Big Bets on Fintech: Slash and Keep Raise a Combined $117M

Hello Fintech Enthusiasts,

In this edition, we spotlight two emerging players shaking up the business banking landscape: San Francisco-based Slash, and Canadian upstart Keep. Each has secured impressive funding to push their fintech vision forward—one reshaping digital banking for niche entrepreneurs, the other building an integrated financial platform tailored for small businesses across Canada.

Let’s break down what these fresh funding rounds mean for the future of fintech.

🚀 Slash Raises $41M to Expand Niche-Focused Business Banking

Valuation: $370M | HQ: San Francisco | Round: Series B

Slash is not your typical fintech. What started as a banking tool for online sneaker resellers has evolved into a full-fledged financial platform supporting 2,000+ small businesses in the U.S.—including crypto startups, marketing agencies, and technicians.

The company just closed a $41 million Series B round led by Goodwater Capital, with additional support from heavyweights like NEA, Menlo Ventures, and Y Combinator. This brings Slash’s total funding to $60M and puts its valuation at $370M.

Slash’s platform includes:

• Checking accounts

• Virtual & physical payment cards

• Automated accounting tools

• Wire and ACH transfer capabilities

• A mobile-first experience

The company processes $3 billion in annual card transactions and is now hiring aggressively, with roles like a data engineer to strengthen its internal analytics stack.

With a clear focus on underserved verticals and a product that continues to evolve with its users, Slash is carving out a distinctive space in the fintech ecosystem.

📌 What to Watch: Expect more features tailored to niche industries—and possibly geographic expansion down the line.

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🇨🇦 Keep Launches with $76M to Transform Canadian SMB Banking

Total Raise: $76M | HQ: Canada | Stage: Public Launch

Meanwhile, north of the border, Keep is stepping up to solve a very Canadian fintech problem: outdated banking systems and rigid credit models that stifle innovation.

Fresh from stealth, Keep has launched publicly with $76 million in funding:

• $23M equity from Tribe Capital

• $50M credit facility from Coventure (Treville)

• $3M venture debt from Silicon Valley Bank

The platform aims to replace fragmented systems for small and mid-sized businesses—an underserved sector comprising 3 million businesses and over $500B in market value in Canada.

Co-founder and CEO Oliver Takach, a two-time Y Combinator alum, built Keep after personally experiencing the pain of inefficient banking while scaling his own startup.

Keep’s core features include:

• Canada’s first fintech business credit card

• Automated expense tracking

• Multi-currency accounts

• Global bill payment

So far, it’s delivering:

• 3,000+ businesses onboarded

• 300%+ net dollar retention

• $12M in annualized revenue

With a bold goal of reaching 100,000 SMBs by 2027 and helping them save $250M+ in fees, Keep is betting big on being the go-to financial partner for Canadian entrepreneurs.

📌 What to Watch: Keep’s trajectory could position it as Canada’s first fintech unicorn focused squarely on SMBs.

🧠 Fintech Forward Insights

Both Slash and Keep highlight a growing trend: fintechs are moving beyond “one-size-fits-all” banking to create specialized solutions that speak directly to underserved groups—from sneaker resellers to Canadian restaurateurs.

These rounds are more than just capital injections—they’re bets on a new generation of financial infrastructure, one where agility, customization, and user-first design come standard.

With deep-pocketed backers, proven traction, and strong leadership, both companies are ones to watch in the months ahead.

📬 Until Next Time

That’s it for this edition of Fintech Forward. If you found these stories insightful, feel free to share with a colleague or tweet your thoughts using #FintechForward.

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