The Visa Mafia
Visa was founded in 1958 as BankAmericard, a groundbreaking credit program that set the stage for modern digital payments. Dee Hock, a banking executive with a vision for a global financial network, saw an opportunity to transform the way money moved. By 1970, he led the formation of Visa, creating a decentralized yet scalable system that connected banks, businesses, and consumers worldwide.
Today, Visa is a global payments powerhouse, processing trillions in transactions across more than 200 countries. Under Dee Hock’s leadership, the company pioneered a new model of financial infrastructure, enabling seamless digital commerce. His innovative approach to organizational design and his belief in a self-governing financial system continue to shape Visa’s role in the evolving world of fintech.
The Visa Mafia
The Visa Mafia has founded 21 companies and raised $2.7B.
PS: Are you a Visa Mafia member interested in bringing your community together to invest in innovative ventures (and enjoy potential profits and other perks along the way)? Or perhaps you're part of another dynamic group that could be a fantastic source of startup investments?
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List of all the amazing companies covered:
- Namastay
- NousDecor
- Propel
- Friendly
- CoreChain Technologies
- Caliza
- Revenew
- Velo Payments
- Nautical Commerce
- Checkbook
- Opto Investments
- Argent
- Telr
- Red Dot Payment
- Nooks
- Yoyo Wallet
- OvationCXM
- EdCast
- Point
- Deep Labs
- Affirm
Namastay
Founder: Alain Falys
Visa Role: Senior Vice President
Capital Raised: $2.2M
Investors: —
Stage: Seed
Namastay simplifies and streamlines hotel bookings with a seamless, one-click payment experience.
NousDecor
Founder: Dorothée Gutierrez Fisher
Visa Role: Sr Manager, Marketing Strategy and Loyalty Marketing
Capital Raised: $3.6M
Investors: Kathy Clark
Stage: Seed
NousDecor is a home design platform offering AI-driven inspiration, shopping, and expert guidance.
Propel
Founder: Jay Reinemann
Visa Role: Vice President, Corporate Ventures and Strategic Alliances
Capital Raised: $285M
Investors: —
Stage: Early Stage Venture, Late Stage Venture, Seed, Venture
Propel is a venture capital firm investing in transformative fintech and financial services startups.
Friendly
Founder: Natasha Alexeeva
Visa Role: Team Lead
Capital Raised: $1.3M
Investors: Global Insurance Accelerator
Stage: Seed
Friendly provides AI-powered solutions for insurance companies to enhance customer engagement.
CoreChain Technologies
Founder: Chris Aguas
Visa Role: Group Director, Small Business Products & Services
Capital Raised: $5.5M
Investors: Ulu Ventures
Stage: Seed
CoreChain Technologies is a B2B payments network leveraging blockchain to streamline transactions.
Caliza
Founder: Ezra Kebrab
Visa Role: Director of Global Fintech Products and Programs
Capital Raised: $13.8M
Investors: Initialized Capital
Stage: Seed
Caliza enables financial institutions to build compliant and scalable stablecoin-based payments.
Revenew
Founder: Nicholas Thomson
Visa Role: Lead Solutions Architect
Capital Raised: $4.6M
Investors: Fika Ventures
Stage: Seed
Revenew provides platforms with the tools to simplify revenue optimization and drive growth.
Velo Payments
Founders: Drew Weinstein, John Davies, John Partridge
Visa Role: Head of Mobile Product Dev SWAT Team, Project 18
Capital Raised: $12M
Investors: SV Angel
Stage: Series A
Velo Payments offers secure, real-time global payments infrastructure for businesses.
Nautical Commerce
Founder: Ryan Lee
Visa Role: Senior Director, Business Development, innovation and Strategy
Capital Raised: $30M
Investors: Drive Capital
Stage: Series A
Nautical Commerce powers multi-vendor marketplace platforms with a flexible and scalable solution.
Checkbook
Founder: PJ Gupta
Visa Role: Chief Architect
Capital Raised: $11.8M
Investors: MassMutual Ventures
Stage: Series A
Checkbook enables instant, digital check payments with no need for paper or bank account links.
Opto Investments
Founder: Jacob M.
Visa Role: Intern: Visa Labs
Capital Raised: $145M
Investors: Tiger Global Management
Stage: Series A
Opto Investments connects financial advisors with exclusive private market investment opportunities.
Argent
Founder: Itamar Lesuisse
Visa Role: Senior Manager - eCommerce products (V.me)
Capital Raised: $56M
Investors: Index Ventures
Stage: Series B
Argent is a smart wallet for crypto and DeFi, offering enhanced security and seamless access.
Telr
Founder: Elias Ghanem
Visa Role: Regional Head of Visa Consulting
Capital Raised: $30.9M
Investors: Cashfree Inc
Stage: Series B
Telr is a payment gateway facilitating secure online transactions across emerging markets.
Red Dot Payment
Founder: Randy Tan
Visa Role: Director of Consulting Services
Capital Raised: $8.2M
Investors: MDI Ventures
Stage: Series B
Red Dot Payment provides omnichannel payment solutions tailored for e-commerce businesses.
Nooks
Founder: Rohan Suri
Visa Role: Cybersecurity Engineer Intern
Capital Raised: $70M
Investors: Kleiner Perkins
Stage: Series B
Nooks develops AI-powered tools to enhance productivity and collaboration for remote and distributed teams.
Yoyo Wallet
Founders: Alain Falys, Daniel Maurice-Vallerey
Visa Role: Senior Vice President
Capital Raised: $60.3M
Investors: SOSV
Stage: Series C
Yoyo Wallet combines payments, loyalty, and personalized rewards in a seamless digital experience.
OvationCXM
Founder: Tim Attinger
Visa Role: EVP of Product Innovation and Development
Capital Raised: $44.5M
Investors: Titanium Ventures
Stage: Series C
OvationCXM delivers AI-powered customer experience management solutions for enterprises.
EdCast
Founder: Karl Mehta
Visa Role: CEO of PlaySpan (Acquired by VISA)
Capital Raised: $107.3M
Investors: Avathon Capital
Stage: Series D
EdCast is a knowledge-sharing and upskilling platform for businesses and organizations.
Point
Founder: Alastair (Alex) Rampell
Visa Role: Offers & Loyalty
Capital Raised: $290.1M
Investors: Ribbit Capital
Stage: Debt Financing
Point offers a debit card with rewards, cash-back, and premium benefits for modern consumers.
Deep Labs
Founders: Patrick Faith, Scott Edington
Visa Role: Research Fellow
Capital Raised: $24.9M
Investors: Serendipity Capital
Stage: Debt Financing
Deep Labs develops AI-driven risk and decision intelligence solutions for financial services.
Affirm
Founder: Alastair (Alex) Rampell
Visa Role: Offers & Loyalty
Capital Raised: $1.5B
Investors: Founders Fund
Stage: Post-IPO Equity
Affirm provides flexible, interest-free financing solutions for consumers and merchants.
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