Currently ranked: 31
Previously ranked: 26
When Gardiner Garrard co-founded TTV Capital in 2000, the Atlanta-based venture firm was one of few focused solely on fintech.
But as new entrants began disrupting the financial services industry, many investors believed the incumbents’ days were numbered. Garrard never bought that argument. TTV Capital has envisioned established firms working with high-tech start-ups to modernize their business models since its founding 17 years ago.
“This is where we’ve always been,” says Garrard, a managing partner at the firm.
Take MX Technologies and Bill.com, companies backed by TTV Capital. In September, Bill.com was chosen by JPMorgan Chase & Co. to “reinvent payments for their business clients,” wrote René Lacerte, chief executive officer and founder of Bill.com, in a blog at the time. And in 2016 data company MX Technologies signed a multiyear agreement with USAA, a bank that serves members of the military, to support product marketing and financial advice to its customers.
Although the financial industry is “extremely ripe for disruption and digitization,” established firms tend to be strong in customer relationships, security, and regulatory compliance, according to Garrard. This appeals to new fintech companies that are trying to establish their reputations.
TTV Capital, co-founded by managing partner Tom Smith, has raised more than $250 million since inception, closing its fourth investment pool at $100 million in February. Among its 2017 investments are Blooom, an online investment adviser specializing in retirement plans; DoubleNet Pay, a start-up that helps people pay their bills and create savings goals; and Greenlight Financial Technology, which offers a debit card for kids that is managed by their parents.