follow-On Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accion | Financial inclusion, emerging markets | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Canapi Ventures | B2B fintech infrastructure | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Fort Ross Ventures | Cross-border, emerging markets | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Core Innovation Capital | Regulated fintech, compliance-heavy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Day One Ventures | Early consumer fintech | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Equal Ventures | B2B infrastructure, middleware | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Velocity Capital | Growth-stage, scaling | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Group 11 | Platforms, marketplaces | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| GrandBanks Capital | Banking infrastructure, FI tech | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Illuminate Financial | Broad fintech spectrum | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
How Peony Supports Fintech Fundraising
Peony addresses fintech-specific needs:
Compliance documentation:
- Organize regulatory materials systematically
- Track which investors reviewed compliance docs
- Demonstrate security posture through platform itself
- Maintain complete audit trails for all access
Security demonstration:
- SOC 2 Type II certified platform (show investors you're serious)
- Bank-grade AES-256 encryption
- Complete access logs and audit trails
- Professional, secure presentation
Investor intelligence:
- Track engagement on compliance sections
- Identify regulatory concern areas by viewing patterns
- See which investors spent time on security docs
- Perfect timing for follow-ups based on engagement
Professional presentation:
- Custom branded data rooms (yourcompany.peony.ink)
- Organized by investor-friendly categories
- Mobile-optimized for on-the-go viewing
- Fast, modern interface signals technical competence
Result: Professional fintech fundraising demonstrating security consciousness through the platform you use to share materials.
Additional Fintech Fundraising Resources
Fintech-focused accelerators:
- Y Combinator (strong fintech track record)
- Techstars Fintech (fintech-specific programs)
- Plug and Play Fintech (corporate connections)
- Barclays Rise (fintech accelerator)
Fintech communities and events:
- Money20/20 (largest fintech conference)
- LendIt Fintech (lending and digital banking)
- Fintech Meetup (investor-focused)
- Local fintech meetups in major cities
Regulatory resources:
- CFPB (consumer financial protection)
- OCC (banking regulation)
- State regulators (money transmitter licenses)
- FinCEN (AML/BSA compliance)
Conclusion
Fintech investors seek regulatory-savvy teams, compelling unit economics that account for compliance costs, clear regulatory strategies, and strong security postures. Success requires demonstrating deep regulatory navigation capability, sustainable economics despite compliance overhead, strong banking relationships, and professional materials organization that signals operational maturity.
The best fintech founders treat compliance as a competitive advantage rather than a burden—showing investors they understand the regulatory landscape and have built it into their DNA from day one.
Peony enables fintech startups to present professional, secure data rooms that address investor concerns while tracking engagement patterns—demonstrating security consciousness through the very platform used for fundraising.
Secure fintech fundraising platform: Try Peony