Founders: Mike Cagney (CEO), Dan Macklin, Ian Brady, James Finnigan
Launched: 2011
Funding: $1.9 billion
Valuation: $4.35 billion (PitchBook)
Disrupting: Banks, financial institutions
Rival: Lending Club
George Kavallines
SoFi (short for Social Finance), the San Francisco-based finance company, started out with student-loan refinancing but has been gradually adding services in its bid to become a full-fledged financial services company. It's expanded into mortgages, mortgage refinancing, personal loans and wealth management services. And earlier this year, SoFi acquired banking start-up Zenbanx, allowing it to now offer debit, payments and money-transfer services as well.
Read More FULL LIST: 2017 DISRUPTOR 50
SoFi has pulled in $1.9 billion in funding since its start, including a recent $500 million round of equity financing led by Silver Lake. The company was started by former big bank executives who believed there had to be a better way to lend money to hardworking men and women with good earnings potential.
It claims to have more than 275,000 customers and has made $18 billion in loans to date. Despite some turmoil in the online banking sector over the last year, SoFi has been able to keep growing. In September it introduced its first B2B offering — SoFi at Work — a benefit program for companies to help their younger employees reduce their student debt and build a financial plan. The company said more than 650 employers and membership organizations are already participating.
The company hasn't made any moves that would indicate an IPO is happening soon. Rather, it's said that it wants to expand outside the United States and is looking to be in Australia and Canada by the end of the year.
