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Restive Ventures opens applications for 9th Fintech Founder cohort

Friday, May 30, 2025 — 14:33:09 (UTC)

SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restive Ventures, the premier seed-stage venture firm focused on fintech innovation, is now accepting applications for its 9th cohort. This application-based investment cycle is open to early-stage founders building the future of financial services, with a growing focus on AI-native companies accelerating transformation across the financial ecosystem.

Since its launch in 2018, Restive-backed startups have raised over $800 million in follow-on capital and created over $5 billion in enterprise value, reshaping how millions of people and businesses interact with money, data, and infrastructure.

Applications are open from May 30 to July 15. Founders can apply here.

“We’re seeing a massive resurgence in fintech—especially in companies where AI is being used to unlock new workflows, reimagine user experiences, and build radically more efficient companies,” said Ryan Falvey, Managing Partner at Restive. “We want to meet technical founders building in this moment—those creating high-velocity businesses in payments, infrastructure, compliance, risk, and more.”

Restive’s previous cohorts drew over 1,500 applications, with a final group of 10 companies selected. Over 70% of the cohort was AI-native, building across financial infrastructure, compliance, lending, and B2B payments. Founders represented a global mix, including teams from the U.S., Mexico, the U.K., and India, and brought deep technical backgrounds from companies like Stripe, Plaid, and Coinbase.

Who Should Apply

The cohort is designed for pre-seed and seed-stage companies, whether the product is live or still in development. Restive is especially interested in startups where:

AI is being used to rethink legacy financial processes and empower small, lean teams to build products exceptionally fast Teams are engineering-led with a deep understanding of the technical problem they’re solving The business touches a regulated space, enterprise workflow, or consumer financial experience Founders are seeking early capital plus high-touch connectivity to fintech operators, regulators, and follow-on VCs What Selected Startups Receive:

At least a $500,000 initial investment at market terms One-on-one support from fintech operators and an industry-leading network of founders Curated introductions to partners, regulators, and future investors Ongoing capital support throughout the company’s early growth Restive’s selection process is open to any fintech startup, pre-seed or seed, across a wide range of verticals. “In the last quarter alone, we’ve seen fintech M&A activity and IPO interest pick up and a strong return of venture appetite in early-stage deals,” said Cameron Peake, Partner at Restive. “There’s a clear market pull—and we want to help the most promising founders move faster.”

Fintech founders interested in joining the next cohort can learn more and apply here.

About Restive Ventures Restive is on a mission to help entrepreneurs build the world’s best fintech companies. Restive partners with early founders who have an unrelenting vision to improve fintech and build world-changing companies. The team provides a foundation of early-stage capital, deep operational expertise, and systematic connections to help founders launch and grow more quickly. Learn more at www.restive.com or follow X/Twitter and LinkedIn.

Contact:

Press@restive.com

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Source: Company press release.

Categories: Announcement