Remitly vs Starling Bank: Founders, CEOs and History
Remitly was founded in 2011 by Matthew Oppenheimer, Josh Hug, Shivaas Gulati and is led by Sebastian J. Gunningham. Starling Bank was founded in 2014 by Anne Boden and is led by Raman Bhatia.
Company facts
Remitly
- Founded
- 2011
- Headquarters
- Seattle, Washington
- Current CEO
- Sebastian J. Gunningham
- Employees
- 3,600
Starling Bank
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- London, England, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Raman Bhatia
- Employees
- 3,500
Founders
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).
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
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
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: Remitly and Starling Bank 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.
2013Remitly
Philippines corridor validates the model
Early remittance service to the Philippines helped Remitly test a digital-first alternative to agent-led money transfer.
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.
2020Starling Bank
Accredited by the British Business Bank to distribute government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loans (BBLS).
2021Remitly
Remitly goes public on Nasdaq
Remitly became a public company under ticker RELY, giving it capital and visibility for corridor expansion.
2021Starling Bank
Acquires specialist mortgage lender Fleet Mortgages for 50 million; secures 272 million Series D funding round led by Fidelity.
2022Starling Bank
Becomes the first major UK digital challenger bank to report a full-year operating profit, generating 32 million in pre-tax profit.
2023Remitly
Rewire acquisition closes
Remitly completed its acquisition of Israeli migrant-finance platform Rewire, adding complementary geographies and account-based remittance capabilities.
2023Starling Bank
Anne Boden steps down as CEO after nine years; Starling launches its global core banking SaaS business, Engine by Starling.
2024Starling Bank
Raman Bhatia appointed Chief Executive Officer; Engine by Starling signs international core banking contracts with Salt Bank and AMP Bank.
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.
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.
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
Remitly
- Rewire2022$80M
- Passbook Digital Banking Platform2020Undisclosed
- Symphoni2019Undisclosed
Starling Bank
- Ember2025Undisclosed
- Masthaven Mortgage Portfolio2022Undisclosed
- Fleet Mortgages2021Undisclosed
Questions about Remitly vs Starling Bank
Who is the CEO of Remitly Global, Inc. and Starling Bank?
Remitly Global, Inc. is led by Sebastian J. Gunningham 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 Remitly Global, Inc. founded vs Starling Bank?
Remitly Global, Inc. was founded in 2011 — 3 years before Starling Bank, which was founded in 2014. Remitly Global, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Starling Bank.
How many employees does Remitly Global, Inc. have compared to Starling Bank?
Remitly Global, Inc. employs approximately 3,600 people, while Starling Bank employs approximately 3,500. Remitly Global, Inc. has the larger workforce at 3,600 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 Remitly Global, Inc. and Starling Bank headquartered?
Remitly Global, 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 Remitly Global, Inc. and Starling Bank?
Remitly Global, Inc. was founded by Matthew Oppenheimer, Josh Hug, Shivaas Gulati. Starling Bank was founded by Anne Boden.
Which company has a longer operating history — Remitly Global, Inc. or Starling Bank?
Remitly Global, Inc. has been operating for approximately 15 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Starling Bank has been in operation for around 12 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 Remitly vs Starling Bank overview