LendUp Valuation, Funding & Investors

LendUp is valued at $540M as of August 2016.

Last LendUp valuation

$540M

Series C · Aug 2016

Last LendUp funding round

$48M

Series C · Aug 2016

Cumulative funding LendUp raised

$112M

across 3 funding rounds

Key investors in LendUp

  • GV
  • DCVC
  • Susa Ventures
  • SV Angel
  • Initialized Capital
  • QED Investors

LendUp Overview

About LendUp

LendUp is an Oakland-headquartered online lender offering short-term installment loans and credit cards to underserved U.S. consumers with poor credit or irregular incomes. Its Ladder program reports on-time payments to TransUnion to build credit history. Available in 27 states since 2015, LendUp embeds financial education modules on topics like budgeting and integrates with the Credit Karma API for prequalification.


Founded

2011

HQ

United StatesSan Francisco, CA

Website

lendup.com

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2C

Revenue model

Product sales

Valuation

$540M (Aug 2016)

LendUp Valuation

LendUp is currently valued at $540M, based on its Series C in August 2016.

The $48M round was led by Y Combinator, with participation from SV Angel, Susa Ventures, Radicle Impact, GV, QED Investors and 3 other investors.

LendUp's valuation has grown 1.5x from $352M at its Series B in January 2016 to $540M in August 2016, across 2 priced rounds.

LendUp valuation by funding round

LendUp valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Aug 2016Series C$540M
Jan 2016Series B$352M

LendUp Funding History

LendUp has raised a total of $112M across 3 funding rounds.

LendUp's first fundraising round was a $14M Series A in November 2013. The most recent completed round was a $48M Series C in August 2016.

LendUp funding rounds

LendUp funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Aug 2016Series CY Combinator (lead); SV Angel; Susa Ventures; Radicle Impact; GV; QED Investors; DCVC; Bronze Investments; Thomvest Ventures$48M$540MLendUp, founded in 2011 in San Francisco, offered alternatives to payday loans targeting underbanked consumers rejected by banks, including LendUp Loans for short-term borrowing up to $250, an educational ladder system to improve credit access, and the newly launched LCard credit card with a mobile app for credit building. The company raised $47 million in a Series C funding round around August 2016, led by Y Combinator Continuity, with participation from GV (Google Ventures), Thomvest Ventures, QED Investors, DCVC (Data Collective), Susa Ventures, Radicle Impact, Bronze Investments, SV Angel, and other angels, bringing total funding to over $110 million. Proceeds were allocated to develop and launch the LCard product. LendUp differentiated by using non-traditional data like social networks for rapid loan approvals instead of FICO scores. The firm had previously raised a $14 million Series A led by Google Ventures with DCVC and QED, and a larger $150 million debt facility led by GV earlier in 2016. LendUp later faced regulatory issues, including a $6.3 million penalty in 2016 for overcharging and violations, yet continued operations with the fresh capital. By 2021, after raising over $200 million total, LendUp ceased loan origination amid shifting views on payday lending. It divested its credit card business (now Mission Lane) in 2018 and launched a digital banking platform in 2022.
Jan 2016Series BDCVC (lead); Initialized Capital (lead); Susa Ventures (lead); SV Angel; Radicle Impact; GV; Kapor Capital; QED; Victory Park Capital; Bronze Investments$50M$352MLendUp is a fintech company offering short-term loans and credit products aimed at subprime borrowers, featuring the 'LendUp Ladder' system promising better rates and larger loans for timely repayments and education courses. The company faced regulatory issues, including a 2016 CFPB consent order for deceptive marketing, requiring $1.83 million in consumer redress and a $1.8 million civil penalty. By 2018, the CFPB sued LendUp again for violating the order, alleging continued misleading claims about loan costs and ladder benefits, affecting tens of thousands of borrowers. In March 2018, LendUp announced $1 billion in cumulative loan originations and secured a $100 million credit facility from Victory Park Capital to support growth. This built on partnerships like the L Card credit card pilot with Beneficial State Bank starting in April 2015, expanded later with features such as instant decisions, no over-limit fees, and credit bureau reporting, targeting the $350 billion subprime credit card market. The L Card had APRs from 19.99% to 29.99% and $0-$60 annual fees. LendUp raised over $325 million in total equity and debt financing from investors including GV (Google Ventures), Victory Park Capital, Y Combinator, QED Investors, Susa Ventures, DCVC (Data Collective), Kleiner Perkins, Andreessen Horowitz Seed Fund, Kapor Capital, Yuri Milner, Thomvest Ventures, Bronze Investments, and others.
Nov 2013Series AGV (lead); Susa Ventures; Initialized Capital; QED Investors; Soma Capital; DCVC$14M-LendUp, a Y Combinator W12 company operating as Flurish Inc., raised $14 million in Series A funding on approximately December 11, 2013, led by Google Ventures (GV) with participation from Data Collective, QED Investors, and others matching the specified investors. The San Francisco-based fintech provides short-term small-dollar online loans as an alternative to payday lending, targeting underbanked borrowers without traditional credit histories. LendUp assesses credit risk using publicly available data from sources like social networks instead of FICO scores, enabling loan decisions in minutes and deposits in as little as 15 minutes. At the time, LendUp had 14 employees and focused initially on compliance in states like California, with recent expansion to Louisiana and Missouri. The company brought its total funding to over $18 million and secured $25 million in additional debt commitments for its loan portfolio. LendUp differentiates through a 'financial ladder' system where timely repayments and completion of online courses in credit and saving elevate users to higher loan tiers, aiming to improve creditworthiness. Plans for the new capital included nationwide expansion in the competitive online lending market alongside players like Lending Club, OnDeck, and Kabbage.

Who has invested in LendUp?

14 investors have backed LendUp across its funding rounds, including GV, DCVC, Susa Ventures, SV Angel, Initialized Capital and QED Investors.

Lead investors include Y Combinator, DCVC, Initialized Capital, Susa Ventures and GV.


LendUp Investors

Investors in LendUp by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Susa VenturesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA3LeadNov 2013
GVUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA3LeadNov 2013
DCVCUnited StatesUnited States3LeadNov 2013
SV AngelUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantJan 2016
Radicle ImpactUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantJan 2016
Initialized CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadNov 2013
QED InvestorsUnited StatesAlexandria, VA2ParticipantNov 2013
Bronze InvestmentsUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantJan 2016
Y CombinatorUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1LeadAug 2016
Kapor CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJan 2016
Soma CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantNov 2013
QEDUnited StatesWashington, DC1ParticipantJan 2016

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by LendUp

LendUp has acquired 1 company to date.

Last acquisition by LendUp was on April 18th 2023. LendUp acquired First Boulevard for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by LendUp

First Boulevard
Description
First Boulevard is a Dallas-headquartered digitally native neobank targeting wealth building for Black Americans. The platform offers fee-free checking, high-yield savings, cash-back rewards on Black-owned businesses, and automated investment tools. Launched in 2020, it partners with Green Dot Bank for FDIC-insured accounts and provides financial education modules focused on credit repair and homeownership.
HQ CountryUnited States
HQ City
Kansas City, KS
Deal Date18 Apr 2023
Valuationundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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LendUp Competitors

LendUp competitors include listed companies like Pepper Money, goeasy, OppFi and Funding Circle, and private ones like Oriente and Stashfin.

Public and private companies comparable to LendUp
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Pepper MoneyAustraliaAustraliaPublicly listed$360M-$552M39.9x
goeasyCanadaCanadaPublicly listed$1.2B($76M)$488M3.1x
OppFiUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$597M$161M$600M1.4x
Funding CircleUnited KingdomUnited KingdomPublicly listed$299M$42M$686M2.3x
OrienteHong KongHong KongPrivate--$400M-
StashfinIndiaNew DelhiPrivate$100M-$750M7.5x
Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Pepper Money$360M-33.4x39.9x--
United International Holding$205M$84M2.5x2.6x6.1x-
eGuarantee$71M$34M6.2x6.1x13.2x12.4x
Jana Small Finance Bank$350M-2.3x1.9x--
goeasy$1.2B($76M)2.9x3.1x(47.1x)-
OppFi$597M$161M1.4x1.4x5.1x3.9x
Commercial Facilities Kuwait$56M-14.8x---
United Wholesale Mortgage$1.6B-3.8x2.4x--

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Common questions about LendUp

When was LendUp founded?LendUp was founded in 2011.
Where is LendUp headquartered?LendUp is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, United States.
Is LendUp publicly listed?No, LendUp is a private, VC-backed company.
What is LendUp's valuation?LendUp was last valued at $540M in its Series C in August 2016.
How much funding has LendUp raised?LendUp has raised $112M across 3 funding rounds.
What was LendUp's last funding round?LendUp's last funding round was a $48M Series C in August 2016, led by Y Combinator.
Who are LendUp's investors?LendUp's investors include Susa Ventures, GV, DCVC, SV Angel, Radicle Impact, Initialized Capital, QED Investors, Bronze Investments, Y Combinator, Kapor Capital and 4 others.
Which companies are comparable to LendUp?Companies comparable to LendUp include Pepper Money, goeasy, OppFi, Funding Circle, Oriente and Stashfin.
How many companies has LendUp acquired?LendUp has acquired 1 company, including First Boulevard.

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