On Wednesday, British neobank Monzo announced an additional $190 million raised, bringing its total fundraising for the year to $610 million.
The funding was secured from new investors, including Hedosophia, known for backing prominent European fintechs like N26 and Qonto, along with participation from CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund.
Additionally, Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC joined Monzo’s latest round of fundraising, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to GIC’s involvement being non-public.
This latest injection of capital has propelled Monzo’s valuation to approximately $5.2 billion, up from $5 billion in March when it raised $430 million. Notably, the total $610 million round represents the largest funding round for a European fintech in the past year, according to Dealroom data.
Monzo’s CEO, TS Anil, outlined plans to utilize the funds to develop new products and accelerate the company’s international expansion efforts.
“At the heart of it, we are a mission-oriented company aiming to be the single destination for all of our customers’ financial needs,” Anil explained in an exclusive interview.
“We’ve built a business model entirely focused on the customer, which aligns with our mission of transforming people’s relationship with money.”
Having achieved profitability for the first time last year, Monzo is now looking to bolster profits through diversification into additional income streams such as lending and savings.
Anil revealed plans to introduce Monzo’s first pensions product within the next six to nine months, signaling the company’s intent to compete with traditional lenders like Barclays and NatWest.
Monzo’s expansion strategy extends beyond the domestic market, with a focus on global growth. The company has already made significant strides in the U.S., recently appointing a new U.S. CEO to lead its expansion efforts.
Anil emphasized the importance of product quality in the U.S. market, acknowledging the challenges European neobanks face in penetrating the highly competitive American financial space.
In addition to the U.S., Monzo is eyeing further expansion into Europe, although Anil stopped short of providing a specific timeline for this endeavor.
Looking ahead, Monzo aims to diversify its product offerings by introducing a mortgage product, intensifying competition with traditional retail banks in the lending sector.
While Monzo currently provides installment plans and consumer loans, it is in the early stages of potential partnerships with lenders to facilitate mortgage applications directly through its app.
Despite Monzo’s impressive growth trajectory, Anil dismissed immediate plans for an initial public offering (IPO), emphasizing the company’s focus on scaling operations before considering such a move.
He remains optimistic about Monzo’s future as a potential public company but believes it’s premature to discuss an IPO at this stage.
