Adyen vs N26: Founders, CEOs and History
Adyen was founded in 2006 by Pieter van der Does, Arnout Schuijff and is led by Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage. N26 was founded in 2013 by Valentin Stalf, Maximilian Tayenthal and is led by Mike Dargan.
Company facts
Founders
Adyen
Pieter van der Does
Pieter van der Does co-founded Adyen in 2006. Leveraging his massive experience from building his previous payments startup (Bibit), he served as Adyen's CEO, aggressively targeting highly complex, multinational tech companies (like Uber and Netflix) that desp…
Arnout Schuijff
Arnout Schuijff co-founded Adyen and served as its Chief Technology Officer. He personally architected the company's single-platform backend, completely avoiding the 'spaghetti code' of acquisitions that plagued legacy processors like Worldpay.
N26
Valentin Stalf
Valentin Stalf co-founded N26 in 2013 with Maximilian Tayenthal and ran it as CEO and later co-CEO for about twelve years, leading product, brand and fundraising, including the $900 million Series E in 2021.
Maximilian Tayenthal
Maximilian Tayenthal co-founded N26 and oversaw finance, regulatory, legal and operations, including securing the 2016 banking license and the remediation under BaFin's 2021-2024 growth cap.
CEOs and their tenures
Adyen
- Pieter van der Does2006–present
Co-CEO and Co-Founder
Co-founded Adyen, led it through its 2018 Euronext Amsterdam listing, and continues to oversee the company under the co-CEO structure.
Source - Ingo Uytdehaage2023–present
Co-CEO
Serving as CFO before becoming Co-CEO, he navigated the severe 2023 stock crash caused by massive hiring investments, successfully reassuring investors of the company's long-term profitability.
Source
N26
- Valentin Stalf2013–2025
Co-founder & Co-CEO
Led N26 from founding until stepping down as co-CEO in 2025.
Source - Maximilian Tayenthal2013–2025
Co-founder & Co-CEO
As Co-Founder and Co-CEO, he manages the massive venture capital funding rounds and internal regulatory compliance structure of the neobank.
Source - Arnd Schwierholz2023–present
Chief Financial Officer (interim co-CEO late 2025-April 2026)
As CFO, he manages the bank's liquidity and is aggressively working to resolve the severe anti-money laundering (AML) compliance issues that led to growth caps by BaFin.
Source - Mike Dargan2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
As a senior executive, he aims to professionalize the startup's chaotic internal systems, bringing them up to the standards required by the European Central Bank.
Source - Aytac Aydin2026–present
Chief Operating Officer
They lead the core software engineering teams that maintain the high reliability and sleek user interface that forms N26's primary competitive advantage against legacy banks.
Source - Marcin Pakulnicki2026–present
Chief Technology Officer
They lead the core software engineering teams that maintain the high reliability and sleek user interface that forms N26's primary competitive advantage against legacy banks.
Source
Timeline: Adyen and N26 side by side
2006Adyen
Adyen founded in Amsterdam
A group of payments entrepreneurs including Pieter van der Does and Arnout Schuijff founded Adyen.
2012Adyen
North American office opened
Adyen opened its San Francisco office as it expanded its international merchant business.
2013N26
Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayenthal found the company in Berlin as Papayer.
2014Adyen
Growth investment announced
General Atlantic and Temasek joined existing investors in a $250 million funding round.
2015N26
Launches as Number26 in Germany and Austria with accounts issued by Wirecard Bank.
2016N26
Receives its own German banking license and rebrands as N26; Valar Ventures leads a $40 million Series B.
2017Adyen
European banking license obtained
Adyen obtained a European banking license, expanding its ability to provide acquiring and settlement services.
2018Adyen
eBay payments partnership announced
eBay selected Adyen as a primary payments processing partner for its managed-payments transition.
2018Adyen
Euronext Amsterdam listing
Adyen began trading on Euronext Amsterdam on June 13, 2018 at an offer price of €240 per share.
2018N26
Raises $160 million Series C led by Tencent and Allianz X; launches in the UK.
2019N26
Series D led by Insight Partners values N26 at $3.5 billion; launches in the US.
2020N26
Closes UK accounts after Brexit ends EU passporting.
2021Adyen
US banking branch launched
Adyen launched its US banking branch after receiving federal and state approvals.
2021N26
Raises $900 million Series E at about $9 billion led by Third Point Ventures and Coatue; BaFin caps new customers at about 50,000 a month.
2022Adyen
Embedded financial products expanded
Adyen introduced business accounts and capital products for platform customers in addition to issuing.
2022N26
Exits the US market and launches crypto trading with Bitpanda.
2023Adyen
Co-CEO structure established
Ingo Uytdehaage became co-CEO alongside Pieter van der Does after shareholder approval.
2024Adyen
Annual processed volume exceeded ~$1.13 trillion (€1 trillion)
Adyen reported ~$1.45 trillion (€1.286 trillion) of processed volume and ~$2.28 billion (€2.015 billion) of net revenue for 2024.
2024N26
BaFin lifts the growth cap in June; N26 reports its first quarterly profit in Q3.
2025Adyen
Net revenue reached ~$2.67 billion (€2.3642 billion)
FY2025 net revenue rose 18% to ~$2.67 billion (€2.3642 billion); processed volume was separately reported at ~$1.58 trillion (€1.3943 trillion).
2025N26
First full-year net profit (~$1.81M (€1.6M)) on ~$567M (€501.6M) revenue; both co-founders step back from executive roles.
2026Adyen
Talon.One and Orb acquisitions closed
Adyen completed both acquisitions on July 1, adding loyalty and incentives technology from Talon.One and enterprise billing from Orb.
2026N26
Former UBS executive Mike Dargan becomes CEO in April; new COO, CTO and CGMO appointed.
Acquisitions
N26
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Adyen vs N26
Who is the CEO of Adyen N.V. and N26?
Adyen N.V. is led by Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage and N26 is led by Mike Dargan. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Adyen N.V. founded vs N26?
Adyen N.V. was founded in 2006 — 7 years before N26, which was founded in 2013. Adyen N.V.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger N26.
How many employees does Adyen N.V. have compared to N26?
Adyen N.V. employs approximately 4,771 people, while N26 employs approximately 1,600. Adyen N.V. has the larger workforce at 4,771 employees, compared to N26's 1,600. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Adyen N.V. and N26 headquartered?
Adyen N.V. is headquartered in Netherlands and N26 is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Adyen N.V. and N26?
Adyen N.V. was founded by Pieter van der Does, Arnout Schuijff. N26 was founded by Valentin Stalf, Maximilian Tayenthal.
Which company has a longer operating history — Adyen N.V. or N26?
Adyen N.V. has been operating for approximately 20 years, making it the more established of the two companies. N26 has been in operation for around 13 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Adyen vs N26 overview