Providing better financial access to people who don’t have very much money remains one of fintech’s thorniest challenges. But smartphone lending startup Tala has put a $2 billion dent in the problem. That’s how much credit Tala has extended to more than 5 million customers in Mexico, India, the Philippines, and Kenya—where it’s the country’s largest nonbank lender. Tala’s loans come in amounts of roughly $10 to $500, and most are approved in under 10 minutes. Founder Shivani Siroya worked in banking before founding her startup in 2011; now, at age 38 (and a member of Fortune’s 2020 40 Under 40), she has grown her company into a near-unicorn. It was reportedly valued at around $700 million last summer, after raising a $110 million Series D funding round from investors including PayPal, Steve Case’s Revolution, Chris Sacca’s Lowercase Capital and Data Collective.
Company information
Country | U.S. |
Headquarters | Santa Monica, Calif. |
CEO | Shivani Siroya |
No. of employees (approximate) | 550 |
Investors | PayPal, RPS Ventures, Revolution, Lowercase Capital |
Web address | https://tala.co |