Plaid, founded in 2013 in San Francisco, connects bank accounts to apps and provides identity verification, payments and fraud tools to fintechs and financial institutions. A tender offer in February 2026 valued it at $8 billion.
At a glance
| Price from | Custom |
| Best for | Fintech apps that need to link users' bank accounts |
From Plaid's own website.
What stands out
- Widely used across fintech apps
- Expanding into identity and fraud
Worth knowing
- Older than most startups on this list
- Valuation below its earlier peak
How it ranks
Plaid is ranked 6th of 10 in Best Fintech Startups (Lister Score 90.6).
#6 in Best Fintech Startups · Lister Score 90.6
Plaid's February 2026 valuation was 31% above its April 2025 mark but below its 2021 peak of $13.4 billion..
| Rank | Best Fintech Startups | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revolut | 96.9 |
| 2 | Ramp | 95.7 |
| 3 | Kalshi | 94.4 |
| 4 | Airwallex | 93.2 |
| 5 | Polymarket | 91.9 |
| 6 | Plaid | 90.6 |
| 7 | Bilt Rewards | 89.3 |
| 8 | Mercury | 88.0 |
| 9 | Pennylane | 86.7 |
| 10 | Tide | 85.4 |
Frequently asked questions
How does Plaid rank on Lister?
Plaid is ranked 6th of 10 in Best Fintech Startups (Lister Score 90.6).
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