London banking start-up Curve hits 50,000 sign-ups ahead of UK launch

This is what they said

London banking start-up Curve has passed 50,000 sign-ups and £50m user spend ahead of its full UK launch, and revealed plans to launch a consumer version of its ‘connected finance’ card this year. Curve has also confirmed it will close a Series A funding round this summer, and unveil a ‘Connect’ feature that empowers users to manage their money and get a better deal on banking and fintech services all in one place.

Curve launched in Beta last year for entrepreneurs, sole traders and freelancers, as a better way to pay. The UK’s 5m SMEs and 2m freelancers now have a way to manage their personal and business spending in one place – with an all-cards-in-one Curve MasterCard® that eliminates bank FX fees abroad and simplifies expenses. Curve cards have now been used to pay in over 100 countries during Beta.

Driven by demand and “exceptionally high” satisfaction among Beta users, Curve is also hoping to launch a version for consumers later this year. The business has also confirmed plans for a ‘Curve Connect’ feature within the Curve app – allowing a user to integrate their spending with other banking and financial service providers, and enabling financial providers to offer their products via the Connect platform. The feature will see Curve become the world’s first ‘connected finance’ app.

Curve Growth Lead, Charlie Taylor, said: “This is where Curve will really come into its own.”

“We’ve seen new mobile wallets digitise payments, new providers offer savings on FX fees or aggregated reward points, new banks make saving simpler and new money management tools help people get a better deal.

“But that has never been available in one place. It’s unchartered territory for the sector, and we believe it’s a glimpse of the future of banking.”

Curve has raised $5m in seed funding from VCs and fintech entrepreneurs, and will close a sizeable Series A funding round this month, with more than one major financial institution coming on board. Since launching in Beta, Curve has more than doubled its team and hired talent from Barclays, Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Happn, Thinkmoney, Quintessentially and Stanford University.

About Curve

Curve is a secure, connected smart card that combines all your cards into one. It allows you to spend, see and save money across your debit and credit cards, at home or abroad – all in one place. Curve’s Blue card product is free to use, with the premium Curve Black card – offering double Curve Rewards points – available to order for £50. Curve is currently in Open Beta and is available to entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners in the UK.

Non-business users can now join the Curve waiting list ahead of launch, at: https://www.imaginecurve.com/joinnow/