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Startup founder buys Washington bank to extend fintech push. 04 Aug 2026, 09:58 pm Darragh Buckley fully took over Twin City Bank last year, renamed it Increase Bank, and is now using the platform to expand his start-up's work with financial-technology clients. (Aug 4): Darragh Buckley, an early employee at payment-processor Stripe, is taking his financial-product start-up Increase into the banking world. Buckley, who acquired voting shares in Twin City Bank last year, fully took over the lender, renamed it Increase Bank, and is now using the platform to expand his start-up's work with financial-technology clients. His purchase of the lender - sandwiched between Seattle and Portland, Oregon - is vaulting Increase into a competitive space dominated by firms such as Lead Bank and Column that provide fintechs with an often-required banking platform. Buckley plans to keep the bank's physical location in Longview, Washington, as well as its community banking business. Buckley's Increase, which was founded in 2020, initially had success working as the technology layer interfacing between banks and fintechs such as Stripe and Ramp, working on services such as ensuring employees are paid at an exact time. But he was ready to take it a step further with the firm and not have to rely on its own banking partners to handle the regulated portion of the work. "It's time for us to tie those things more tightly together," he said. Buckley has said he's been keenly aware of the challenges that fintechs face when it comes to banking given the complicated setup that's needed to create products. Increase Bank, which counts Jon Jones as its chief executive officer, will provide a more digitally native banking infrastructure for clients. "I built it to be the banking technology that I wanted while building Stripe," Buckley said in an interview. Uploaded by Felyx Teoh

Walmart-Backed fintech OnePay hits 6M monthly users and $50B in annualized payments as it pushes to become a payment super app. - June 3, 2026 Why it matters. The rapid growth positions OnePay as a potential challenger to traditional banks and could accelerate the U.S. super-app trend, expanding Walmart's ecosystem beyond retail. Key takeaways. * - 6M monthly users, $50B payments, both doubled YoY * - Valuation rose to $4B after expanded product suite * - Two-thirds of Walmart sign-ups adopt extra financial services * - Operates via partner banks, no own banking charter * - Targets WeChat-style super-app, first in U.S. market Pulse analysis. OnePay's surge reflects a broader shift toward integrated financial platforms that combine payments, banking, and investment services under a single consumer interface. Backed by Walmart's massive retail footprint and Ribbit Capital, the fintech leverages data and distribution channels that most pure-play startups lack. This advantage has helped it double its user base and payment volume in just twelve months, a feat that underscores the power of retailer-driven fintech ecosystems in a market still dominated by legacy banks and siloed apps. The company's product roadmap now spans a checking account, crypto investing, and a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) offering, positioning OnePay as a one-stop shop for everyday financial needs. By partnering with Coastal Community Bank and Lead Bank rather than seeking its own charter, OnePay sidesteps regulatory hurdles while still delivering FDIC-insured services. This model mirrors the "partner-bank" approach used by other U.S. fintechs, but OnePay's scale - driven by two-thirds of Walmart-originated users adding additional products - gives it a unique cross-selling engine that could boost revenue per user. If OnePay succeeds in delivering a true super-app experience, it could reshape the competitive landscape for both fintechs and traditional banks. A Walmart-anchored super-app would give the retailer a direct line to consumer financial data, enabling more personalized offers and tighter loyalty loops. Competitors may be forced to accelerate their own ecosystem strategies or seek similar retail partnerships. For investors, OnePay's $4 billion valuation signals confidence that a retailer-backed fintech can challenge the status quo and potentially unlock new growth avenues in the U.S. payments market. Paul Drecksler Walmart-backed fintech OnePay has reached 6 million monthly active users and $50B in annualized payments, both double their figures from a year ago, according to people familiar with the company's results. The app, which lets users load debit and credit cards and earn redeemable points, recently nabbed a $4B valuation and also offers a checking account, a crypto investing platform, and a buy now, pay later service. Backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital's Micky Malka, OnePay leans on the retailer's data and distribution, with two-thirds of users who sign up via Walmart adding at least one more financial product. The company, with roughly 600 employees and led by ex-Goldman Sachs executive Omer Ismail, is pursuing a WeChat-style "super app" model, though no U.S. fintech has pulled that off. OnePay isn't seeking a bank charter for now, working with partners Coastal Community Bank and Lead Bank.

Relay secures $50 million USD to bring more small businesses to its banking platform. Toronto FinTech firm aims to build "financial command centre" for self-made small businesses. Toronto-based FinTech startup Relay announced on Tuesday that it has closed $50 million USD ($69 million CAD) from Silicon Valley's General Catalyst to accelerate customer acquisition. This money comes out of General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund (CVF), which Relay co-founder and CEO Yoseph West said provides non-dilutive growth capital tied directly to customer acquisition performance. "This investment is the spark that will ignite our brand footprint and market presence." Yoseph West, Relay West told BetaKit over email that Relay will put this money towards performance marketing, sales, and partnerships that allow the company to reach more small businesses. Meanwhile, it will concentrate its existing capital on product development as it continues to build out its small business banking and money management platform. He said General Catalyst will be repaid from the lifetime value generated by those customer acquisition investments, up to a fixed cap. "The model is designed to align the cost of capital with measurable growth outcomes while allowing Relay to preserve equity capital for product innovation and long-term strategic investment," West told BetaKit over email. This financing comes two years after Relay closed $32.2-million USD ($4.4-million CAD) in Series B funding. The company, which did not share its exact sales, said it is on track to more than triple its revenue since then by the end of 2026. It also closely follows Relay surpassing 150,000 small business customers and $1.3 billion USD in managed deposits through Thread Bank. West said these milestones reflect "not just customer acquisition, but increasing engagement and trust." Founded in 2018, Relay focuses on self-made small businesses in the US market. The company describes itself as a unified financial platform that helps entrepreneurs monitor and manage their cash flow by connecting accounts, bills, capital, cards, and invoices in one place. The 250-person company aims to build what West describes as "the financial command centre for self-made small businesses." "Relay has proven its deep understanding of what small business owners actually need to succeed, with a product that clearly resonates based on the strength of its customer acquisition machine," Andrew Ziperski, partner at General Catalyst's CVF, said in the news release. "We're excited to help them step on the gas with CVF and enable this next phase of growth." According to its website, the CVF helps late-stage companies that have achieved product-market fit acquire new clients without "solely relying on equity or debt." In practice, that means pre-funding businesses' sales and marketing budgets, and getting paid back via capped share of those new customers acquired, allowing recipients to scale without equity dilution, while also owning the downside if things do not pan out as expected. West said "Relay has continued to see strong growth momentum" since closing its Series B, but declined to disclose any specific profitability or revenue figures. During this time, Relay has also expanded beyond business banking and into broader money management and cash flow tools, including its recent launch of Relay Capital term loans, provided in direct partnership with Fundbox and its originating bank partner, Lead Bank. West said that Relay has additional product launches planned for later this year. Feature image courtesy Relay. Roborock Discover the next generation of cleaning innovation. Roborock redefines home robotics with AI-powered systems that sense, adapt, and operate seamlessly in real homes.