Method Financial Raises $41.5 Million to Compete with Plaid, MX, and Finicity

Method Financial Raises $41.5 Million to Compete with Plaid, MX, and Finicity
  • Method Financial has raised $41.5 million in Series B funding.
  • The funding round, led by Emergence Capital and joined by investors like avra and Samsung Next, brings Method’s total funding to $60 million.
  • The company plans to use the funds to enhance loan refinance automation, expand card network integrations, and deepen banking relationships.

Financial connectivity API provider Method Financial has raised $41.5 million. The Series B round was led by Emergence Capital. New investors avra and Samsung Next also participated, along with existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Y-Combinator, and Ardent Venture Partners.

Today’s round more than doubles Method Financial’s previous funding total, bringing the company’s total funding to $60 million. The company will use today’s round to accelerate delivery of its loan refinance automation and expand into other use cases that leverage card network integrations. It will also deepen its banking relationships to deliver more competitive products and expand credit card network integrations to streamline checkout.

“Our latest round of funding will help us build on Method’s already strong growth trajectory. Our team takes immense pride in supporting millions of Americans on their financial journeys while helping lenders and fintechs increase conversion with better user experience and engagement,” said Method CoFounder and CEO Jose Bethancourt. “As we serve new markets with our growing data and payment capabilities, we are thrilled to collaborate with Emergence and avra, as well as our existing investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, YC, and other leading stakeholders in fintech.”

Method was founded in 2021 to provide real-time, permissioned read/write access at 15,000 financial institutions, without requiring a consumer’s username and password. The company’s APIs power end-to-end refinance experiences, real-time account data access, and one-click checkout for over 60 fintechs, lenders, and FIs including Aven, Upgrade, SoFi, and PenFed. Since launch, Method has enabled 30 million passwordless account connections for 4 million consumers and has facilitated over $500 million in liability repayments.

“Method’s strength lies in the broad usability of its data and payment products across a wide range of industries and verticals,” said avra Managing Partner Anu Hariharan. “Initially, Method enabled lenders to offer competitive financial products by providing real-time visibility into consumer debts. Now, they are increasingly expanding their reach, supporting new use cases like card linking and new verticals like retail and travel.”

Method recently launched a new credit card connectivity solution called Card Connect, which offers transaction-level data. Since launching Card Connect, Bilt Rewards saw two million users connect 10 million cards to earn points on their eligible purchases.

Method recently demoed at FinovateSpring 2024, where it showcased its Connect, Data, and Pay APIs. During the demo, Method explained how the tools essentially serve as a single sign on (SSO) for all of a user’s liabilities without exposing their personal information.

Method Financial fits into the growing ecosystem of financial connectivity providers like Plaid, MX, and Finicity. However, Method differentiates itself with its unique focus on liabilities and its write capabilities that enable integration and real-time updates. Overall, Method is suited to feed the increasing demand for open banking APIs as consumers, banks, and fintechs continue to seek real-time data aggregation.


Photo by Brett Sayles

Happy Money Teams Up with Method Financial to Help Consumers Pay Debt

Happy Money Teams Up with Method Financial to Help Consumers Pay Debt
  • Unsecured loan provider Happy Money announced a strategic partnership with Method Financial.
  • Happy Money will use Method’s financial liability connectivity APIs to help credit union members better manage credit card debt.
  • Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Method made its Finovate debut earlier this year at FinovateSpring in San Francisco.

Happy Money, an unsecured loan provider that works with credit unions, has forged a strategic partnership with Method Financial. The company will leverage Method’s technology – a suite of liability connectivity APIs – to help Happy Money members consolidate and pay off high-interest credit card debt.

“Happy Money is helping consumers across the country access the capital they need to reach their goals in partnership with credit unions and other community-focused lenders,” Method CEO and Co-Founder Jose Bethancourt said. “With the integration of our technology, they are ensuring the process is as seamless, quick, and efficient as possible, creating value for all involved.”

Happy Money offers consumers personal loans with a low interest rate and a single, fixed payment to help them pay off high-interest credit card debt. Integrated into the Happy Money platform, Method’s liability connectivity APIs will facilitate more accurate identification of members’ outstanding credit cards, as well as real-time live balance retrievals and balance transfers. All this takes place without members having to enter account numbers or passwords.

Since the partnership began, Happy Money reports that its members have connected more than 50,000 accounts via Method’s APIs. Moreover, millions of dollars in consumer debt have been consolidated monthly through Method’s connectivity and payment rails. Together, Happy Money and Method have facilitated more than $7 million in balance transfers for Happy Money members.

“At Happy Money, we believe that prioritizing borrowers’ well-being is a winning strategy,” Happy Money Head of Product and Design Nick Pesce said. “Our platform allows consumers to meet their financial goals and enables credit unions to diversify their portfolios and grow.”

Founded in 2009, Happy Money is headquartered in Torrance, California. Since inception, the company has served more than 300,000 members and funded more than $6 billion in loans through partnerships with community-focused lenders. Happy Money has raised more than $337 million in capital, according to Crunchbase. Anthemis and TruStage Ventures are among the firm’s investors.

Method made its Finovate debut earlier this year at FinovateSpring, where the company demoed its connectivity, data, and payments APIs. Method’s technology enables lenders, fintechs, and financial institutions to leverage comprehensive, real-time credit data, evergreen connections, and integrated payment rails to offer customers personalized lending and financial management experiences.

Via a single integration, Method enables access to liabilities held at more than 15,000 financial institutions in the U.S., representing 95% of all outstanding consumer debt. The company has helped 200,000+ users connect more than $22 billion in consumer debt to their preferred financial institution.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Method was founded in 2021. The company’s investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Truist Ventures, and Leonis Capital.


Photo by Jeswin Thomas

FinovateSpring 2024 Sneak Peek Series: Part 1

A look at the companies demoing at FinovateSpring in San Francisco on May 21 and 22. Register today using this link and save 20%.

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