🤑 Secret to Growth?

Female Invest Makes Its US Debut; Tala’s $150 Million Debt Facility to Fuel Growth in Mexico; Beyond the Deal: How Super.com is Redefining Fintech

Author

Nicole Casperson
March 20, 2025

Merhaba from Turkey, fintech fam! 💜

Writing to you from the vibrant city of Istanbul—my first time here! While diving into this beautiful city (after I wrap up working from my hotel room, of course), I’m beyond excited for what’s ahead.

Tomorrow, I’ll be hosting a book signing for my book Fintech Feminists and delivering a keynote at Akbank for an event bringing together the female founder community in Turkey. I can’t wait to share all the highlights—stay tuned for the recap!

For the inside scoop as it happens, be sure to follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Also, in case you missed it, I dropped some big updates on the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit happening on April 23 during NY Fintech Week. Check out the growing lineup of speakers and sponsors (and grab your ticket!) right here.

For today, I’ve got two news stories and a fresh episode of Fintech Mavericks waiting for you.

Let’s get into it!

#TRENDING

What’s Up In Fintech

Every Thursday, I bring you the latest fintech news and trends, delivering the key insights that matter most to the industry—and you.

#1 Female Invest Makes Its US Debut

Female Invest founders Camilla Falkenberg, Emma Bitz, Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen

When it comes to fintech, it’s easy to get swept up in the flashy promises of wealth-building apps or get lost in the noise of big tech companies trying to capture market share.

But what if I told you that the secret to success in fintech isn’t just about the latest app or the biggest payout—it’s about understanding your audience's needs, giving them purpose, and building a community?

Enter Female Invest, a fintech startup redefining how we approach financial literacy and investing and, in the process, creating a massive impact on how women engage with their finances.

Just this week, Female Invest made a splash in the US with a launch party in New York, marking a major milestone in their journey.

This expansion into a new market comes hot on the heels of an $11 million Series A and a record-breaking crowdfunding event where they raised $1 million in just four minutes—all thanks to their passionate community.

But the story of Female Invest goes beyond just numbers—it’s a powerful example of what happens when fintech is built by women, for women, and with women’s needs in mind.

Starting with the Problem—Then Solving It

Female Invest was born out of frustration. Founders Camilla Falkenberg, Emma Bitz, and Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen were tired of seeing women underrepresented in personal finance and investing events.

When they looked around, it was clear: the financial industry wasn’t speaking to women. In fact, they weren’t even in the room.

So, they decided to change the narrative (sound familiar?)

Since its launch in 2019, Female Invest has grown from a passionate idea into a powerhouse platform with 90,000 paying members across 120+ countries.

And the response has been nothing short of remarkable—endorsements from icons like Emma Watson and Hillary Clinton prove that when you align a mission with the right message, the world is ready to listen.

But its deep commitment to education sets Female Invest apart from other fintech platforms.

The Power of Content + Community

In an industry that often pushes products before people, Female Invest has taken a different approach: content first, then platform.

The founders understood that if they were going to get women to engage with investing, they had to first educate them.

Let’s face it—there’s a global financial literacy crisis, and the education gap around personal finance is massive.

While most fintech platforms focus on flashy products, Female Invest took a step back to build a community around financial education.

This strategy was both smart and savvy.

By providing women with the tools and resources to learn before they leap, Female Invest is building a trusted foundation for future success.

And now, as they move into the next phase of launching their investing platform, they’ve already built their audience and community—a community that is excited, engaged, and ready to take action.

The Community-First Strategy: Scaling with Purpose

In today’s crowded fintech market, it’s not enough to just promise wealth.

Female Invest understands that what the next generation of investors is craving isn’t just financial gain—it’s purpose.

Take Gen Y and Gen Z, for example: these generations represent 47% of the U.S. population, and they are expected to inherit $541 billion annually.

With Gen Z being the most diverse generation yet (48% identify as non-white), they are driven by both the desire to make money and make a positive difference in the world.

Female Invest taps into this by providing a platform that fosters collaboration, innovation, and action.

By embracing fintech, Gen Z and millennial women can align their values with their investments, and Female Invest has positioned itself as the perfect vehicle to guide them in that journey.

As the economy continues to fluctuate and evolve, the smartest investment we can make is in women.

After all, we can’t expect to have a truly strong economy when 50% of the population is left out of the conversation.

Female Invest is not just building a platform to serve women; they’re building a platform to unlock the strength of the economy by tapping into an underserved and underrepresented market.

There’s a lot we can learn from Female Invest. Building a fintech company that truly serves women isn’t about just throwing products at the market—it’s about creating an experience that resonates.

It’s about listening to your audience, understanding their unique challenges, and meeting them where they are.

For founders, CEOs, and business leaders in fintech, the lesson is clear: if you want to build something that lasts, you need to invest in education, community, and purpose first.

The financial sector is ready for change, and we’re the ones who can drive it.

At the end of the day, Female Invest is proving that when we invest in women, the returns go far beyond dollars—they create a stronger, more inclusive financial future for all.

#2 Tala’s $150 Million Debt Facility to Fuel Growth in Mexico

Shivani Siroya, Founder & CEO, Tala

Let’s talk Tala—the fintech company that’s been shaking up the world of financial inclusion.

Just this week, Tala announced the closing of a $150 million debt facility with Neuberger Berman, and this is more than just a transaction—it’s a power move that puts them even closer to their mission of creating scalable, data-driven financial infrastructure.

With $75 million in committed capital to start, Tala can now draw up to $150 million.

This deal boosts their ability to lend more and positions them to expand further into the Mexican market, where they’ve already made waves since launching in 2017.

Why This Matters

Tala already serves 10 million customers in Latin America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia, giving people the tools to build credit, start businesses, and access capital in places where traditional financial institutions are still failing to deliver.

This debt facility isn’t just another chunk of change—it’s a game-changer that could further reshape the financial landscape, especially for underserved populations.

Tala has built a vertical fintech platform fueled by AI and data, and now, it’s doubling down on its tech to serve even more people.

Founder & CEO Shivani Siroya put it best:

“This funding will allow us to continue expanding our mobile-first financial platform with a focus on credit portfolios and future services.”

Translation: Tala is positioning itself as a leading force in the fintech space, ready to redefine how financial services operate in emerging markets.

The Bigger Picture: What’s exciting here isn’t just Tala’s ability to scale—it’s proof that financial systems built for women and underserved communities are both necessary and profitable.

Tala is part of a growing movement of fintechs that are changing the narrative around financial inclusion and investing in the global majority.

And with $6 billion in credit delivered and backing from top investors like PayPal Ventures and Upstart, Tala is showing us just how much potential there is when you put the right infrastructure in place.

As fintech continues to evolve, it’s clear that founders like Siroya are leading the charge—not just in terms of profit, but in building platforms that truly serve real people and create opportunity.

Tala’s latest move isn’t just a milestone for the company—it’s a signal to the entire industry: financial inclusion is here to stay.

#3 Beyond the Deal: How Super.com is Redefining Travel, Retail & Fintech with Hussein Fazal

Hussein Fazal, Founder & CEO, Super.com

Forget the hype. Build what actually works.

That’s the mindset of a true Fintech Maverick.

In the latest episode of Fintech Mavericks, co-hosted by Drew Glover, we sit down with Hussein Fazal, Founder & CEO of Super.com and his journey is a masterclass in scaling.

✅ 30M+ users

✅ $2B+ in sales

✅ $150M+ in funding

✅ Bootstrapped & sold his first company for $100M+

All by doubling down on serving the majority of Americans who need basic access to financial tools that actually work for them.

From bootstrapping AdParlor to building Super.com into a fintech powerhouse, Hussein shares how he navigates growth, makes strategic bets, and stays focused—while ignoring the noise of hype cycles and investor FOMO.

This one is packed with real talk on scaling, funding, and disrupting industries like a true Fintech Maverick.

Listen now and get the insights you need to grow like a pro.

  • 🎧 Tune in on Spotify here.

  • 🍏 Tune in on Apple here.

🚀 Powered by our friends at Brex.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Join us every Thursday to keep up with fintech events!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23

[NEW YORK FINTECH WEEK] Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit

Mark your calendars for the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit happening on April 23rd in New York City.

Here are the speakers I can share so far! More is coming soon!

We are putting the final touches on this agenda, and I can't wait to reveal what's in store!

Grab your ticket to the biggest week in fintech — New York City is calling you!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23

[NEW YORK FINTECH WEEK] Fintech Security Summit

This will happen on the same day as the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit, in the same venue, on our second stage, the first-ever Fintech Security Summit.

We’ve got a stellar lineup to tackle all things fraud, cybersecurity, digital identity, compliance and more.

​Who Should Attend?

  • ​Fintech App Developers: Learn how to integrate top-tier security without sacrificing user experience.

  • ​Product Managers and System Architects: Gain actionable insights on balancing security and accessibility in your products.

  • ​Risk, Fraud, Security, and Identity Experts: Stay ahead of emerging threats and solutions to safeguard your customers.

  • ​Compliance Officers and Legal Experts: Understand the latest regulations and best practices to ensure your organization remains compliant while maintaining robust security standards.

FINTUNES

Absolutely vibing with this R&B tribute to the iconic Britney Spears hit, "Toxic."

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📚 Increase your expertise by ordering your copy of my book, Fintech Feminists: Increasing Inclusion, Redefining Innovation, and Changing the Future for Women Around the World.

⭐️ P.S. If you’ve read Fintech Feminists (or listened to the audiobook!), I’d be so grateful if you could take 30 seconds to leave a review or rating on Amazon here. Your support means the world to me. A million thanks in advance!

That wraps up today’s edition—thanks for reading! Until next week, keep innovating and challenging the status quo. See you Tuesday!

Love,

Nicole 💜