Stifel Makes Strategic Investment in Meow; Partners to Launch Next-Generation Digital Banking Platform

White-Label Treasury Management Platform Enhances Stifel’s Full-Service Offering for the Innovation Economy; Client Launch Expected in Early 2027

Stifel Financial Corp. announced that it has made a strategic minority investment in Meow Technologies, Inc. (“Meow”), one of the leading business banking fintechs in the United States, and has entered into a services agreement under which Stifel will offer through its subsidiary bank, Stifel Bank, a white-label version of Meow’s treasury management platform to its commercial banking clients, with an initial focus on Venture and Fund Banking.

Under the agreement, Stifel will have access to Meow’s current and forward capabilities, giving Stifel clients a modern digital experience for managing cash, payments, cards, and day-to-day treasury operations across operating companies and multi-entity fund structures. Stifel expects to begin onboarding clients to the new platform in early 2027.

“The innovation economy is one of Stifel’s most important growth opportunities, and we have invested accordingly – in talent, in our balance sheet, and now in technology,” said Stifel Chairman and CEO Ron Kruszewski.

Jake Moseley, Managing Director, Stifel Venture Banking added “Our investment in Meow pairs a best-in-class digital platform with the bankers, products, and capabilities of a full-service financial firm. We believe that combination is unmatched for founders, growth companies, and the investors who back them.”

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The new digital banking platform rounds out Stifel’s offering for today’s entrepreneurial economy, which includes experienced bankers with deep sector expertise, a broad suite of cash management solutions with competitive yields and access to expanded FDIC insurance coverage through Stifel’s banking subsidiaries and their deposit placement arrangements, a balance sheet capable of supporting companies and funds with venture debt, growth lending, and fund finance, and full-service investment banking and wealth management capabilities that support clients from formation through IPO and beyond.

“Stifel has built one of the fastest-growing venture and fund banking franchises in the country, and we are proud to have them as both an investor and a partner,” said Brandon Arvanaghi, CEO of Meow. “Meow’s technology brings new capabilities to Stifel’s clients including expense management, bill pay, stablecoin payments and agentic infrastructure, all backed by Stifel’s bankers and balance sheet. That’s a powerful combination for the innovation economy and we look forward to building the future of business banking together.”

The partnership builds on strong momentum in Stifel’s Venture and Fund Banking business, where deposits have grown nearly six-fold since September 2023 to more than $10 billion. Stifel has recently expanded into Life Sciences and Healthcare, Energy Tech, and Project Finance, added senior coverage in New York and Boston, and allocated dedicated balance sheet capacity to venture and fund clients. The business now includes more than 125 client-facing professionals in every major U.S. technology market and serves more than 500 high-growth companies and more than 250 fund clients.