Increase, Founded by Stripe's First Employee, Bought Its Own Community Bank
Finovate·low signal
Banking-infrastructure fintech Increase acquired a community bank and launched Increase Bank, putting a modern core and a charter under the same roof so businesses can build financial products without a sponsor-bank intermediary. Vertical integration is the notable move — most BaaS providers rent charters, and the 2023-25 sponsor-bank enforcement wave is the reason owning one now looks cheaper than renting. Corroborated by both Finextra and Finovate the same day.