Fintech Varo hopes to raise a $ 55 million round round, but has so far closed in $ 29 million to date, according to recent sec deposit.
Barrel refused to comment on this new round, but Fintech has increased just over $ 1 billion in funding since 2015, according to Library. Fintech Business Weekly writer Jason Mikula and Crowdfund Insider reported the news news earlier this week (here and here).
It would not be the first time that the concentration of funds did not go as we hoped for Varo. In 2023, Varo increased a $ 50 million of shares in a lower valuation ($ 1.85 billion after money) from the huge, “overcame” of $ 510 million in 2021. The round of 2021 utilized it at 2, $ 5 billion after money, according to Pitchbook.
In a somewhat surprise, CEO and founder Colin Walsh recently announced that he resigned, with Gavin Michael replaces him as CEO. (Michael was previously chief executive on the BAKKT Stock Exchange, LinkedIn profile It shows that he took a leading role in Varo in November 2024.)
When asked about the guess that Walsh was forced to resign, a company spokesman denied that it had happened, saying to TechCrunch: “This transition concerns the next phase of Varo’s evolution.”
The spokesman pointed out Michael’s experience as CEO Bakkt and previous leadership roles in Citi and Jpmorgan Chase as “exactly what Varo needs for its next chapter”.
“Colin has met Gavin for 19 years and after working closely with him in recent months, Colin is sure to be the right leader to use the company he has created for the last decade, while maintaining Varo’s commitment to economic integration ”. The spokesman added.
Walsh will remain on the VARO Board of Directors and, as a founder, still maintains a significant share of the company, the spokesman said.
Varo was an extremely monitoring fintech in its previous years, because the start acquired the bank’s national map in 2020-a move that made it the first digital American consumer bank. In a 2022 interview with TechCrunch, Walsh said the company “still sees strong customer growth” and had “a clear way to profitability”. But since the beginning of 2024, the company was It’s not yet profitable. And according to a December 2024 call report, it had reported a loss of nearly $ 65 million.
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