"Since we last spoke, it has been kind of a wild ride, just in the venture capital world. Fortunately, the discussions are much different as we head into 2026 versus kind of getting through, you know, kind of the darkest days when SVB and other liquidity issues challenged the market. I think what we're seeing on the positive side in the credit union space is now more than ever,"
"Today I'm joined by Brian Kaas, president and managing director of TruStage Ventures, the corporate VC arm of TruStage - a $5.5 billion annual revenue insurer that works with 92% of credit unions nationwide. Since 2016, TruStage Ventures has deployed $400 million across 50 portfolio companies and facilitated over 3,000 partnerships between credit unions and fintechs. We first spoke with Brian in 2021 when the fund was just gaining traction."
Credit union partnerships require a relationship-based, insular approach distinct from banking, making market entry difficult for many fintechs. TruStage Ventures functions as the corporate VC arm of a $5.5 billion insurer with relationships across 92% of credit unions, deploying $400 million into 50 companies since 2016 and facilitating over 3,000 credit union–fintech partnerships. The portfolio includes companies such as Ethos, Current, and SmartAsset. Credit union leaders are increasingly open to creative fintech collaborations, and stablecoin solutions have emerged as the top product request from credit union CEOs. Successful partnerships open distribution to institutions serving over 140 million Americans.
Read at Tearsheet
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]