Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Enterprise in Mass. selects insider as new CEO

Enterprise in Mass. selects insider as new CEO

Enterprise Bancorp in Lowell, Mass., has a new leader. The $4.6 billion-asset company said in a press release that Steven Larochelle had become its CEO. Larochelle, who had been chief banking officer, succeeded Jack Clancy, who retired. Clancy, who had been CEO since 2007, was named an honorary director and will serve as an executive advisor. Clancy “has been the backbone of the Enterprise family for 35 years and mere

June 7, 2024
Proposed Fortuna Bank to close capital raise as opening nears

Proposed Fortuna Bank to close capital raise as opening nears

Organizers of the proposed Fortuna Bank in Grandview Heights, Ohio, are close to opening. The group behind the effort said in a LinkedIn post that it will formally close the capital raise on June 30. Fortuna Bank received conditional approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in February. The agency required organizers to raise $20 million. Ilaria Rawlins is set to become the bank’s president and CEO. The group applied

June 7, 2024
Fintech Torpago raises $10M in Series B funding round

Fintech Torpago raises $10M in Series B funding round

Torpago, a commercial credit card and spend management provider, raised $10 million in a Series B funding round. The San Mateo, Calif., company said in a press release that the round was co-led by Priority Tech Ventures and EJF Ventures, with participation from BankTech Ventures and others. The investment will help Torpago serve demand for its white-label, end-to-end commercial credit card and expense management software platform. The funds will allow

June 6, 2024
R Bank in Texas hires VeraBank CFO as its new leader

R Bank in Texas hires VeraBank CFO as its new leader

R Bank in Round Rock, Texas, has a new leader. The $1 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Todd Engemoen had become its president and CEO. He succeeded Steve Stapp, who retired after leading the bank for 16 years. Engemoen was chief financial officer at VeraBank, according to his LinkedIn profile. Engemoen’s “depth of experience and alignment with our core values make him the perfect choice to lead

June 6, 2024
First State Bank in Iowa buying branch from Capra Bank

First State Bank in Iowa buying branch from Capra Bank

First State Bank in Lynnville, Iowa, has agreed to buy a branch from Capra Bank in Dubuque, Iowa. The $331 million-asset First State applied with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to assume certain liabilities and assets tied to a branch in Montezuma, Iowa. Pricing wasn’t disclosed. The branch had $48.8 million of deposits in mid-2023.

June 6, 2024
Haven Savings in N.J. lines up next CEO, COO

Haven Savings in N.J. lines up next CEO, COO

Haven Savings Bank in Hoboken, N.J., will have new leadership next year. The $1.1 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Lisa Franconeri will become its president and CEO on Jan. 1. Franconeri, the bank’s CRA officer, will succeed the retiring John Wessling III. Wessling will remain chairman. The bank also said that Paul Deponte will become its chief operating officer. He has served as chief financial officer for

June 5, 2024
Investor group completes purchase of two Texas banks

Investor group completes purchase of two Texas banks

An investor group has completed its purchase of two banks in Texas. Patrons Holdings agreed last year to buy Eden Financial, the holding company for Texas Financial Bank and Amistad Bank.  Connor Price, Patrons’ president and CEO, confirmed in a LinkedIn post that the deal had recently closed. “This monumental achievement was made possible by the support of the people that surround our team,” he said in the post. “I’m

June 5, 2024
BankTech Ventures invests in three fintechs

BankTech Ventures invests in three fintechs

BankTech Ventures in Sandy, Utah, has invested in three fintechs. The fund said in a press release that it had invested in Equabli, Filejet and Monit. The amount of the investments was not disclosed. Equabli mitigates customer delinquency and default with a suite of solutions that streamlines the payment, debt collection, and recovery process. Filejet helps banks attract and retain SMB customers by providing compliance capabilities with legal entity reporting

June 5, 2024