Today In Digital-First Banking: German Neobank N26 Eyes IPO With New CFO; Goalsetter Lands $3.9 Million Seed Investment

In today’s top digital-first banking news, German neobank N26 has hired a new chief financial officer (CFO) as it eyes a future initial public offering (IPO), while FinTech app Goalsetter has raised $3.9 million in a seed round. Plus, Grab has reportedly chosen Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan Chase to underwrite a possible IPO.

German FinTech N26 Eyes IPO With Hiring Of New CFO

N26 has brought Dr. Jan Kemper on board as its new CFO as the Germany-based financial technology firm eyes a future possible IPO. Kemper will join the neobank in the latter half of this year, taking the place of Co-founder Maximilian Tayenthal, who will become Co-CEO with Co-founder Valentin Stalf. N26, which is backed by Li Ka-Shing and Peter Thiel, rolled out its first offerings in 2015 and is one of the most valuable non-listed FinTechs in Europe.

Goalsetter Raises $3.9 Million In Seed Round Led By Astia, NBA Stars

Goalsetter, the financial technology upstart, has landed $3.9 million in a Astia-led seed round, with further participation from Chris Pau of the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and others. Goalsetter is a financial literacy and savings tools for teens and children, with a particular focus on educating youth of color. The mobile banking program also allows for peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions and money transfers. One of Goalsetters functions lets parents lock debit cards until their kids finish weekly financial literacy quizzes.

Reports Say Grab Will Tap Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan For IPO

Grab, a ridesharing and delivery company in Southeast Asia, reportedly selected J.P. Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley to underwrite a potential $2 billion IPO. The public listing could reportedly take place during the latter half of this year, while additional financial institutions could reportedly be added while talks progress. In December, Grab and Gojek were thought to be nearing a mega-merger. Had the deal gone through, it would have likely been the largest merger of online firms in Southeast Asia.

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