Stripe has led a $22.5 million Series A funding round for Step, a teenager-focused US mobile banking startup the same week that JPMorgan Chase shut down its millennial-focussed mobile venture Finn.
The brainchild of Gyft co-founder CJ MacDonald and Square veteran Alexey Kalinichenko, Step is building a mobile-based bank account - held with Evolve Bank - specifically designed for teens that is interest bearing and has no hidden or overdraft fees. The mobile app is linked to a Mastercard and lets users send and receive money instantly, shop online or in-store as well as use Apple Pay and Google Pay. Strip is providing issuing and processing technology.