MPOWER Financing Funding, Investors & Competitors

MPOWER Financing has raised $175M across 10 funding rounds, most recently a $100M undisclosed-stage round in July 2021.

Last MPOWER Financing funding round

$100M

Undisclosed stage · Jul 2021

Cumulative funding MPOWER Financing raised

$175M

across 10 funding rounds

Key investors in MPOWER Financing

  • 1776 Ventures
  • Fresco Capital
  • Goal Structured Solutions
  • BREEGA
  • University Ventures
  • Cometa
  • Village Capital
  • VilCap Investments

MPOWER Financing Overview

About MPOWER Financing

MPOWER Financing is a Washington, D.C.-headquartered lender specializing in student loans for international students attending universities in the United States and Canada. The firm assesses applicants using a proprietary algorithm that prioritizes future earning potential over cosigners, collateral, or local credit history. Loan funds disburse directly to institutions for tuition, housing, meal plans, and health insurance. Repayment commences six months after graduation, with added benefits including interest discounts, personal finance courses, credit-building resources, and job placement assistance. Founded in 2014, MPOWER supports students from more than 190 countries worldwide.


Founded

2014

HQ

United StatesWashington, DC

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2C

Revenue model

Product sales

MPOWER Financing Funding History

MPOWER Financing has raised a total of $175M across 10 funding rounds.

MPOWER Financing's first fundraising round was a $6M seed round in August 2015. The most recent completed round was a $100M undisclosed-stage round in July 2021.

MPOWER Financing funding rounds

MPOWER Financing funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Jul 2021Undisclosed stageDrakes Landing Associates; King Street Partners; ETS Strategic Capital; Tilden Park Capital Management LP; Pennington Partners & Co$100MMPOWER Financing is a mission-driven fintech platform headquartered in Washington, D.C., providing education loans, scholarships, immigration support, and job search preparation to high-promise international students studying in the U.S. and Canada from over 150 countries. The company underwrites loans based on students' academic achievements and career paths using proprietary data, resulting in strong portfolio performance and low volatility. On July 13, 2021, MPOWER announced a $100 million equity investment from investors including Drakes Landing Associates, ETS Strategic Capital, King Street Capital Management, Pennington Partners & Co., and Tilden Park Capital Management LP, building on a prior $30 million raise from Tilden Park earlier that year. This Series D-IV round aims to expand access to education financing amid growing international student numbers exceeding one million in the U.S. and 600,000 in Canada. Later activities include securitizations of student loan pools, such as $313.2 million in 2025 and $215.2 million in 2024, highlighting scaling to over 500 universities.
Mar 2021Series AETS Strategic Capital (lead)$5MMPOWER Financing is a mission-driven fintech platform providing education loans to high-promise international and DACA students studying in the US and Canada, using a proprietary underwriting algorithm based on academic achievements and future earning potential without requiring cosigners or collateral. The company partners with over 350 universities across North America. In March 2021, ETS Strategic Capital invested $5 million in MPOWER Financing as part of a round increased to $30 million, following a $25 million round led by Tilden Park Capital. The funds supported platform automation, team growth, and expanding impact to thousands more students. ETS Strategic Capital acted on behalf of ETS to advance global education access. Later in 2021, MPOWER raised an additional $100 million equity round with participation from Tilden Park Capital Management, ETS Strategic Capital, King Street Capital Management, Drakes Landing Associates, and Pennington Alternative Income Management to further its mission.
Jan 2021Undisclosed stageTilden Park Capital Management LP (lead)$25MMPOWER Financing is a mission-driven fintech platform providing non-cosigned education loans to high-promise international and DACA students studying at over 350 universities across the U.S. and Canada. The company raised $25 million from Tilden Park Capital Management LP on January 26, 2020, to support platform automation, team growth, and financing for thousands of additional students. Tilden Park, a New York-based multi-strategy fixed-income-focused alternative asset manager led by Josh Birnbaum, was attracted to MPOWER's strong credit quality and social mission. This $25M round preceded further investments, including an additional $30 million from Tilden Park earlier in 2021 and a $100 million equity raise on July 13, 2021, with participation from Tilden Park, King Street Capital Management, Drakes Landing Associates, Pennington Alternative Income Management, and ETS Strategic Capital. The 2021 equity funding aimed to expand MPOWER's position as the leading financial platform for students aspiring to study in North America, offering not only loans but also career guidance and support. Investors highlighted MPOWER's differentiated business model and global reach. MPOWER has secured multiple debt facilities post-2021, including a $150 million revolving asset-backed warehouse facility with Goldman Sachs and another with Deutsche Bank in 2022, to grow its student loan portfolio amid record international enrollment levels. The company is backed by earlier investors such as Zephyr Peacock, Breega, Potencia Ventures, and University Ventures.
Jun 2020Series A1776 Ventures; Alpha Impact 8; Cometa; Fresco Capital; 1994 LLC; BREEGA; K Street Capital; Zephyr Peacock India; Goal Structured Solutions; Potencia Ventures$9MMPOWER Financing, a mission-driven fintech platform headquartered in Washington, D.C., provides no-cosigner educational loans to high-promise international and DACA students at universities in North America, leveraging overseas and domestic credit data as well as future earning potential. The company raised $9 million in equity funding around June 8-9, 2020, from investors including Breega, Potencia Ventures, AI8 (Alpha Impact 8), Cometa, Zephyr Peacock, 1776 Ventures, Fresco Capital, 1994 LLC, and Goal Structured Solutions. Funds supported the launch of a new international student loan refinancing program for recent graduates and further scaling of lending to international and DACA students. This round fueled growth amid the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasizing the role of international students in global cooperation and knowledge-sharing. Previously, MPOWER secured $6 million in Series A funding in 2017 led by Zephyr Peacock India and $100 million in debt financing from Goldman Sachs in 2019 to reach $200 million in total loan financing capital.
Jan 2020Series B1776 Ventures (lead)$10M-
Nov 2018Series BCommunity Investment Management (lead); Gray Matters Capital (lead); 1776 Ventures; Village Capital; Cometa; Fresco Capital; BREEGA; University Ventures; K Street Capital; Goal Structured Solutions; Potencia Ventures$10MMPOWER Financing, a fintech company providing educational loans to high-potential international and DACA students at major U.S. universities, completed its largest funding round to date on November 27, 2018, raising $110 million. The round was led by Gray Matters Capital and Community Investment Management, with participation from existing investors including 1776 Ventures, Breega (Breega Capital), Cometa, Fresco Capital, Goal Structured Solutions, K Street Capital, Potencia Ventures, University Ventures, VARIV, and Village Capital. The funds were allocated to support new product growth, technology enhancements, and expansion of its student loan portfolio. By late 2018, MPOWER Financing had achieved 3X year-over-year growth and processed close to $1 billion in total loan application volume since its inception in 2014. The company partners with more than 200 top U.S. universities and colleges, serving students from over 200 countries, while offering credit-building, personal finance education, and career support services.
Jun 2017Pre-seed1776 Ventures (lead); DiGAME$500K-
Oct 2016Series AZephyr Peacock India (lead); 1776 Ventures; Fresco Capital; Dreamit Ventures; VilCap Investments; University Ventures; Steve Barsh; Goal Structured Solutions$6MMPOWER Financing is a Washington DC and Bangalore-based fintech company founded in 2014 by Manu Smadja and Michael Davis that provides collateral-free loans to international students pursuing higher education at US universities, using a technology-driven credit underwriting process based on academic credentials and career prospects. The company connects high-potential students with investors and universities, builds credit histories, offers personal finance education, and provides gateway financial products. In its Series A equity round announced October 26-27, 2016, MPOWER Financing raised $6 million led by Zephyr Peacock India Fund III, with participation from 1776 Ventures, Goal Structured Solutions, VilCap Investments, Dreamit Ventures, Fresco Capital, University Ventures, and Steve Barsh. The funds were intended to enhance the technology platform, expand marketing in emerging markets especially India (its largest applicant source), and establish a local presence to serve students from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. India represented approximately 32% of applications received by MPOWER as of December 2016, underscoring its key market importance where international students face barriers to low-cost US loans available only to citizens or residents.
Oct 2015Seed1776 Ventures; Village Capital; Baltimore Angels; VilCap Investments$4MMPOWER Financing, founded in 2014 by Manu Smadja and Michael Davis, provides educational loans to high-promise international students at top universities in North America. The company launched with Harvard as its first university partner and won 1st place in Village Capital's edtech competition in 2015. Investors include Village Capital, 1776 Ventures, Baltimore Angels, and others. In 2015, Village Capital and Citi awarded $100,000 to MPOWER Financing and Pear Deck for edtech solutions. From 2015 to 2017, revenues increased by 3,000%. The company secured a $6M Series A in October 2016 led by Zephyr Peacock India Fund III.
Aug 2015Seed1776 Ventures (lead)$6MMPOWER Financing, founded in 2014 by Manu Smadja and Michael Davis, provides education loans to international students studying in the US and Canada, starting with Harvard as its first university partner. The company secured early funding including a $500K follow-on investment from 1776 Ventures, noted as a double-down on prior support. In March 2015, MPOWER won $100,000 from Village Capital and Citi's EdTech program alongside Pear Deck. By 2015, it earned 1st place in Village Capital's edtech competition. Investors at the time included 1776, Village Capital, and others like Fresco Capital and University Ventures.

Who has invested in MPOWER Financing?

24 investors have backed MPOWER Financing across its funding rounds, including 1776 Ventures, Fresco Capital, Goal Structured Solutions, BREEGA, University Ventures and Cometa.

Lead investors include ETS Strategic Capital, Tilden Park Capital Management LP, 1776 Ventures, Community Investment Management, Gray Matters Capital and 1 other investor.


MPOWER Financing Investors

Investors in MPOWER Financing by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
1776 VenturesUnited StatesUnited States7LeadAug 2015
Fresco CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA3ParticipantOct 2016
Goal Structured SolutionsUnited StatesSan Diego, CA3ParticipantOct 2016
Village CapitalUnited StatesWashington, DC2ParticipantOct 2015
CometaMexicoMexico City2ParticipantNov 2018
ETS Strategic CapitalUnited StatesPrinceton, NJ2LeadMar 2021
VilCap InvestmentsUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantOct 2015
BREEGAFranceParis2ParticipantNov 2018
University VenturesUnited StatesNew York City, NY2ParticipantOct 2016
K Street CapitalUnited StatesWashington, DC2ParticipantNov 2018
Zephyr Peacock IndiaIndiaBangalore2LeadOct 2016
Potencia VenturesUnited StatesPortland, OR2ParticipantNov 2018
Tilden Park Capital Management LPUnited StatesNew York City, NY2LeadJan 2021

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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MPOWER Financing Competitors

MPOWER Financing competitors include listed companies like Rocket Companies, SoFi, Jio Financial Services and PB Fintech, and private ones like Jiedaibao and Upgrade.

Public and private companies comparable to MPOWER Financing
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Rocket CompaniesUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$6.3B$1.4B$36B5.0x
SoFiUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$3.6B$1.1B$22B4.8x
Jio Financial ServicesIndiaIndiaPublicly listed$332M$272M$16B38.1x
PB FintechIndiaIndiaPublicly listed$708M$58M$8.5B10.1x
JiedaibaoChinaBeijingPrivate--$7.6B-
UpgradeUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate$1B-$7.5B7.5x

MPOWER Financing Public Comps

MPOWER Financing is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Rocket Companies, SoFi, Jio Financial Services, Pearson, New Oriental Education, PB Fintech, Figure Technology, Duolingo, TAL Education and Klarna.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Rocket Companies$6.3B$1.4B7.8x5.0x36.3x19.2x
SoFi$3.6B$1.1B6.0x4.8x20.5x14.8x
Jio Financial Services$332M$272M47.6x38.1x58.1x-
Pearson$4.8B$1.4B2.4x2.3x8.1x10.4x
New Oriental Education$4.9B$563M1.0x0.8x8.8x5.6x
PB Fintech$708M$58M11.7x10.1x143.3x101.3x
Figure Technology$509M$179M14.9x9.7x42.4x18.8x
Duolingo$1B$152M5.4x4.9x37.3x17.9x

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Common questions about MPOWER Financing

When was MPOWER Financing founded?MPOWER Financing was founded in 2014.
Where is MPOWER Financing headquartered?MPOWER Financing is headquartered in Washington, DC, United States.
Is MPOWER Financing publicly listed?No, MPOWER Financing is a private, VC-backed company.
How much funding has MPOWER Financing raised?MPOWER Financing has raised $175M across 10 funding rounds.
What was MPOWER Financing's last funding round?MPOWER Financing's last funding round was a $100M undisclosed-stage round in July 2021.
Who are MPOWER Financing's investors?MPOWER Financing's investors include 1776 Ventures, Fresco Capital, Goal Structured Solutions, Village Capital, Cometa, ETS Strategic Capital, VilCap Investments, BREEGA, University Ventures, K Street Capital and 14 others.
Which companies are comparable to MPOWER Financing?Companies comparable to MPOWER Financing include Rocket Companies, SoFi, Jio Financial Services, PB Fintech, Jiedaibao and Upgrade.

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