Deel vs Starling Bank: Founders, CEOs and History
Deel was founded in 2019 by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang and is led by Alex Bouaziz. Starling Bank was founded in 2014 by Anne Boden and is led by Raman Bhatia.
Company facts
Deel
- Founded
- 2019
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Current CEO
- Alex Bouaziz
- Employees
- 9,600
Starling Bank
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- London, England, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Raman Bhatia
- Employees
- 3,500
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.
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
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
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: Deel and Starling Bank side by side
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.
2017Starling Bank
Launches its mobile personal current account, featuring real-time notifications, in-app card locking, and zero foreign exchange fees.
2018Starling Bank
Launches Starling Business Accounts, introducing modern mobile banking to UK small and medium enterprises.
2019Deel
Deel founded; joins Y Combinator W19
Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang launch Deel for compliant international contractor payments.
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.
2020Starling Bank
Accredited by the British Business Bank to distribute government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loans (BBLS).
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.
2021Starling Bank
Acquires specialist mortgage lender Fleet Mortgages for 50 million; secures 272 million Series D funding round led by Fidelity.
2022Deel
$12B valuation; Legalpad acquired; $295M ARR
Series D extension in May; ARR reached $295M by year-end.
2022Starling Bank
Becomes the first major UK digital challenger bank to report a full-year operating profit, generating 32 million in pre-tax profit.
2023Deel
PayGroup completed; free Deel HR
Closed the PayGroup acquisition and launched a free global HRIS.
2023Starling Bank
Anne Boden steps down as CEO after nine years; Starling launches its global core banking SaaS business, Engine by Starling.
2024Deel
Hofy and Zavvy; $800M ARR
Launched Deel IT after buying Hofy; reached $800M run rate in December.
2024Starling Bank
Raman Bhatia appointed Chief Executive Officer; Engine by Starling signs international core banking contracts with Salt Bank and AMP Bank.
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.
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.
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
Deel
- Clarity2026Undisclosed
- Safeguard Global (enterprise payroll division)2025Undisclosed
- Hofy2024Undisclosed
- PayGroup2023Undisclosed
- Legalpad2022Undisclosed
- Zeitgold2021Undisclosed
Starling Bank
- Ember2025Undisclosed
- Masthaven Mortgage Portfolio2022Undisclosed
- Fleet Mortgages2021Undisclosed
Questions about Deel vs Starling Bank
Who is the CEO of Deel, Inc. and Starling Bank?
Deel, Inc. is led by Alex Bouaziz 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 Deel, Inc. founded vs Starling Bank?
Starling Bank was founded in 2014 — 5 years before Deel, Inc., which was founded in 2019. Starling Bank'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 Starling Bank?
Deel, Inc. employs approximately 9,600 people, while Starling Bank employs approximately 3,500. Deel, Inc. has the larger workforce at 9,600 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 Deel, Inc. and Starling Bank headquartered?
Deel, Inc. is headquartered in United States 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 Deel, Inc. and Starling Bank?
Deel, Inc. was founded by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang. Starling Bank was founded by Anne Boden.
Which company has a longer operating history — Deel, Inc. or Starling Bank?
Starling Bank has been operating for approximately 12 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 Starling Bank overview