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Zed

Category: AI in Fintech

A credit-led neobank in the Philippines offering a next-generation credit card that leverages AI-driven underwriting to eliminate traditional banking fees and interest. Zed was founded in 2021. The company is led by Danielle Cojuangco Abraham. Based in Manila, Philippines. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $22.5M. Latest round: Series A. Key investors include ["Accel","Valar Ventures","Y Combinator","6th Man Ventures"].

Founded
2021
Headquarters
Manila, Philippines
Team size
11-50
Total funding
$22.5M

Value proposition

Provides a credit experience with 0% interest, no annual fees, and no foreign transaction fees, utilizing AI to grant credit limits based on income and potential rather than just credit scores.

Products and solutions

["Zed Titanium Mastercard (Physical & Virtual)","Zed Mobile Banking App (Real-time transaction tracking and controls)","Proprietary AI Underwriting Engine","Instant Digital Card Issuance"]

Unique value

Zed is the first Philippine neobank to secure a standalone credit card issuer license from the BSP, allowing it to operate independently of traditional partner banks. It is also the first to market a 'no interest, no fee' model in the region.

Target customer

Young professionals, Gen Z, and 'credit-invisible' individuals in the Philippines who possess stable income but lack the formal credit history required by traditional banks.

Industries served

["Fintech","Consumer Finance","Banking","Artificial Intelligence"]

Technology advantage

Replaces traditional credit bureau reliance with a proprietary AI model that analyzes alternative data points (e.g., cash flow, employment data, and transaction behavior) to assess risk more accurately for the unbanked/underbanked population.

How they differentiate

Zed differentiates by offering the first 'no interest, no fee' credit card in the Philippines, utilizing a proprietary AI underwriting engine that analyzes cash flow and potential rather than relying solely on traditional, often non-existent, credit scores.

Main competitors

["Maya (formerly PayMaya)","GCash (G-Credit)","Atome"]

Key partnerships

["Mastercard (Global payment network partner)","Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Regulatory licensing)","Accel and Valar Ventures (Lead investment partners)","Y Combinator (W23 Batch)"]

Notable customers

["Gen Z professionals","Tech-savvy young adults","First-time credit card holders"]

Major milestones

["Accepted into Y Combinator Winter 2023 batch","Secured a standalone credit card issuer license from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in 2024","Closed $16.5M Series A led by Accel in May 2024","Launched limited release of the Zed Titanium Mastercard"]

Growth metrics

Amassed a waitlist of over 50,000 users prior to full public launch; first neobank in the Philippines to receive a standalone credit card issuer license from the BSP.

Market positioning

A premium, tech-first neobank disruptor targeting Gen Z and young professionals who are 'credit-invisible' to traditional banks.

Geographic focus

Philippines

Patents and IP

No registered patents disclosed; relies on proprietary machine learning algorithms and trade secrets for credit scoring.

About Danielle Cojuangco Abraham

Danielle Cojuangco Abraham is a seasoned entrepreneur and product leader with over 15 years of experience in Silicon Valley. Before founding Zed, she was a Product Manager at Palantir Technologies, where she worked on large-scale data platforms. She also co-founded Symple, a B2B payments network in the US that was backed by Y Combinator and later acquired. She holds both a BS and an MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.

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