Looking at Fintech funding rounds, two names crop up a lot and as both are high profile and savvy entrepreneurs/investors, it was interesting to see what they have been investing in.
- Richard Branson:
Transferwise (consumer FX)
Virgin Money (full stack bank, IPO watchlist)
Blockchain (Bitcoin)
Indiegogo (equity Crowdfunding)
Bitpay (Bitcoin)
Clinkle (mobile payments)
Square (mobile payments)
- Peter Thiel:
Transferwise (consumer FX)
Sofi (Lending Marketplace)
Ondeck (Lending Marketplace)
Clinkle (mobile payments)
Caplinked
PayPal (1999)
- Great minds think alike?
Clinkle (mobile payments)
Transferwise (consumer FX)
Branson has placed big bets on Bitcoin but Thiel is holding back so far.
Update: Branson’s bets on Bitcoin (Blockchain and Bitpay) look good – as long as Bitcoin gets more adoption. If Bitcoin turns out to be a failed footnote in history, Thiel’s reticense will look smart.
