FJ Labs

FJ Labs is a venture capital firm based in New York, founded in 2015 by Fabrice Grinda. The firm is stage-agnostic, focusing on marketplaces and consumer-facing startups, with a particular emphasis on sectors such as B2B, B2C, financial services, mobile technology, advertisement technology, e-commerce, food technology, gaming, health technology, real estate technology, restaurant technology, ridesharing, SaaS, and virtual reality. FJ Labs invests primarily in seed and Series A rounds, with an investment range between $50,000 and $5,000,000. The firm has backed notable companies including Alibaba Group, Beepi, BrightRoll, Betterment, ADORE ME, and Earnest.

Matias Barbero

Venture Capital

Zineb Belghiti

Analyst

Camila Bustamante

Investor

William Guillouard

Operating Partner

Arne Halleraker

Partner

Erez Kalir

Venture Partner

Chris Keshian

Investor

Ariel Lebowits

CFO

Jose Marin

Founding Partner

Anshul Ruparell

Founder

Luke Skertich

Investor

Andrea Xu

Investor

Past deals in Retail Lending

Xepelin

Series B in 2022
Provider of digital financial services intended to give SMEs economic freedom in their decisions. The company's services include short-term and long-term loans, capital credits and accounts payable financing through its online platform, enabling clients to easily personalize their financial services as per their needs.

Nexu

Series A in 2022
Nexu is a financing platform used by car dealerships to offer financing to more car buyers in a 100% digital and real-time experience. Nexu's platform uses AI, statistical algorithms and technology automation.

Ledn

Series B in 2021
Ledn is a financial services company focused on helping individuals save in digital assets. It offers a range of products, including a bitcoin-backed loan service that allows clients to access cash without selling their bitcoin. Additionally, Ledn provides a B2X product that enables users to instantly double their bitcoin holdings through a loan. The company also features interest-bearing savings accounts for bitcoin and USDC, which pay interest without requiring minimum deposits. By providing these services, Ledn aims to empower clients to grow their digital wealth while maintaining their cryptocurrency holdings.

Kafene

Series A in 2021
Kafene is a startup focused on providing flexible payment solutions to consumers, particularly those who may face difficulties with traditional debt products. The company offers a range of financing options for various products, including furniture, appliances, electronics, musical instruments, and jewelry. Kafene's innovative approach allows consumers to return items without incurring residual debt if they can no longer make payments, promoting financial freedom. The platform leverages advanced technology, including app-based point-of-sale systems and artificial intelligence for underwriting, to deliver near-instantaneous approval and payment capabilities. This enables Kafene to serve a wide customer base across the full credit spectrum, facilitating access to essential goods while maintaining a commitment to responsible lending practices.

Morty

Series B in 2021
Morty is on a mission to revolutionize the outdated mortgage industry by letting people shop, compare, and close on any mortgage from any lender, completely online. Purchasing a home is the largest, most important financial transaction of most people’s lives. They believe getting a mortgage should be just as simple, modern, and transparent as buying anything else online. We’re building the first-ever, fully digital marketplace to make this possible - like Kayak, but for mortgages.

Kafene

Series A in 2021
Kafene is a startup focused on providing flexible payment solutions to consumers, particularly those who may face difficulties with traditional debt products. The company offers a range of financing options for various products, including furniture, appliances, electronics, musical instruments, and jewelry. Kafene's innovative approach allows consumers to return items without incurring residual debt if they can no longer make payments, promoting financial freedom. The platform leverages advanced technology, including app-based point-of-sale systems and artificial intelligence for underwriting, to deliver near-instantaneous approval and payment capabilities. This enables Kafene to serve a wide customer base across the full credit spectrum, facilitating access to essential goods while maintaining a commitment to responsible lending practices.

Scramble

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Operator of a consumer-packaged-investments company intended to help the general public invest in working capital loans. The company offers a pre-approved startup credit limit based on the estimate of the lifetime income of each co-founder, startups can set their fundraising goal and acceptable loan terms, and private investors can allocate capital to startups via monthly fundraising rounds, helping businesses to raise funds using secured high-yield debt financing.

BXblue

Series A in 2021
BXblue is a digital marketplace for personal loans in Brazil, focusing on pensioners and government workers who can secure loans against their guaranteed income. This model allows banks to deduct payments directly from paychecks, resulting in interest rates significantly lower than those of conventional credit cards. Payroll-secured loans are the most affordable personal loan option in Brazil, comprising 60% of the country's personal loan market, which is valued at approximately $40 billion annually and has historically operated offline. BXblue aims to transition this entire market online by providing a platform that simplifies the loan contracting process. The platform enables users to access multiple bank offers, receive alerts on falling interest rates for refinancing, and stay informed about important account updates, allowing borrowers to choose their preferred bank for loan services.

Xepelin

Seed Round in 2020
Provider of digital financial services intended to give SMEs economic freedom in their decisions. The company's services include short-term and long-term loans, capital credits and accounts payable financing through its online platform, enabling clients to easily personalize their financial services as per their needs.

Aprila Bank

Series B in 2020
Aprila Bank ASA is a commercial banking institution based in Oslo, Norway, specializing in providing financial services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Founded in 2018, the bank focuses on developing digital and automated financing solutions tailored for SMEs. Its offerings include Aprila Invoice Sales, which allows businesses to sell invoices directly through integration with cloud-based accounting systems. The bank employs advanced machine learning models to assess credit risk and predict outcomes, utilizing real-time data alongside traditional credit information to facilitate seamless access to credit for its customers. Aprila Bank's technology platform connects with approximately 130,000 SMEs through partnerships with leading ERP and accounting providers, enhancing its ability to deliver innovative financial solutions.

Velocity

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Provider of banking and financial services intended to fund companies or offer credit based on their sales. The company provides a range of financial services including term loans, revenue-based financing, overdrafts, payments as well as analytics for businesses with zero equity dilution or personal guarantees, enabling clients to avail an alternative to venture capital or loan where repayments happen as a fixed percentage of future revenues.

Kueski

Series B in 2019
Kueski, S.A.P.I. De C.V. Sofom E.N.R. is an online lending platform based in Guadalajara, Mexico, founded in 2012. Catering primarily to the middle class in Mexico and Latin America, Kueski offers a range of financial services, including personal credit, student loans, and savings options. The platform leverages big data and advanced analytics to facilitate quick loan approvals, often within minutes, making it a convenient choice for borrowers who require immediate financial assistance. With a paperless application process available 24/7, Kueski has rapidly established itself as a leading provider of online lending services in the region, having granted thousands of loans to date.

The Lobby

Seed Round in 2019
The Lobby is an innovative retail platform that combines online and in-store shopping experiences through influencer-created video content. By offering a unique QVC-meets-TikTok format, it presents a seamless shopping experience that appeals to young professionals. Each week, The Lobby showcases new and emerging fashion brands, allowing users to request items for delivery to their offices. Customers can try products for a week without any upfront payment, ensuring a risk-free shopping experience. This approach not only simplifies the buying process but also allows consumers to engage with products in a way that closely resembles in-person shopping.

Chipper

Convertible Note in 2018
Chipper, Inc. is a financial technology company based in Austin, Texas, founded in 2017. The company has developed a student loan management application that assists borrowers in analyzing, managing, and repaying their student debt. The platform connects users' student loans to their spending accounts and cards, rounding up transactions to automatically allocate spare change toward loan payments. This innovative approach allows students to leverage everyday purchases and contributions from family and friends to reduce their debt more effectively. Chipper aims to provide modern financial solutions for a generation burdened by student loans.

Roofstock

Series C in 2018
Roofstock, Inc. is an online marketplace that facilitates investment in leased single-family rental homes. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the company provides investors with access to independently certified properties, complete with research, analytics, and market insights. This platform allows users to evaluate properties based on their investment potential and cash flow without the complexities of managing vacant homes that require repairs and leasing. Roofstock aims to simplify the real estate investment process by enabling clients to treat their property investments similarly to stock portfolios, emphasizing asset allocation. The marketplace also assists sellers in marketing tenant-occupied properties, minimizing income loss and tenant disruption.

Loft

Series A in 2018
Loft Holdings Ltd operates Loft, a digital platform based in São Paulo, Brazil, that revolutionizes the real estate market by facilitating the buying, selling, and exchanging of residential properties. Founded in 2018, Loft serves as Brazil's first transactional marketplace for residential real estate, catering to individuals, brokers, and publicly listed real estate investment trusts managed by the company. The platform leverages proprietary transaction data and a comprehensive digital workflow to streamline the homebuying experience, integrating various related services to enhance user convenience. With its searchable database, users can easily find and evaluate properties, allowing for transparent and efficient real estate transactions.

Aprila Bank

Venture Round in 2017
Aprila Bank ASA is a commercial banking institution based in Oslo, Norway, specializing in providing financial services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Founded in 2018, the bank focuses on developing digital and automated financing solutions tailored for SMEs. Its offerings include Aprila Invoice Sales, which allows businesses to sell invoices directly through integration with cloud-based accounting systems. The bank employs advanced machine learning models to assess credit risk and predict outcomes, utilizing real-time data alongside traditional credit information to facilitate seamless access to credit for its customers. Aprila Bank's technology platform connects with approximately 130,000 SMEs through partnerships with leading ERP and accounting providers, enhancing its ability to deliver innovative financial solutions.

Raisin

Venture Round in 2017
Raisin is a Berlin-based online financial marketplace established in 2012 that connects retail customers with banks throughout Europe, facilitating access to competitive deposit rates. The platform offers a variety of savings and investment products, including overnight flexible savings and long-term deposits, allowing users to choose from exclusive offerings by various financial institutions. By streamlining the investment process, Raisin enables individuals and businesses to manage their investments efficiently through a single interface. The primary objective of Raisin is to help savers find the best interest rates while expanding the deposit reach for partner banks.

Aprila Bank

Venture Round in 2017
Aprila Bank ASA is a commercial banking institution based in Oslo, Norway, specializing in providing financial services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Founded in 2018, the bank focuses on developing digital and automated financing solutions tailored for SMEs. Its offerings include Aprila Invoice Sales, which allows businesses to sell invoices directly through integration with cloud-based accounting systems. The bank employs advanced machine learning models to assess credit risk and predict outcomes, utilizing real-time data alongside traditional credit information to facilitate seamless access to credit for its customers. Aprila Bank's technology platform connects with approximately 130,000 SMEs through partnerships with leading ERP and accounting providers, enhancing its ability to deliver innovative financial solutions.

Roofstock

Series C in 2017
Roofstock, Inc. is an online marketplace that facilitates investment in leased single-family rental homes. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the company provides investors with access to independently certified properties, complete with research, analytics, and market insights. This platform allows users to evaluate properties based on their investment potential and cash flow without the complexities of managing vacant homes that require repairs and leasing. Roofstock aims to simplify the real estate investment process by enabling clients to treat their property investments similarly to stock portfolios, emphasizing asset allocation. The marketplace also assists sellers in marketing tenant-occupied properties, minimizing income loss and tenant disruption.

Morty

Seed Round in 2017
Morty is on a mission to revolutionize the outdated mortgage industry by letting people shop, compare, and close on any mortgage from any lender, completely online. Purchasing a home is the largest, most important financial transaction of most people’s lives. They believe getting a mortgage should be just as simple, modern, and transparent as buying anything else online. We’re building the first-ever, fully digital marketplace to make this possible - like Kayak, but for mortgages.

Raisin

Series C in 2017
Raisin is a Berlin-based online financial marketplace established in 2012 that connects retail customers with banks throughout Europe, facilitating access to competitive deposit rates. The platform offers a variety of savings and investment products, including overnight flexible savings and long-term deposits, allowing users to choose from exclusive offerings by various financial institutions. By streamlining the investment process, Raisin enables individuals and businesses to manage their investments efficiently through a single interface. The primary objective of Raisin is to help savers find the best interest rates while expanding the deposit reach for partner banks.

Roofstock

Series B in 2016
Roofstock, Inc. is an online marketplace that facilitates investment in leased single-family rental homes. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the company provides investors with access to independently certified properties, complete with research, analytics, and market insights. This platform allows users to evaluate properties based on their investment potential and cash flow without the complexities of managing vacant homes that require repairs and leasing. Roofstock aims to simplify the real estate investment process by enabling clients to treat their property investments similarly to stock portfolios, emphasizing asset allocation. The marketplace also assists sellers in marketing tenant-occupied properties, minimizing income loss and tenant disruption.

Returnly

Seed Round in 2016
Returnly Technologies, Inc. provides a subscription-based service designed to streamline the product returns process for online shoppers. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in Chicago and Madrid, the company offers a software as a service tool that enables shoppers to return items directly through the retailer's platform. Returnly allows customers to use return credit for new purchases before sending back the original items, thus mitigating product risk for retailers. The company's solutions also include international returns management and various tools for large-scale retailers, aiming to enhance the online shopping experience by reducing friction associated with returns.

AutoFi

Seed Round in 2015
AutoFi, Inc. operates an online auto finance platform that simplifies the process of applying for and securing auto loans. Founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, California, AutoFi provides a seamless user experience for consumers looking to purchase and finance vehicles entirely online. The platform connects car buyers with authorized dealerships and a network of lenders, allowing for an automated application and approval process. Key features include the ability to select financing and lease terms, estimate trade-in values, choose rebates, and schedule appointments—all designed to enhance the car buying experience. By offering instant, customizable financing decisions, AutoFi enables customers to complete their vehicle purchases in a straightforward and efficient manner.

Kiavi

Series C in 2015
Kiavi, formerly known as LendingHome, is a San Francisco-based company that provides mortgage financing services tailored for real estate investors. Founded in 2014, Kiavi specializes in offering a variety of short-term first-lien mortgage products, including fix-and-flip bridge loans and rental loans. The company's platform streamlines the loan process through advanced technology, making it accessible for both novice and experienced investors. Kiavi serves clients involved in purchasing residential properties, such as single-family homes and townhomes, while also focusing on properties that may undergo rehabilitation. Its services are available in several states, including Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Texas. The company also conducts comprehensive loan underwriting, assessing factors such as property value, equity coverage, and the borrower’s real estate experience.
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