N26 vs Remitly: Founders, CEOs and History
N26 was founded in 2013 by Valentin Stalf, Maximilian Tayenthal and is led by Mike Dargan. Remitly was founded in 2011 by Matthew Oppenheimer, Josh Hug, Shivaas Gulati and is led by Sebastian J. Gunningham.
Company facts
Founders
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.
Remitly
Matthew Oppenheimer
Matthew Oppenheimer co-founded Remitly in 2011 and was its CEO for nearly 15 years, taking it through a 2021 Nasdaq IPO and its first full year of GAAP profit in 2025. He handed the CEO role to Sebastian Gunningham on February 19, 2026 and became chairman.
Josh Hug
Josh Hug co-founded Remitly with Matthew Oppenheimer and Shivaas Gulati in 2011 and held senior operating roles as the company scaled, bringing startup experience from Shelfari. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Shivaas Gulati
Shivaas Gulati co-founded Remitly in 2011 alongside Matthew Oppenheimer and Josh Hug and worked on the early product and engineering of the remittance platform. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
CEOs and their tenures
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
Remitly
- Matt Oppenheimer2011–2026
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Led Remitly for nearly 15 years; became chairman when Sebastian Gunningham took over on February 19, 2026.
Source - Vikas Mehta2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
Leads financial planning, accounting, tax, investor relations and treasury; joined as CFO in 2025.
Source - Sebastian J. Gunningham2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
Gunningham took over a company coming off its first GAAP-profitable year and in Q2 2026 reported record revenue, adjusted EBITDA and net income while active customers passed 10 million.
Source
Timeline: N26 and Remitly side by side
2011Remitly
Remitly is founded as BeamIt Mobile
Matthew Oppenheimer founded the company that became Remitly after seeing the pain of cross-border money movement while working abroad; Josh Hug and Shivaas Gulati joined as co-founders.
2012Remitly
BeamIt becomes Remitly
The company sharpened its focus on digital remittances and adopted the Remitly name.
2013N26
Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayenthal found the company in Berlin as Papayer.
2013Remitly
Philippines corridor validates the model
Early remittance service to the Philippines helped Remitly test a digital-first alternative to agent-led money transfer.
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.
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.
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.
2021Remitly
Remitly goes public on Nasdaq
Remitly became a public company under ticker RELY, giving it capital and visibility for corridor expansion.
2022N26
Exits the US market and launches crypto trading with Bitpanda.
2023Remitly
Rewire acquisition closes
Remitly completed its acquisition of Israeli migrant-finance platform Rewire, adding complementary geographies and account-based remittance capabilities.
2024N26
BaFin lifts the growth cap in June; N26 reports its first quarterly profit in Q3.
2025N26
First full-year net profit (~$1.81M (€1.6M)) on ~$567M (€501.6M) revenue; both co-founders step back from executive roles.
2025Remitly
Remitly reports first full year of GAAP profitability
FY2025 revenue reached about $1.6 billion, send volume reached $74.9 billion, and net income was about $67.9 million.
2026N26
Former UBS executive Mike Dargan becomes CEO in April; new COO, CTO and CGMO appointed.
2026Remitly
Sebastian J. Gunningham becomes CEO
Remitly appointed Sebastian J. Gunningham CEO effective February 19, 2026; co-founder Matt Oppenheimer continued as Chairman.
2026Remitly
Active customers pass 10 million
Q2 2026 revenue rose 20% to $495.2 million, send volume rose 27% to $23.5 billion and quarterly active customers reached 10.2 million.
Acquisitions
N26
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Remitly
- Rewire2022$80M
- Passbook Digital Banking Platform2020Undisclosed
- Symphoni2019Undisclosed
Questions about N26 vs Remitly
Who is the CEO of N26 and Remitly Global, Inc.?
N26 is led by Mike Dargan and Remitly Global, Inc. is led by Sebastian J. Gunningham. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was N26 founded vs Remitly Global, Inc.?
Remitly Global, Inc. was founded in 2011 — 2 years before N26, which was founded in 2013. Remitly Global, Inc.'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 N26 have compared to Remitly Global, Inc.?
N26 employs approximately 1,600 people, while Remitly Global, Inc. employs approximately 3,600. Remitly Global, Inc. has the larger workforce at 3,600 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 N26 and Remitly Global, Inc. headquartered?
N26 is headquartered in Germany and Remitly Global, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded N26 and Remitly Global, Inc.?
N26 was founded by Valentin Stalf, Maximilian Tayenthal. Remitly Global, Inc. was founded by Matthew Oppenheimer, Josh Hug, Shivaas Gulati.
Which company has a longer operating history — N26 or Remitly Global, Inc.?
Remitly Global, Inc. has been operating for approximately 15 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 N26 vs Remitly overview