In our daily work, we consider how we have created forward movement in our industry to be our greatest measure of success. We strive to foster collaboration and drive innovation, which is a reward on its own. Now, matching eager credit unions with the fintech solutions they need to empower member experiences is beyond inspiring.
Even so, being recognized still feels great, and it’s something we do with a grateful perspective. That is why, when we hit a significant fundraising milestone in the same month as being named Fintech Strategic Investment Capital Firm of the Year for 2024 by Wealth and Finance International, we recognized we couldn’t have achieved this honor without our Curql credit unions and partner companies.
As an entrant, our Collective was judged based on the merit of our endeavors and the strength of recent accomplishments. To make their award decisions, Wealth and Finance International used a combination of primary and secondary research techniques to acquire both qualitative and quantitative data in evaluating entries. The result: Curql was shown to have demonstrated expertise, dedication to client fulfillment, noteworthy performance, and commitment to innovation.
Curql Fund II, which opened for investments in September 2023, achieved the $100 million milestone by April 2024. Remarkably, in just four months, continued strong interest has driven an additional $50 million in investments.
The truth is that all of this recognition is thanks to the partnerships we have been fortunate to have made.
For starters, one of our greatest strengths is the diversity of our 120+ credit union investors, who represent and work to meet the needs of their members across the country. Our Collective has made investments in over 40 fintech companies, with even more fintech in our accelerators or partnering with us to provide benefits and collaboration opportunities with our investors and subscribers.
These fintech offer solutions covering the full spectrum of financial services—from account opening to loan funding and seamless self-service to efficient back-office processes—in lending, fraud prevention, business intelligence, reporting, and so much more. Together, we are a powerful force making great strides in creating fintech that meet the diverse needs of our nation’s credit union members.
At Curql, our credit union investors are more than investors. What sets our Collective apart is that these valued investors have a seat at the table for deciding which fintech companies to invest in – those that will make the biggest impact for the most people. This helps ensure that investment decisions are aligned with the real needs of the industry. Many Curql Credit Union Investors also sit on fintech boards, driving change and development with a credit union-first approach.
In fact, Curql is proud to have brought together the only strategic capital fund exclusively made up of credit unions – and together, we are committed to propelling the industry forward.
Curql may have been named the new Fintech Strategic Investment Capital Firm of the Year 2024, but it is our partnerships that won the award. Together, we are making huge strides for the good of the credit union industry, spurring fintech innovation by building a strong ecosystem of fintech partners, creating expansive opportunities for collaboration and driving fintech investment designed to advance credit unions. The award is simply an affirmation that our collective of credit unions is not just doing something truly meaningful for the industry – but also doing it in a way that creates real, positive change for both credit unions and members.