About Zero
Zero is a Financial Services company based in San Francisco (United States) founded in 2016 by Bryce Galen and Joel Washington, and was acquired by Avant in April 2021. Digital bank for individuals. Zero has raised $31 million across 5 funding rounds from investors including Avant, SVB and Neuberger Berman. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Bryce Galen. Its focus areas include FinTech, Banking Tech, Internet First Banks and Through Bank Partnerships. Its competitors include Chime, Stash and Dave; 3 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Zero was founded in 2016 in San Francisco, United States, as a digital bank targeting individuals in the financial services sector. Deposit accounts, money transfers, and prepaid cards for online and offline purchases are provided, along with bill payments, cash withdrawals, and tools for budget and expense management. Operations focus on accessible digital financial tools.
Funding Insights of Zero
Zero has successfully raised a total of $31M across 5 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Debt – Conventional round of $100 million completed in February 2020. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $31M
- Total Rounds 5
- Last Round Debt – Conventional — $100M
- First Round $2.5M
(Sep 2016)
- Investors Count 6
All 5 funding rounds of Zero with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2020 | $100M | Debt – Conventional | – | – | |
| May 2019 | $20M | Series A | – | New Enterprise Associates | |
| Nov 2018 | $7M | Debt – Venture | – | – | |
| Oct 2017 | $8.5M | Series A | – | Eniac Ventures | |
| Sep 2016 | $2.5M | Seed | – | – |
7 investors in total: 7 institutional.
Investors in Zero
Zero has secured backing from 7 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Avant, SVB and Neuberger Berman.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Secondary market fund focused on LP and direct secondary transactions | 1993 | nb.com | New York, United States | |
Venture capital investments are offered to startups by NEA. | nea.com | Menlo Park, United States | ||
Seed and early-stage startups are funded by SignalFire. | signalfire.com | San Francisco, United States | ||
US focused seed and early-stage VC firm | eniac.vc | San Francisco, United States | ||
Tech focused early stage VC firm investing in the US | nyca.com | New York, United States | ||
Banking services are provided to innovative companies, investors, and individuals. | 1983 | svb.com | Santa Clara, United States | |
Consumer loans are facilitated via an online platform. | 2012 | avant.com | Chicago, United States |
Investor details for Zero
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Zero
2 people are tracked at Zero (2 in leadership).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Bryce Galen | Founder & CEO | Leadership |
Joel Washington | Founder | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Zero
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Zero
4 dated milestones of Zero across 5 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Zero is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $2.5M.
- Funding Latest funding round, Debt – Conventional, of $100.0M.
- Exit Acquired by Avant.
Competitors of Zero
Zero has 3 listed competitors in our database, 3 of them funded. They include Chime, Stash and Dave.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chime.com | 2012 | San Francisco, United States | $3.15B | 1,604 | Digital banking services are offered to individuals via mobile apps. | |
| stash.com | 2015 | New York, United States | $747.48M | Automated investment and robo-advisory services are offered to individuals. | ||
| dave.com | 2016 | Los Angeles, United States | $63.56M | 320 | Digital banking services are provided for easier financial management. |
Detailed competitors of Zero
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Web traffic of Zero
The website of Zero (zero.app) receives about 5.3K visits a month.
- Monthly visits5.3K
▲ 135.1% vs previous month
Top companies in Banking & FinTech Platforms
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Zero (Banking & FinTech Platforms) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Online business banking and financial workflow tools are provided. | 2010 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 546 M | USD 2.71 M | 1,807 | |
Digital banking services are offered to individuals via mobile apps. | 2012 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 3.15 B | USD 1.96 B | 2,516 | |
Digital sustainable banking services are offered to consumers. | 2013 | Los Angeles, California, United States | USD 865 M | 237 |
Unlock complete access to The Company Check
Get unrestricted viewing across everything we track — from companies and brands to investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, financials, and more.
- Unlimited viewing on all profiles Companies, investors, financials, funding, acquisitions & directors
- Full access to every database India & global coverage, advanced filters and rich profile details
- Always-on access from your team account Single premium plan for everything you see on the portal
Related news about Zero
Complete news archive for Zero
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zero
Zero was founded in 2016.
Zero is headquartered in San Francisco, United States. It is registered at San Francisco, California, United States.
Bryce Galen is the CEO of Zero, as recorded in our data. They have also founded this company.
Zero is a funded company, having raised a total of $31M across 5 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Seed of $2.5M, raised on Sep 2016.
Zero was founded in 2016 in San Francisco, United States, as a digital bank targeting individuals in the financial services sector. Deposit accounts, money transfers, and prepaid cards for online and offline purchases are provided, along with bill payments, cash withdrawals, and tools for budget and expense management. Operations focus on accessible digital financial tools.
Zero has 7 investors. Key investors include Avant, SVB, Neuberger Berman, NEA, and SignalFire.
Yes. Zero was acquired by Avant in April 2021.