Increase Bank launches after Darragh Buckley buys small bank
Fintech founder Darragh Buckley has officially taken over a bank. Buckley, who created Increase, a customer-facing API company, announced the creation of Increase Bank after buying Twin City Bancorp in Longview, Wash. “This is the bank for ambitious technology companies,” Buckley said in a LinkedIn post. “You’re obsessed with building the best possible product for your customers; […]
CUSO InvestFi raises $20 million in latest funding round
InvestiFi has raised $20 million to accelerate its embedded investing platform for banks and credit unions. The CUSO said in a press release that the funding round was led by Vibe Credit Union, with participation from BankTech Ventures, Navari, and several credit unions. InvestiFi has grown from four clients in 2024 to more than 60 […]
Blue Ridge in Va. reports loss after issues with government-backed loans
Blue Ridge Bankshares in Charlottesville, Va., slipped back into the red after a problematic loan came to light. The $2.3 billion-asset company said in a press release that it lost $200,000 in the second quarter, reversing an $800,000 profit from a quarter earlier. The net loss included an after-tax $2.1 million loan-loss provision. Blue Ridge […]
Unison Bank in N.D. promoting market leader to become CEO in 2027
Unison Bank in Jamestown, N.D., will have a new leader in a year. The $596 million-asset bank, which largely operates in Arizona, shared on LinkedIn that Christofer Yacoub had become its president and will succeed the retiring Kelly Rachel as CEO in July 2027. “Chris brings a strategic vision, a deep commitment to community banking, […]
Summit State in Calif. posts 2Q loss as it tackles credit issues
Summit State Bank in Santa Rosa, Calif., reported a net loss in the second quarter as it tried to address higher-risk credits. The $960 million-asset bank lost $1.3 million, compared to a $2.4 million gain a year earlier. The recent quarter included a $5.9 million loan-loss provision. The bank said it recognized “significant chargeoffs” and […]
Bangor Savings Bank in Maine taps insider as next CEO
Bangor Savings Bank in Maine is close to having a new leader. The bank said in a press release that Lannie Moffatt will become president and CEO at the end of this summer. Moffatt, the bank’s chief operating officer, will succeed Bob Montgomery-Rice, who is retiring.
OCC rejects Wise’s national trust bank charter application
U.K. fintech Wise is headed back to the drawing board in its effort to form a U.S. national trust bank. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency denied the company’s application. Stephen Lybarger, the OCC’s senior deputy comptroller for chartering, organization and structure, said in a letter that the application “presents significant supervisory and […]
Flex files for Utah industrial loan charter
Flexible Finance, which operates as Flex, has applied for a Utah industrial loan charter. The New York fintech said in a press release that it plans to form Flex Bank in Nehi. The proposed bank would give Flex an FDIC-insured institution to support its products and services as it continues to scale. Since 2019, Flex […]
Aspira Bank organizers outline a resolution-driven path to California charter
A private investor group is seeking regulatory approval for a shell charter that would be activated only if it wins an FDIC-assisted acquisition of a troubled California commercial bank. Aspira Bank is not being proposed as a traditional de novo. The organizers are pursuing a more opportunistic and considerably more complex strategy: obtain conditional approval for […]
Fintech Albert seeking bank charter in Utah
Albert, a fintech that offers instant lines of credit, is seeking a bank charter. The company applied with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to form Albert Bank, which would be based in Salt Lake City. Albert currently offers credit lines and certain instant loans through FinWise Bank.
Group applies to form national bank based in Pittsburgh
A group in Pittsburgh is looking to open a bank. Organizers applied with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to form Sagehaven Bancorp. The group is led by Brian Tabb, who stepped down as senior vice president of corporate treasury at BNY in March. The bank would focus […]
Five Star in California to raise $113M in public offering
Five Star Bancorp in Rancho Cordova, Calif., plans to raise more than $113 million by selling common stock. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that it aims to sell about 2.7 million shares of stock at $44 each in a public offering. Five Star could sell an additional 409,000 shares if there is sufficient […]
Upstart receives conditional OCC approval to form a bank
Upstart Holdings in Burlingame, Calif., has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to form Upstart Bank. The charter would let Upstart reduce operational, regulatory, and financial complexity for itself and third-party capital partners. The fintech filed its application in March. Conditional approval “is an important milestone … we will […]
Northrim in Alaska makes Oregon push with PBCO Financial purchase
Northrim BanCorp in Anchorage, Alaska, has agreed to buy PBCO Financial in Medford, Ore. The $3.4 billion-asset Northrim said in a press release that it will pay $167.3 million in stock for the $777 million-asset PBCO. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter or early next year. “Both of our organizations share […]
Optus in S.C. to buy M&F Bancorp in N.C. in merger of MDIs
Optus Financial in Columbia, S.C., has agreed to buy M&F Bancorp in Durham, N.C., in a merger of minority depository institutions. Optus will pay $105 million in cash, including $46.57 a share at closing and an additional $6.73 a share contingent upon the repurchase of certain outstanding shares of M&F preferred stock within a year […]
First Community in S.C. to split leadership of its bank
First Community in Lexington, S.C., is splitting the leadership roles at its bank. The $2.4 billion-asset company said in a press release that Vaughn Dozier will become CEO of First Community Bank on Jan. 1, while Drew Painter will become president. Dozier and Painter have served as commercial and retail banking officers; they will succeed […]
Gesa Credit Union in Wash. to enter Oregon with bank acquisition
Gesa Credit Union in Richland, Wash., has agreed to buy Willamette Valley Bank in Salem, Ore. Gesa said in a press release that it will pay $43 to $45 a share in cash for the $465 million-asset Willamette Valley. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027. Following the sale, Willamette […]
Cordant emerges from stealth with $8 million seed round
Cordant emerged from stealth after raising $8 million in a seed round. The company, which monitors money-moving systems for financial institutions, said in a press release that the seed round was co-led by Oak HC/FT and Motive Partners. “Money moves in real time, but understanding where a transaction went, which systems and partner acted, who […]
Amador in New Mexico to buy parent of First State Bank
Amador Bancshares in Las Cruces, N.M., has agreed to buy BBS Corp. in Socorro, N.M. Amador, the holding company of the $1.2 billion-asset Citizens Bank, did not disclose the price it will pay for the parent of the $186 million-asset First State Bank. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. First State […]
First Financial to buy Finward in northwest Indiana
First Financial Bancorp. in Cincinnati has agreed to buy Finward Bancorp in Munster, Ind. The $22.4 billion-asset First Financial said in a press release that it will pay $208 million in stock for the $2 billion-asset Finward. The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, priced Finward at 140% of its tangible […]
FinWise in Utah brings credit card processing in-house with acquisition
FinWise Bancorp in Murray, Utah, has acquired the technology platform and related assets of Tallied Technologies. FinWise did not disclose how much it paid for the credit card issuance and processing platform behind its co-branded credit card programs. FinWise now owns its card technology stack from application through issuing, processing and servicing, retaining the fees, […]
Future Financial agrees to buy Palmer Bancshares in Texas
Future Financial Bankshares has agreed to buy Palmer Bancshares in Palmer, Texas. Future Financial, an entity formed to buy a bank, did not disclose what it will pay for the parent of the $120.4 million-asset Commercial State Bank. “What began as conversations, relationships, and an unwavering belief that a community bank could be built around […]
Lumin Digital raises $70 million in latest funding round
Lumin Digital in San Ramon, Calif., raised $70 million. The digital platform said in a press release that the new funding round will support advancements in AI, payments, CRM, and lending. The capital raise follows a recent $45 million growth equity financing led by Light Street Capital. “We’ve built Lumin around a simple idea: the […]
Activist investor pushes Cashmere Valley in Pa. to find a buyer
Down Range Capital Opportunity Fund is pushing the board of Cashmere Valley Bancorp in Cashmere, Wash., to sell the bank. Down Range’s letter leans on four main points: No credible succession plan. CSHX has had only two CEOs since 1993 — Ken Martin and Greg Oakes — with a smooth internal handoff between them. Oakes’s […]
Palo Alto Networks co-founder completes Liberty Bank purchase
Tech money keeps finding its way into small banks — and the latest example closed this week in Irvine, Calif. Nir Zuk, co-founder of cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks, completed his purchase of DMG Bancshares, the holding company of the $442 million-asset Liberty Bank. He wasn’t alone: Daniel and Betsy Cohen, co-founders of The Bancorp, […]