A major fintech investor seems to have raised its target for a new fund, another example of how the financial technology is growing at a breakneck pace.
Ribbit Capital, a Palo Alto-based fund focused on fintech, moved its target goal for a secondary fund to $125 million, according to a Form D amendment filing sent to the SEC on August 15th. Initial reports back in March indicated that Ribbit Capital was looking to add $110 million to its second fund.
We’ve reached out to the venture capital firm to confirm the increase, and will update this post when they respond.
The firm has already raised $124,750,000, but is still looking to raise another $250,000. At the time the initial filing was signed in March, there were still no investors for the $110 million fund. According to amendment, there are now 81 investors in the fund so far.
Ribbit is led by Nick Shalek, Nikolay Kostov, and founder Micky Malka. All three have extensive experience in technology, with Malka starting a number of companies himself, including Lemon, which sold to LifeLock earlier this year. Ribbit Capital was first announced in early 2013, raising $100 million with a number of limited partners, such as Silicon Valley Bank and BBVA. With a focus on financial technology — including lending, personal finance management, wealth management, and bitcoin — Ribbit Capital became one of the most prolific and active fintech investors. The fund has invested in startups like CreditKarma, Wealthfront, Xapo, Coinbase, and Funding Circle.
There was no reason given in the amendment for the increase, but Bain Capital Ventures’ Matt Harris told Bank Innovation that “raising the target amount is a sign of robust investor demand.” Harris added that it’s not a particular surprise in this case, saying “fintech is an important sector and Micky [Malka] is one of the clear leaders.”
With the growing interest from investors and Wall Street in financial technology, combined with Ribbit Capital’s strength in its investments, it certainly makes sense that investors are interested in putting their money with Ribbit Capital. As fintech keeps growing, expect savvy funds like Ribbit Capital to look more attractive for potential outside investors.