Deel vs N26: Founders, CEOs and History
Deel was founded in 2019 by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang and is led by Alex Bouaziz. N26 was founded in 2013 by Valentin Stalf, Maximilian Tayenthal and is led by Mike Dargan.
Company facts
Founders
Deel
Alex Bouaziz
Alex Bouaziz is Deel's co-founder and CEO. He started Deel in 2019 with Shuo Wang after experiencing first-hand how hard it was to hire and pay people across borders, took it through Y Combinator, and has led it from contractor payments to a full global HR and…
Shuo Wang
Shuo Wang is Deel's co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer. She leads Deel's go-to-market organization and has overseen its sales growth from early contractor-payment customers to more than 40,000 businesses worldwide. Shuo Wang was born in 1989.
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
Deel
- Alex Bouaziz2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
As co-founder and CEO, he capitalized heavily on the pandemic-driven remote work boom, driving the company to $500 million in ARR faster than almost any SaaS startup in history.
Source - Shuo Wang2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer
As co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer, she oversees the aggressive global sales operations that allowed Deel to consistently double its revenue year-over-year.
Source - Philippe Bouaziz2019–present
Executive Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer
As CFO during Deel's hyper-growth phase, he managed the massive venture capital influx, including the $425 million Series D that valued the company at $12 billion.
Source - Joe Kauffman2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he manages the massive cross-border payment flows and foreign exchange risk inherent in processing billions of dollars in global contractor payroll.
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: Deel and N26 side by side
2013N26
Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayenthal found the company in Berlin as Papayer.
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.
2018N26
Raises $160 million Series C led by Tencent and Allianz X; launches in the UK.
2019Deel
Deel founded; joins Y Combinator W19
Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang launch Deel for compliant international contractor payments.
2019N26
Series D led by Insight Partners values N26 at $3.5 billion; launches in the US.
2020Deel
Series A and B
$14M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (May) and $30M Series B led by Spark Capital (September) as remote hiring took off.
2020N26
Closes UK accounts after Brexit ends EU passporting.
2021Deel
$1.25B Series C, then $5.5B Series D
$156M Series C in April; $425M Series D led by Coatue in October.
2021Deel
Acquired Zeitgold
Deel acquired Zeitgold.
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.
2022Deel
$12B valuation; Legalpad acquired; $295M ARR
Series D extension in May; ARR reached $295M by year-end.
2022N26
Exits the US market and launches crypto trading with Bitpanda.
2023Deel
PayGroup completed; free Deel HR
Closed the PayGroup acquisition and launched a free global HRIS.
2024Deel
Hofy and Zavvy; $800M ARR
Launched Deel IT after buying Hofy; reached $800M run rate in December.
2024N26
BaFin lifts the growth cap in June; N26 reports its first quarterly profit in Q3.
2025Deel
Rippling lawsuit; $1B ARR; $17.3B Series E
Rippling sued in March; Safeguard Global payroll deal in March; $1B ARR in June; $300M Series E in October; Joe Kauffman named CFO in November.
2025N26
First full-year net profit (~$1.81M (€1.6M)) on ~$567M (€501.6M) revenue; both co-founders step back from executive roles.
2026Deel
DOJ probe reported; $1.5B ARR; Clarity acquired
WSJ reported a DOJ criminal probe in January; Deel passed $1.5B ARR in H1 and bought Clarity in August.
2026N26
Former UBS executive Mike Dargan becomes CEO in April; new COO, CTO and CGMO appointed.
Acquisitions
Deel
- Clarity2026Undisclosed
- Safeguard Global (enterprise payroll division)2025Undisclosed
- Hofy2024Undisclosed
- PayGroup2023Undisclosed
- Legalpad2022Undisclosed
- Zeitgold2021Undisclosed
N26
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Deel vs N26
Who is the CEO of Deel, Inc. and N26?
Deel, Inc. is led by Alex Bouaziz 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 Deel, Inc. founded vs N26?
N26 was founded in 2013 — 6 years before Deel, Inc., which was founded in 2019. N26's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Deel, Inc..
How many employees does Deel, Inc. have compared to N26?
Deel, Inc. employs approximately 9,600 people, while N26 employs approximately 1,600. Deel, Inc. has the larger workforce at 9,600 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 Deel, Inc. and N26 headquartered?
Deel, Inc. is headquartered in United States and N26 is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Deel, Inc. and N26?
Deel, Inc. was founded by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang. N26 was founded by Valentin Stalf, Maximilian Tayenthal.
Which company has a longer operating history — Deel, Inc. or N26?
N26 has been operating for approximately 13 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Deel, Inc. has been in operation for around 7 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 Deel vs N26 overview