← back
Varo profile

Who owns Varo?

traditional · San Francisco, US · Licensed bank · custody: Custodial

short answerVaro holds its own banking licence, so Varo itself is the bank — customer deposits sit on its own regulated balance sheet rather than with a third-party sponsor. Varo's most notable disclosed backers include Warburg Pincus, The Rise Fund (TPG) and Lone Pine Capital.

Is Varo a licensed bank?

Yes — it holds its own banking licence. Licence detail: National bank charter (2020).

Where is your money held?

Custody model: Custodial — on Varo's own balance sheet as a licensed bank.

Varo runs on: Marqeta (card issuing processor) · Galileo (card issuing processor) · Plaid (data connectivity) · Temenos (core banking platform). Full stack on the infra map.

Who's behind Varo?

Varo was founded by Colin Walsh (2015), headquartered in San Francisco, US.

Early investors

Notable venture and strategic investors from Varo's publicly disclosed funding rounds (~$1B raised).

Warburg Pincus ↗ The Rise Fund (TPG) ↗ Lone Pine Capital ↗

Is my money safe with Varo?

As a licensed bank, eligible deposits at Varo are typically protected by the local deposit-guarantee scheme up to the statutory limit (for example FDIC in the US, FSCS in the UK, or the €100,000 EU scheme). Confirm the exact scheme and limit for your country.

go deeperSee the full Varo profile with every verified field, or Varo alternatives. Raw fields: data.json.

Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.