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Motive Partners

North America, New York, United States, New York

Description

Motive Partners is a specialized private equity firm with a singular focus on technology-enabled companies that power the financial services industry, commonly known as FinTech. With offices in New York and London, the firm operates globally, deploying capital across the entire financial services value chain, including banking, payments, capital markets, wealth and asset management, and insurance. Their investment strategy encompasses both growth equity and buyout opportunities, targeting businesses that are poised for significant transformation and expansion within the evolving financial landscape.

The firm distinguishes itself through a highly operational approach, leveraging its deep sector expertise and an extensive network of industry veterans to actively support its portfolio companies. This hands-on engagement aims to drive strategic growth, operational efficiencies, and technological innovation. Motive Partners has demonstrated significant fundraising success, notably closing its Motive Capital Fund 2 (MCF2) at an impressive $2.54 billion in 2023. This substantial capital pool allows them to execute large-scale investments and support ambitious growth initiatives for their portfolio.

Building on the success of earlier funds, such as Motive Partners Fund I which closed at $473 million in 2019, MCF2 positions the firm as a major player in FinTech private equity. Their typical investment range reflects this scale, with first cheques generally starting from around $50 million for significant growth equity stakes and extending up to $400 million or more for larger control buyouts. This flexibility enables Motive Partners to partner with a diverse range of companies, from high-growth innovators to established market leaders seeking strategic capital and operational guidance. Their commitment to the FinTech sector underscores their belief in its transformative potential and their role in shaping its future.

Investor Profile

Motive Partners has backed more than 35 startups, with 4 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 18 rounds, about 51% of its total and boasts 9 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Private Equity, Series A, Seed rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, United Kingdom, Germany.
  • Strong thematic focus on Financial Services, FinTech, Finance.
  • Typical check size: $50M – $400M.

Stage Focus

  • Private Equity (31%)
  • Series A (29%)
  • Seed (11%)
  • Series Unknown (9%)
  • Series B (6%)
  • Secondary Market (3%)
  • Series D (3%)
  • Pre Seed (3%)
  • Post Ipo Equity (3%)
  • Series C (3%)

Country Focus

  • United States (40%)
  • United Kingdom (23%)
  • Germany (20%)
  • Belgium (3%)
  • Switzerland (3%)
  • Ireland (3%)
  • Italy (3%)
  • The Netherlands (3%)
  • France (3%)

Industry Focus

  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Finance
  • Banking
  • Software
  • Payments
  • Saas
  • Insurtech
  • Wealth Management
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Motive Partners frequently co-invest with?

Bain Capital Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 3
FJ Labs
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 2
Fin Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
MassMutual Ventures
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 2
Hamilton Lane
North America, Pennsylvania, United States, Bala Cynwyd
Co-Investments: 2
Apollo
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 3
Clocktower Technology Ventures
North America, California, United States, Santa Monica
Co-Investments: 2
Franklin Templeton
North America, California, United States, San Mateo
Co-Investments: 2
Unusual Ventures
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 3
Motier Ventures
Europe, Ile-de-France, France, Paris
Co-Investments: 2

Which angels does Motive Partners often collaborate with?

AM
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
EL
North America, Florida, United States, Miami Beach
Shared Deals: 1
MS
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
GT
Europe, Berlin, Germany, Berlin
Shared Deals: 1
EB
Europe, Berlin, Germany, Berlin
Shared Deals: 1
FO
Europe, Austria
Shared Deals: 1
CH
North America, New York, United States
Shared Deals: 1
NB
North America, Florida, United States, Miami
Shared Deals: 1
Ricardo Marino
South America, Sao Paulo, Brazil, São Paulo
Shared Deals: 1
DC
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Motive Partners?

Laka

London, England, United Kingdom

Laka is a peer-to-peer bicycle insurance platform that covers bicycles and equipment.

InsuranceInsurTechSporting Goods
Series BJul 15, 2025
Amount Raised: $10,349,379
Octaura

New York, New York, United States

Trading, Data & Analytics for Fixed Income

AnalyticsFinanceFinancial ServicesFinTechTrading Platform
Series UnknownJun 9, 2025
Amount Raised: $46,500,000
Penzilla

Munich, Bayern, Germany

Penzilla offers a solution that helps everyone get the maximum benefit from corporate pension options.

FinTechSoftware
SeedMay 14, 2025
Amount Raised: $3,594,831
Navro

London, England, United Kingdom

Navro is a payment curation platform that offers tools for businesses to gain real-time insights into payments and track money movements.

BankingFinanceFinancial ServicesFinTechPayments
Series BApr 29, 2025
Amount Raised: $41,000,000
Dfns

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Dfns provides a Wallets-as-a-Service (WaaS) platform to help companies manage digital assets on blockchains.

BlockchainCryptocurrencyFinTechPaymentsSaaS
Series ADec 18, 2024
Amount Raised: $16,000,000
Daphne

New York, New York, United States

Daphne is a SaaS platform that enables the seamless digitization & streaming of alternative asset information.

SaaSWealth Management
SeedJun 26, 2024
Xaver

Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Xaver combines personalised digital funnels with AI-assisted personal customer interactions to forge a seamless omni-channel experience.

Asset ManagementBankingFinTechInsuranceInsurTechWealth Management
Pre SeedMar 19, 2024
Amount Raised: $6,180,309
Navro

London, England, United Kingdom

Navro provides payment and banking infrastructure for software companies.

BankingFinanceFinancial ServicesPayments
Series UnknownFeb 9, 2024
Amount Raised: $14,000,000
Splitit

New City, New York, United States

Splitit is a payment method solution enabling customers to pay for purchases with an existing debit or credit card.

CreditFinanceFinancial ServicesFinTechPaymentsRetail TechnologyTransaction Processing
Post Ipo EquityAug 15, 2023
Amount Raised: $25,000,000
Nelly

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Nelly provides a tool for medical practices that simplifies patient onboarding and payments.

Financial ServicesHealth CareInsuranceMedicalPayments
Series AJun 15, 2023
Amount Raised: $16,418,169