Brex vs Revolut: Founders, CEOs and History
Brex was founded in 2017 by Pedro Franceschi, Henrique Dubugras and is led by Pedro Franceschi. Revolut was founded in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko and is led by Nikolay Storonsky.
Company facts
Founders
Brex
Pedro Franceschi
Franceschi enrolled at Stanford in 2016 and left with Dubugras for Y Combinator's Winter 2017 batch, where the pair dropped a virtual reality idea three weeks in and started Brex.
Henrique Dubugras
Dubugras enrolled at Stanford in 2016 and left for Y Combinator in early 2017, co-founding Brex that January.
Revolut
Nikolay Storonsky
Nikolay (Nik) Storonsky co-founded Revolut in 2015 and has been its CEO since. He led the company from a prepaid travel card to a multinational bank with ~$5.94 billion (£4.5 billion) of 2025 revenue and remains its largest individual shareholder.
Vlad Yatsenko
Vlad Yatsenko co-founded Revolut with Storonsky in 2015 and served as its long-time chief technology officer, leading the in-house engineering of its core banking, payments and card platforms.
CEOs and their tenures
Brex
- Pedro Franceschi2017–present
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Co-CEO from January 2017, running product, engineering and internal operations, and sole CEO since June 12, 2024.
Source - Henrique Dubugras2017–2024
Co-Founder; Co-CEO 2017 to 2024, then Chairman
External co-CEO responsible for fundraising, banking partners, regulators and selling to the largest customers. Raised the rounds that took Brex to a $12.3 billion valuation in 2021, and became chairman of the board when the co-CEO model ended in June 2024.
Source - Ben Gammell2018–present
Chief Financial Officer and President
Joined in early 2018 as VP of operations and served as chief of staff to the CEO before becoming CFO. Also oversees legal, business development, systems and data, and was named as part of the leadership team staying on under Capital One.
Source
Revolut
- Nik Storonsky2015–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Revolut since 2015, taking it to ~$5.94B (£4.5B) revenue in 2025 and a full UK banking licence in 2026.
Source - Vlad Yatsenko2015–present
Co-Founder
Long-time CTO who led the in-house build of Revolut's core banking and payments technology.
Source - Martin Gilbert2020–present
Chair
Former Aberdeen Asset Management chief who chairs Revolut's board through its UK licensing.
Source
Timeline: Brex and Revolut side by side
2015Revolut
Revolut Founded at Level39 Canary Wharf
Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko founded Revolut in London, launching multi-currency cards with zero FX fees.
2017Brex
Founded during Y Combinator
Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi founded Brex on January 3, 2017, after dropping a virtual reality idea three weeks into Y Combinator's Winter 2017 batch. Ribbit Capital led a $7 million first round.
2017Revolut
Launches Revolut Business & Crypto Trading
Debuted corporate business accounts and cryptocurrency exchange, igniting rapid user growth past 1M users.
2018Brex
Launch, $50M Series B and $1.1B valuation
Brex raised a $50 million Series B in June 2018 from Y Combinator Continuity, Ribbit Capital, Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, passed 1,000 customers by August and reached a $1.1 billion valuation with a $125 million Series C in October.
2018Revolut
$250M Series C at $1.7B Valuation & European Banking License
Achieved unicorn status led by DST Global and secured a European banking license from the Bank of Lithuania.
2019Brex
$2.6B valuation led by Kleiner Perkins
A $100 million Series C-2 led by Kleiner Perkins in June 2019 valued Brex at $2.6 billion. Brex also launched Brex Cash, now the Brex Business Account, that year.
2020Brex
Three acqui-hires and a $150M extension
Brex bought Neji, Compose Labs and Landria in March 2020, adding 12 people, and raised a $150 million Series C extension in May as a cushion against a long recession.
2020Revolut
$500M Series D at $5.5B Valuation Led by TCV
Raised $500M during the pandemic, expanding global operations into the United States, Japan, and Australia.
2021Brex
Bank charter bid, Weav deal and $12.3B valuation
Brex applied for a Utah industrial bank charter in February and withdrew it in August, raised $425 million at $7.4 billion in April, bought Weav for $50 million in August, went headquarterless, and agreed a $300 million round at $12.3 billion in October.
2021Revolut
$800M Series E at $33.0B Valuation Led by SoftBank & Tiger Global
Closed a large $800M financing round valuing Revolut at $33.0 billion, becoming the UK's most valuable tech firm.
2022Brex
Empower launch, Pry deal and small business exit
Brex launched Brex Empower in April with DoorDash as a customer, bought Pry Financials for $90 million, left the small business market in June and laid off 136 people in October.
2023Brex
Silicon Valley Bank deposits
Brex took in billions of dollars of deposits from Silicon Valley Bank customers on March 9, 2023, the day before the bank collapsed.
2023Revolut
Revolut posts ~$2.38B (£1.8B) revenue and ~$578M (£438M) pre-tax profit
2023 results showed revenue nearly doubling.
2024Brex
20% layoff and end of the co-CEO model
Brex cut 282 jobs on January 23, 2024, ranked fourth on CNBC's Disruptor 50 list in May, and on June 12 made Franceschi sole CEO, with Dubugras becoming chairman.
2024Revolut
Secures UK Banking License Authorization from PRA
Achieved landmark approval for a UK banking license with restrictions from the Bank of England.
2024Revolut
$45.0B Valuation Secondary Sale Led by Coatue and Greenoaks
Completed landmark secondary share sale valuing Revolut at $45.0 billion, solidifying Europe's top tech valuation.
2025Brex
Enterprise growth, EU licence and return to San Francisco
Brex said enterprise revenue grew 80% in 2024, won an EU payment institution licence in August 2025, leased about 100,000 square feet in San Francisco, and turned operating-cash-flow positive in October, according to Sacra.
2025Revolut
$75B valuation
November 2025 share sale led by Coatue, Greenoaks, Dragoneer and Fidelity.
2026Brex
Acquired by Capital One for $5.15B
Capital One announced the cash-and-stock acquisition on January 22, 2026, and completed it on April 7. Pedro Franceschi stayed on as CEO.
2026Revolut
Full UK banking licence
Revolut Bank UK exited mobilisation on 11 March 2026.
2026Revolut
$115B secondary share sale
July 2026 sale priced shares at $2,017.
Acquisitions
Brex
- Brex Inc. (acquired by Capital One)2026$5.2B
- Pry Financials2022$90M
- Weav2021$50M
- Neji, Compose Labs and Landria2020Undisclosed
Questions about Brex vs Revolut
Who is the CEO of Brex Inc. and Revolut Ltd?
Brex Inc. is led by Pedro Franceschi and Revolut Ltd is led by Nikolay Storonsky. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Brex Inc. founded vs Revolut Ltd?
Revolut Ltd was founded in 2015 — 2 years before Brex Inc., which was founded in 2017. Revolut Ltd's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Brex Inc..
How many employees does Brex Inc. have compared to Revolut Ltd?
Brex Inc. employs approximately 1,100 people, while Revolut Ltd employs approximately 12,000. Revolut Ltd has the larger workforce at 12,000 employees, compared to Brex Inc.'s 1,100. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Brex Inc. and Revolut Ltd headquartered?
Brex Inc. is headquartered in United States and Revolut Ltd is headquartered in United Kingdom. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Brex Inc. and Revolut Ltd?
Brex Inc. was founded by Pedro Franceschi, Henrique Dubugras. Revolut Ltd was founded by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko.
Which company has a longer operating history — Brex Inc. or Revolut Ltd?
Revolut Ltd has been operating for approximately 11 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Brex Inc. has been in operation for around 9 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 Brex vs Revolut overview