New York fintech investors powering financial technology in 2026

New York closed $7.8B in fintech deals across 340+ rounds in 2025. Most capital went to payments, lending, and wealth management platforms. The city has the deepest fintech expertise in the US because every major bank and financial institution operates here. You'll compete with 400+ fintech startups for capital, and investors expect regulatory understanding plus real financial services partnerships.

Quick list

Why New York for fintech fundraising

NYC fintech investors deployed $7.8B across 340+ deals in 2025. Average round size was $18M across all stages, with payments and lending taking 60% of total capital. That's comparable to SF but NYC investors understand banking regulations, compliance requirements, and financial institution sales cycles better than anyone.

New York has every major bank, insurance company, and asset manager within 10 blocks of each other. Investors here can intro you to JPMorgan's innovation team, Goldman Sachs' trading desk, or Visa's partnerships group in 48 hours. That access matters more than capital when you're selling to financial institutions. If you need bank partnerships to scale, raise in NYC.

The disadvantage is higher regulatory scrutiny. NYC fintech investors have seen companies spend $5M on compliance before reaching $1M revenue. They'll ask about your regulatory strategy in the first meeting, not at Series B. If you're building consumer fintech without a compliance plan, you won't get funded here. NYC rewards founders who understand financial services deeply.

Picking the right New York fintech investor

Local presence: NYC fintech investors expect you to have relationships with financial institutions, not just users. They'll ask which banks you're talking to and whether you understand their procurement processes. Manhattan-based funds like Nyca Partners and QED Investors can intro you to decision-makers at every major bank because their LPs and advisors are former executives.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed companies in your specific fintech vertical. QED has 100+ fintech investments spanning lending to payments. Thrive Capital focuses on consumer fintech and infrastructure. Nyca Partners specializes in B2B fintech selling to banks. Look for investors who've navigated your regulatory challenges before, not just your product category.

Check sizes: Fintech rounds in NYC run larger than other sectors. Seed is $2-5M, Series A is $10-20M, Series B is $25-50M. Thrive Capital and QED write $8-15M Series A checks, Nyca Partners does $5-12M, smaller funds like FinTech Collective lead with $1-3M seeds. Expect 2-3 investors per round. Fintech requires more capital than SaaS due to regulatory and compliance costs.

Local network: The best NYC fintech investors connect you to bank partnerships and regulatory advisors before you need them. Citi Ventures opens doors to Citigroup's product teams globally. Nyca Partners connects you to former regulators and compliance experts. That infrastructure matters when you're navigating state-by-state licensing or working with the OCC.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each investor. NYC fintech investors want to see your regulatory roadmap and financial institution pipeline, not just user metrics. Track which slides they review - if they skip your product demo but read your compliance strategy three times, they're assessing your regulatory sophistication.

Follow-on capacity: Thrive Capital, QED Investors, and Nyca Partners all reserve significant capital for follow-on rounds. Fintech companies need multiple rounds to reach scale due to regulatory costs and slower sales cycles. Ask about their ownership targets - most NYC fintech investors want 10-15% and expect to participate through Series C or later.

How to approach New York fintech investors

Research local deals: Check QED Investors' portfolio and Thrive Capital's fintech investments. Both publish detailed case studies. Read Stripe's, Robinhood's, and Coinbase's early fundraising stories to understand what NYC fintech investors valued. The Fintech Blueprint newsletter tracks NYC deals more accurately than general tech publications.

Leverage local ecosystem: Apply to Plug and Play Fintech or SixThirty accelerators for direct access to bank partners and investors. Join FinTech Meetup or attend Money20/20 conferences. The New York Fintech Women group and Fintech Innovation Lab both connect founders to investors. These programs matter because NYC fintech is relationship-driven.

Build bank relationships first: NYC fintech investors want to see bank partnerships or serious conversations before investing. Get meetings with bank innovation teams at JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, or Bank of America before you pitch VCs. Having a bank pilot or partnership makes fundraising 10x easier. Cold pitching VCs without bank traction rarely works in fintech.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create separate links for each NYC investor. Fintech VCs share decks with their compliance advisors and bank partners for feedback, so you'll see extensive forwarding if they're serious. Monitor engagement patterns - investors spending time on your regulatory slides are doing real diligence.

Attend local events: Money20/20 in NYC brings every fintech investor together annually. LendIt Fintech and Fintech Meetup attract seed through growth stage funds. The New York Fed's innovation events connect you to regulators and investors simultaneously. Skip generic startup events - fintech investors are at industry-specific conferences.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders at Stripe, Robinhood, Plaid, or Affirm on LinkedIn. Ask which investors actually helped with bank partnerships versus who just wrote checks. NYC fintech investors are judged on their ability to open doors at financial institutions. Founders will tell you who delivers versus who talks.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before first meetings. Fintech investors want to see your money transmitter licenses, state-by-state compliance roadmap, bank partnership agreements, and regulatory legal opinions. They'll ask for details most SaaS investors never request. Have everything organized with tracking so you know what concerns them.

Understand local pace: Fintech rounds take 12-16 weeks from first meeting to term sheet, longer than other sectors. That includes 4-6 weeks of relationship building, 4-6 weeks of regulatory and financial diligence, and 2-3 weeks for documentation. NYC fintech investors move slower because the diligence is more complex. Factor in regulatory review time.

New York fintech considerations

NYC fintech investors care about regulatory strategy as much as product-market fit. They've seen companies raise $20M and shut down because they couldn't get bank partnerships or licenses. If you're building consumer fintech without a clear compliance path, don't waste time pitching NYC funds. Show them you understand the OCC, state regulators, and banking relationships.

Expect 5-8 partner meetings before term sheets. NYC fintech investors want to meet your full team including your head of compliance and legal counsel. They'll introduce you to their regulatory advisors to pressure-test your strategy. Plan for 3-4 months from first meeting to closed round. That's slower than SaaS but standard for regulated industries.

NYC's concentration of financial institutions drives different priorities. Investors here understand bank procurement, enterprise fintech sales cycles, and the difference between consumer and institutional fintech. Don't pitch them viral consumer growth without showing how you'll monetize profitably. The best-funded NYC fintech companies all had either strong unit economics or clear bank partnership strategies at seed stage.

24 top fintech investors in New York

1. Thrive Capital

Josh Kushner's firm that led Stripe's $20M Series A. Most active NYC fintech investor across consumer and infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Stripe $20M Series A (2011), Robinhood $13M Series A (2014), Oscar Health $32M Series B (2014), Plaid Series A (2016), Ramp $115M Series B (2021)
• LinkedIn: Josh Kushner
• Sector Focus: payments, neobanks, lending, wealth tech, fintech infrastructure
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 80 East 11th Street, Manhattan
• Website: thrivecap.com

2. QED Investors

Dedicated fintech fund with 100+ investments. Backed Credit Karma before Intuit's $7B acquisition and Klarna before IPO plans.

• Recent Deals: Credit Karma growth rounds (acquired 2020), Klarna $639M Series H (2019), Nubank $400M Series F (2019), SoFi growth rounds (IPO 2021)
• LinkedIn: Nigel Morris
• Sector Focus: lending, neobanks, payments, wealth management, insurance tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 1201 Connecticut Avenue, Washington DC (strong NYC presence)
• Website: qedinvestors.com

3. Canaan Partners

Early fintech specialist who led Lending Club's Series A before its IPO. Strong track record in consumer financial services.

• Recent Deals: Lending Club $10M Series A (2007, IPO 2014), Kabbage $8M Series A (2011), Personetics growth rounds, Dave $110M Series B (2019)
• LinkedIn: Maha Ibrahim
• Sector Focus: lending, personal finance, banking infrastructure, payments, credit
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 285 Riverside Avenue, Westport (active NYC presence)
• Website: canaan.com

4. Nyca Partners

Founded by former Citi exec with deep banking relationships. They focus on B2B fintech selling to financial institutions.

• Recent Deals: Carta $80M Series C (2019), Ethic $29M Series B (2020), Galileo growth rounds (acquired by SoFi 2020), Marqeta growth rounds (IPO 2021)
• LinkedIn: Hans Morris
• Sector Focus: banking infrastructure, payments processing, compliance tech, wealth management, institutional fintech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 115 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: nycapartners.com

5. Ribbit Capital

Consumer fintech specialist who backed Robinhood and Coinbase at seed stage. They move fast and write large checks.

• Recent Deals: Robinhood seed (2013), Coinbase seed (2012), Credit Karma growth rounds (acquired 2020), Affirm growth rounds (IPO 2021)
• LinkedIn: Micky Malka
• Sector Focus: neobanks, crypto, payments, lending, consumer financial services
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 195 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: ribbitcap.com

6. Greycroft

Full-stack investor who backed Venmo at $10M Series A before Braintree bought it for $800M. Payments and consumer fintech focus.

• Recent Deals: Venmo $10M Series A (2010, acquired 2013), Acorns $63M Series D (2018), The RealReal $50M Series E (2018), Dave $50M Series C (2020)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: payments, consumer banking, lending, wealth tech, financial wellness
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 200 Park Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: greycroft.com

7. Fuel Capital

Early Coinbase investor focused on crypto, data infrastructure, and fintech. They back technical founders pre-launch.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase seed (2012, IPO 2021), Dataminr seed (2009), Enigma $4M seed (2015), Chainalysis growth rounds
• LinkedIn: Jeff Ransdell
• Sector Focus: crypto infrastructure, blockchain, data platforms, payments, financial data
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 350 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: fuelcapital.com

8. Index Ventures

European firm with NYC office that backed Plaid and Revolut. Infrastructure and B2B fintech focus.

• Recent Deals: Plaid Series A (2013), Revolut $66M Series C (2018), Robinhood Series B (2014), TransferWise growth rounds (IPO 2021)
• LinkedIn: Mike Volpi
• Sector Focus: fintech infrastructure, banking APIs, payments, international fintech, embedded finance
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 535 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: indexventures.com

9. Accel

Iconic Silicon Valley firm with strong NYC fintech practice. Led Brex and backed multiple payments companies.

• Recent Deals: Brex $57M Series B (2018), Shift Technologies $50M Series B (2019), Checkout.com $230M Series A (2019), Melio $80M Series C (2020)
• LinkedIn: Rich Wong
• Sector Focus: payments, corporate fintech, lending, banking infrastructure, B2B fintech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan
• Website: accel.com

10. Bessemer Venture Partners

Cloud software investor who backed Affirm, Toast, and other fintech through growth rounds. Strong B2B fintech track record.

• Recent Deals: Affirm growth rounds (IPO 2021), Toast $115M Series D (2018), Twilio growth rounds (IPO 2016), Shopify growth rounds (IPO 2015)
• LinkedIn: Byron Deeter
• Sector Focus: payments, commerce enablement, banking infrastructure, embedded finance, vertical fintech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 1865 Palmer Avenue, Larchmont (NYC presence)
• Website: bvp.com

11. Union Square Ventures

Platform investor who led Coinbase's early rounds and backed crypto infrastructure. Decentralized finance focus.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase $5M Series A (2012, IPO 2021), Lending Club Series A (2007, IPO 2014), Stripe early rounds, Civic seed (2017)
• LinkedIn: Fred Wilson
• Sector Focus: crypto, blockchain, decentralized finance, payments, financial platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 915 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: usv.com

12. Plug and Play Fintech

Accelerator program with major bank partnerships. They invest small checks and connect startups to bank pilots.

• Recent Deals: PayPal early investment (IPO 2002), Lending Club early rounds (IPO 2014), Flutterwave $170M Series C (2021), N26 early rounds
• LinkedIn: Saeed Amidi
• Sector Focus: payments, banking infrastructure, regtech, wealth tech, insurance
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 114 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: plugandplaytechcenter.com/fintech

13. Financial Venture Studio

Builds and funds fintech startups internally with operator team. They incubate ideas and spin out companies.

• Recent Deals: Vestwell $30M Series B (2020), Zogo $10M Series A (2021), Deserve $50M Series C (2020)
• LinkedIn: Jim Bruene
• Sector Focus: wealth tech, banking, financial wellness, embedded finance, financial education
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: financialventurestudio.com

14. Bank Innovation Ventures

Corporate VC arm focused on banking technology. Strong distribution through bank partners and conferences.

• Recent Deals: Narmi $20M Series A (2021), MX growth rounds, Blend growth rounds (IPO 2021), Alloy $40M Series B (2021)
• LinkedIn: Sean Sposito
• Sector Focus: banking infrastructure, digital banking, regtech, compliance, customer onboarding
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: bankinnovation.net/ventures

15. Citi Ventures

Strategic fund from Citigroup with massive global distribution. They can pilot your product with Citi customers immediately.

• Recent Deals: Chain $30M Series C (2017), Feedzai $50M Series C (2019), Tradeshift $250M Series E (2018), Jumio growth rounds
• LinkedIn: Vanessa Colella
• Sector Focus: payments, banking infrastructure, fraud prevention, trade finance, institutional fintech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 388 Greenwich Street, Manhattan
• Website: citi.com/ventures

16. Valar Ventures

Peter Thiel's fund that backed N26 and TransferWise. International fintech with US expansion focus.

• Recent Deals: N26 $300M Series D (2019), TransferWise growth rounds (IPO 2021), Stash $125M Series F (2020), Chipper Cash $30M Series B (2020)
• LinkedIn: James Fitzgerald
• Sector Focus: neobanks, international payments, consumer banking, financial inclusion, cross-border fintech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 195 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: valar.com

17. Anthemis Group

Fintech-only fund with deep regulatory expertise. They focus on institutional-grade fintech and compliance.

• Recent Deals: Betterment growth rounds, Trov early rounds, Ebury growth rounds, Mosaic Smart Data growth rounds
• LinkedIn: Amy Nauiokas
• Sector Focus: wealth management, regtech, banking infrastructure, institutional fintech, compliance
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 195 Broadway, Manhattan
• Website: anthemis.com

18. Third Prime

Early-stage fintech specialist founded by former operators. They understand the pain points of building in regulated markets.

• Recent Deals: Pinwheel $50M Series B (2021), Rutter $10M Series A (2021), Teller $4M seed (2020), Treasury $9M seed (2021)
• LinkedIn: Michael Sidgmore
• Sector Focus: fintech infrastructure, banking APIs, payroll, embedded finance, developer tools
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: thirdprime.com

19. Core Innovation Capital

Financial inclusion focus investing in fintech serving underbanked and underserved markets.

• Recent Deals: Oportun growth rounds (IPO 2019), BillFloat early rounds, LendUp growth rounds, Self Financial $50M Series C (2020)
• LinkedIn: Arjan Schütte
• Sector Focus: lending, financial inclusion, consumer credit, banking access, alternative credit
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1101 Connecticut Avenue, Washington DC (NYC presence)
• Website: coreinnovationcapital.com

20. FinTech Collective

Seed-stage fintech fund with B2B focus. They back infrastructure and enterprise fintech at early stages.

• Recent Deals: Plaid seed (2013), Deserve $50M Series C (2020), Unit $51M Series B (2021), Pinwheel early rounds
• LinkedIn: Brooks Gibbins
• Sector Focus: fintech infrastructure, banking APIs, embedded finance, B2B fintech, developer tools
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: fintechcollective.com

21. Contour Venture Partners

Early-stage fintech and data infrastructure investor. They focus on technical founders building financial technology.

• Recent Deals: Marqeta early rounds (IPO 2021), Socure $13M Series A (2017), Alloy $12M seed (2019), Heron Data $3M seed (2020)
• LinkedIn: Mike Smerklo
• Sector Focus: payments, fraud prevention, identity verification, data infrastructure, regtech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: contourventures.com

22. Fin Venture Capital

Seed-stage fintech fund with compliance and regtech focus. Strong regulatory advisory network.

• Recent Deals: Amount $99M Series C (2020), Treasury Prime $20M Series B (2021), Ramp early rounds, Railz $3M seed (2020)
• LinkedIn: Logan Allin
• Sector Focus: regtech, compliance tech, banking infrastructure, embedded finance, fintech APIs
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: finventurecapital.com

23. Commerce Ventures

Payments and commerce infrastructure specialist. They focus on merchant services and B2B payments.

• Recent Deals: Brex early rounds, Ramp early rounds, Pipe $50M Series B (2021), Melio growth rounds
• LinkedIn: Dan Rosen
• Sector Focus: payments, B2B payments, merchant services, commerce enablement, fintech infrastructure
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: commerceventures.com

24. SixThirty

Fintech accelerator backed by major financial institutions. They invest $100K+ and provide bank partnership access.

• Recent Deals: Vestwell seed (2016), Amount seed (2020), Heron Data seed (2020), Tifin seed (2018)
• LinkedIn: Shankar Mishra
• Sector Focus: banking infrastructure, wealth tech, regtech, insurance tech, institutional fintech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 156 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
• Website: sixthirty.co

Start tracking your New York fintech investor outreach

These 24 investors backed 300+ NYC fintech companies in 2025-2026. Before reaching out to Manhattan funds, set up proper tracking so you understand which investors are seriously evaluating your regulatory strategy versus just taking meetings.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique links for each NYC fintech investor. You'll see which slides they review and how long they spend on your compliance roadmap and bank partnership pipeline. New York fintech investors skip product features and focus on regulatory strategy, unit economics, and financial institution relationships - your analytics will show they spend 60%+ of time on these sections.

When Thrive Capital or QED asks for your regulatory documentation and bank partnership status, share an Ellty data room instead of sending files piecemeal. Keep your money transmitter licenses, compliance legal opinions, bank pilot agreements, and financial models organized in one secure place. Fintech investors expect founders who understand the regulatory complexity and have documentation ready.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New York to raise from NYC fintech investors?

Not necessarily, but it helps significantly. Thrive Capital and QED have backed fintech companies in SF, Miami, and internationally. The key advantage of being NYC-based is proximity to bank partners, regulators, and financial institutions. Most NYC fintech investors prefer companies within 3 hours flight time because fintech requires frequent bank partnership meetings.

How does New York compare to SF for fintech fundraising?

NYC has deeper financial services expertise and better bank access. SF has more capital overall but less fintech-specific knowledge. NYC investors understand banking regulations and can intro you to JPMorgan or Goldman Sachs faster. SF is better for crypto and consumer fintech without bank partnerships. For B2B fintech selling to banks, NYC is unmatched.

What traction do I need for fintech seed rounds?

For consumer fintech: 10K+ users with engagement or $50K+ revenue. For B2B fintech: signed bank pilots or $20K+ MRR. For infrastructure/APIs: 5+ active integration partners or strong LOIs from banks. Or exceptional team backgrounds (ex-Stripe, ex-bank executives, regulatory experts) can get you funded pre-traction. The bar is higher for fintech than other sectors.

Should I raise my Series A locally or talk to SF investors?

Talk to both markets. NYC investors move slower but understand fintech deeply. SF investors move faster but may not grasp regulatory complexity. Most successful fintech companies raise from a mix - NYC lead with SF participation or vice versa. If you're selling to banks, prioritize NYC investors. If you're consumer crypto or international, include SF funds.

How long does fintech fundraising take in NYC?

12-16 weeks from first meeting to wired funds, longer than SaaS. That includes 4-6 weeks of initial conversations, 4-6 weeks of regulatory and financial diligence (investors will review your licenses and compliance plans in detail), and 2-3 weeks for legal documentation. Factor in additional time if you need bank partnership validation. Fintech diligence is more complex than other sectors.

What regulatory documentation do fintech investors expect?

At seed: compliance roadmap, legal structure explanation, licensing strategy by state/country. At Series A: money transmitter licenses filed or obtained, banking partner LOIs, legal opinions on regulatory compliance, detailed state-by-state expansion plan. At Series B: multiple state licenses, active bank partnerships, compliance team in place, audit trail documentation. Missing docs will kill your fundraise.

Can I raise fintech without bank partnerships?

For consumer fintech, yes if you have strong metrics (100K+ users, proven monetization). For B2B fintech selling to banks, no - you need pilot agreements or serious partnership conversations. For infrastructure fintech, you need paying customers even if they're not banks. NYC investors won't fund B2B fintech without proof that banks will actually buy your product.