Adyen vs Starling Bank: 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. Starling Bank was founded in 2014 by Anne Boden and is led by Raman Bhatia.
Company facts
Adyen
- Founded
- 2006
- Headquarters
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Current CEO
- Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage
- Employees
- 4,771
Starling Bank
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- London, England, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Raman Bhatia
- Employees
- 3,500
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.
Starling Bank
Anne Boden
Anne Boden founded Starling Bank in 2014. After an absolutely massive, 30-year career deeply entrenched in the rigid legacy infrastructure of massive global banks (like ABN AMRO and Allied Irish Banks), she became utterly frustrated by their terrible technolog…
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
Starling Bank
- Anne Boden2014–2023
Founder & CEO
Author of 'Banking On It' and appointed MBE for services to financial technology, Boden is widely hailed as the godmother of modern British fintech.
Source - Raman Bhatia2024–present
CEO
Bhatia previously served as CEO of OVO Energy and Head of Digital Bank for HSBC Retail Banking and Wealth Management in the UK and Europe.
Source
Timeline: Adyen and Starling Bank 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.
2014Adyen
Growth investment announced
General Atlantic and Temasek joined existing investors in a $250 million funding round.
2014Starling Bank
Anne Boden incorporates Starling Bank in London with the mission to build the UK's first cloud-native digital bank.
2015Starling Bank
Secures 48 million in early-stage backing from financial investor Harald McPike to fund regulatory capital requirements.
2016Starling Bank
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) grant Starling a full UK banking license.
2017Adyen
European banking license obtained
Adyen obtained a European banking license, expanding its ability to provide acquiring and settlement services.
2017Starling Bank
Launches its mobile personal current account, featuring real-time notifications, in-app card locking, and zero foreign exchange fees.
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.
2018Starling Bank
Launches Starling Business Accounts, introducing modern mobile banking to UK small and medium enterprises.
2020Starling Bank
Accredited by the British Business Bank to distribute government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loans (BBLS).
2021Adyen
US banking branch launched
Adyen launched its US banking branch after receiving federal and state approvals.
2021Starling Bank
Acquires specialist mortgage lender Fleet Mortgages for 50 million; secures 272 million Series D funding round led by Fidelity.
2022Adyen
Embedded financial products expanded
Adyen introduced business accounts and capital products for platform customers in addition to issuing.
2022Starling Bank
Becomes the first major UK digital challenger bank to report a full-year operating profit, generating 32 million in pre-tax profit.
2023Adyen
Co-CEO structure established
Ingo Uytdehaage became co-CEO alongside Pieter van der Does after shareholder approval.
2023Starling Bank
Anne Boden steps down as CEO after nine years; Starling launches its global core banking SaaS business, Engine by Starling.
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.
2024Starling Bank
Raman Bhatia appointed Chief Executive Officer; Engine by Starling signs international core banking contracts with Salt Bank and AMP Bank.
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).
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.
2026Starling Bank
Starling surpasses 300 million in annual pre-tax profit, 680 million in revenue, and 11 billion in customer deposits across 4.2 million accounts.
Acquisitions
Starling Bank
- Ember2025Undisclosed
- Masthaven Mortgage Portfolio2022Undisclosed
- Fleet Mortgages2021Undisclosed
Questions about Adyen vs Starling Bank
Who is the CEO of Adyen N.V. and Starling Bank?
Adyen N.V. is led by Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage and Starling Bank is led by Raman Bhatia. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Adyen N.V. founded vs Starling Bank?
Adyen N.V. was founded in 2006 — 8 years before Starling Bank, which was founded in 2014. Adyen N.V.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Starling Bank.
How many employees does Adyen N.V. have compared to Starling Bank?
Adyen N.V. employs approximately 4,771 people, while Starling Bank employs approximately 3,500. Adyen N.V. has the larger workforce at 4,771 employees, compared to Starling Bank's 3,500. 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 Starling Bank headquartered?
Adyen N.V. is headquartered in Netherlands and Starling Bank is headquartered in United Kingdom. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Adyen N.V. and Starling Bank?
Adyen N.V. was founded by Pieter van der Does, Arnout Schuijff. Starling Bank was founded by Anne Boden.
Which company has a longer operating history — Adyen N.V. or Starling Bank?
Adyen N.V. has been operating for approximately 20 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Starling Bank has been in operation for around 12 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 Starling Bank overview