Michael Ross

Plaid’s CEO Reflects on Risky Beginnings That Revolutionized Fintech Integration Zach Perret, CEO of $6.1 billion fintech giant Plaid, shares how the company’s early decision to pull financial data from 12,000 banks via screen scraping laid the groundwork for digital finance connectivity across apps like Venmo and Robinhood. Despite legal hurdles and resistance from banks, Plaid's commitment to improving access to financial data spurred long-term industry change. Today, the company primarily uses secure APIs, reflecting a more sustainable and collaborative ecosystem in financial technology. A recent funding round led by Franklin Templeton raised $575 million, cementing Plaid's role as a leading infrastructure provider in fintech. #FintechInnovation #PlaidSuccessStory #BankingTransformation https://lnkd.in/d3irhjGd

The future of payments isn’t just faster, it’s smarter. In 2026, businesses will expect transparency, security, and flexibility built into every transaction. ReliaFund is helping lead that shift with ACH automation, data-driven reporting, and scalable payment infrastructure designed for modern business growth. Are you ready for what’s next? Learn more → https://lnkd.in/fRwPCU3 #Fintech #ACH #Innovation #ReliaFund #FutureReady

Startups don’t need VC to grow. Revenue-based financing doubled from $1.8B in 2021 to over $3.8B in 2024 and average deals are ~$350k with a 6% cap. Funding mix in 2025: VC 52%, crowdfunding 14%, RBF 11%, angels 10%, partnerships 7%, grants 6%. 1,500 companies raised $700M via crowdfunding in 2023. Explore smarter funding options: https://lnkd.in/ebTeA_MX #StartupFunding #AlternativeFinance

The Riverside Company has closed its Riverside Acceleration Capital Growth Lending Fund III (RAC GL III) at its $200 million hard cap. The fund will provide flexible growth loans to enterprise software companies, helping founders scale efficiently with minimal dilution. Building on over $225 million deployed across 90+ software companies, Fund III has already invested 20% of its capital across 18 companies and achieved its first exit within four months. Led by Managing Partner Jim Toth and supported by Co-CEOs Béla Szigethy and Stewart Kohl, RAC’s founder-aligned strategy combines growth lending and non-control equity with strong operational support and a focus on AI-driven efficiency. More at: https://lnkd.in/dM8tqMWK #VentureCapital #GrowthLending #Funding #Software

PYMNTS: Plaid to Launch Embedded Bank Payments Solution for SaaS Platforms: Plaid has announced a solution that will enable vertical software-as-a-service platforms to integrate embedded bank payments directly into their products, enabling their customers to collect bill payments and to disburse funds for vendor payments. The company’s new Transfer for Platforms will provide onboarding, risk and payments in one place, Dana Weinstein, product manager, Plaid […] The post Plaid to Launch Embedded Bank Payments Solution for SaaS Platforms appeared first on PYMNTS.com. http://dlvr.it/TNfYmM #payments #fintech

PYMNTS: Plaid to Launch Embedded Bank Payments Solution for SaaS Platforms: Plaid has announced a solution that will enable vertical software-as-a-service platforms to integrate embedded bank payments directly into their products, enabling their customers to collect bill payments and to disburse funds for vendor payments. The company’s new Transfer for Platforms will provide onboarding, risk and payments in one place, Dana Weinstein, product manager, Plaid […] The post Plaid to Launch Embedded Bank Payments Solution for SaaS Platforms appeared first on PYMNTS.com. http://dlvr.it/TNfYm3 #payments #fintech

Kaaj Raises $3.8M to Automate Small Business Loan Underwriting San Francisco-based fintech startup Kaaj has raised $3.8 million in seed funding, led by Kindred Ventures, with participation from Better Tomorrow Ventures and other investors. The funding will accelerate product development and support expansion into the U.S. small-business lending and equipment finance markets. Revolutionizing Small Business Lending Kaaj’s mission is to make affordable capital accessible to every small business, from family-run stores to fast-growing startups....