Nubank vs Revolut: Founders, CEOs and History
Nubank was founded in 2013 by David Vélez Osorno, Cristina Helena Zingaretti Junqueira, Edward Wible and is led by David Vélez. Revolut was founded in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko and is led by Nikolay Storonsky.
Company facts
Founders
Nubank
David Vélez Osorno
David Vélez was born in Medellín, Colombia, studied engineering and earned an MBA at Stanford, and worked at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital before founding Nubank in 2013.
Cristina Helena Zingaretti Junqueira
Cristina Junqueira co-founded Nubank in 2013 and helped design its early credit card and customer-service model. After the 2021 IPO she became one of Brazil's few self-made female billionaires.
Edward Wible
Edward Wible co-founded Nubank in 2013 and served as its first CTO, choosing a cloud-based stack built largely in the Clojure language and the Datomic database. That architecture let Nubank add products and markets without a legacy core banking system.
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 (born 1983) is a Ukrainian-British software engineer who co-founded Revolut with Nik Storonsky in 2015. Frustrated by the legacy software at traditional banks, he architected Revolut's modern, cloud-native banking infrastructure.
CEOs and their tenures
Nubank
- David Vélez Osorno2013–present
Founder, Chairman, and CEO
Vélez founded Nubank in 2013, raised capital from Sequoia and Kaszek, took the company public on the NYSE in December 2021 and led it to its first annual profit in 2023 and a $1 billion quarterly profit in Q2 2026.
Source - Cristina Junqueira2013–present
Co-Founder; CEO, Nu US
Co-founded Nubank in 2013 and shaped its early card product and customer-service culture, then took charge of the US expansion.
Source
Revolut
- Nik Storonsky2015–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
He drove the company's relentless international expansion and secured its UK banking license in 2024, pushing Revolut's private valuation to $45 billion.
Source - Vlad Yatsenko2015–present
Co-Founder
As CTO, he managed the massive scaling of the engineering team, ensuring extreme platform stability during hyper-growth phases.
Source - Martin Gilbert2020–present
Chair
His deep establishment ties and regulatory experience were instrumental in ultimately securing Revolut's highly coveted UK banking license after a brutal three-year delay.
Source
Timeline: Nubank and Revolut side by side
2013Nubank
Nubank founded in So Paulo
David Vélez, Cristina Junqueira, and Edward Wible founded Nubank in a suburban house in So Paulo, Brazil, with the mission to fight complexity and democratize financial services in Latin America.
2014Nubank
Launch of the purple credit card
Nubank launched its first product a no-annual-fee credit card managed entirely through a smartphone app on April 1, 2014.
2015Revolut
Revolut Founded at Level39 Canary Wharf
Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko founded Revolut in London, launching multi-currency cards with zero FX fees.
2017Nubank
Launch of digital account (NuConta)
Nubank launched its digital account product, allowing customers to receive salaries, make transfers, and pay bills without fees.
2017Revolut
Launches Revolut Business & Crypto Trading
Debuted corporate business accounts and cryptocurrency exchange, igniting rapid user growth past 1M users.
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.
2019Nubank
Expansion to Mexico
Nubank launched operations in Mexico, beginning with credit cards and later expanding to digital accounts. Mexico would become the company's second-largest market, reaching 10 million customers by 2024.
2019Revolut
Visa and Mastercard Expansion Deals
Revolut signed agreements with Visa and Mastercard in 2019 to support its expansion into new markets.
2020Nubank
Launch of NuInvest and expansion to Colombia
Nubank launched NuInvest, a zero-fee brokerage platform for stocks and ETFs, and expanded operations to Colombia with the Cuenta Nu digital account. The company also reached 30 million customers globally.
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.
2021Nubank
IPO on the New York Stock Exchange
Nubank completed its IPO on December 9, 2021, raising $2.6 billion at $9 per share and achieving a valuation of approximately $41-45 billion. The IPO made co-founder Cristina Junqueira one of only two self-made female billionaires in Brazil.
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.
2022Nubank
Acquisition of Olivia AI and first annual profitability path
Nubank acquired Olivia AI, an American startup providing AI-powered financial management services, to strengthen its data and personalization capabilities. The company also reduced losses significantly as it moved toward profitability.
2023Nubank
First annual net profit and 85 million customers
Nubank reported its first annual net profit of $1.03 billion in FY2023, with revenue of $8.03 billion. The company reached 85 million customers and demonstrated that its digital-only model could generate sustainable profitability.
2023Revolut
Revolut posts ~$2.38B (£1.8B) revenue and ~$578M (£438M) pre-tax profit
2023 results showed revenue nearly doubling.
2024Nubank
Record revenue and 114 million customers
Nubank reported FY2024 revenue of $11.52 billion and net income of $1.97 billion, crossed 100 million customers in May 2024, acquired AI startup Hyperplane, and invested $150 million in South Africa's Tyme Group as part of its $250 million Series D.
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.
2025Nubank
131 million customers and ARPAC of $15
Nubank added about 17 million customers in 2025, ending the year with 131 million, while quarterly ARPAC reached about $15. FY2025 IFRS revenue was $15.77 billion and net income was $2.87 billion.
2025Revolut
$75B valuation
November 2025 share sale led by Coatue, Greenoaks, Dragoneer and Fidelity.
2026Nubank
Conditional US national bank charter
In January 2026, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted Nu conditional approval to establish a national bank, with Cristina Junqueira leading the US business.
2026Nubank
First $1 billion quarter and Mexican bank launch
Nu reported Q2 2026 net income of $1.061 billion on gross revenue of $5.88 billion and 139 million customers. In August 2026 it launched its bank in Mexico with 16 million customers.
2026Nubank
US product launch
On September 10, 2026, Nubank launched US products in Miami, including a credit card, high-yield savings and remittances, through sponsor bank Lead Bank while its own charter is pending.
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
Nubank
- Hyperplane2024Undisclosed
- Olivia AI2022Undisclosed
- Spin Pay2021Undisclosed
- Easynvest2020Undisclosed
Revolut
- Swifty2025Undisclosed
- Arvog Forex Private Limited2022Undisclosed
- Nobly POS2021Undisclosed
Questions about Nubank vs Revolut
Who is the CEO of Nu Holdings Ltd. and Revolut Ltd?
Nu Holdings Ltd. is led by David Vélez 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 Nu Holdings Ltd. founded vs Revolut Ltd?
Nu Holdings Ltd. was founded in 2013 — 2 years before Revolut Ltd, which was founded in 2015. Nu Holdings Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Revolut Ltd.
How many employees does Nu Holdings Ltd. have compared to Revolut Ltd?
Nu Holdings Ltd. employs approximately 10,027 people, while Revolut Ltd employs approximately 12,000. Revolut Ltd has the larger workforce at 12,000 employees, compared to Nu Holdings Ltd.'s 10,027. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Nu Holdings Ltd. and Revolut Ltd headquartered?
Nu Holdings Ltd. is headquartered in Brazil 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 Nu Holdings Ltd. and Revolut Ltd?
Nu Holdings Ltd. was founded by David Vélez Osorno, Cristina Helena Zingaretti Junqueira, Edward Wible. Revolut Ltd was founded by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko.
Which company has a longer operating history — Nu Holdings Ltd. or Revolut Ltd?
Nu Holdings Ltd. has been operating for approximately 13 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Revolut Ltd has been in operation for around 11 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 Nubank vs Revolut overview