Viva Wallet Holdings
TypePrivate
IndustryNeobank
Founded2000
FoundersHaris Karonis
Makis Antypas
HeadquartersAthens, Greece
Key people
Haris Karonis (CEO)
Total equityUS$2.055 billion (2022)[1]
OwnerViva Wallet Holdings Software Development (51.5%)
JPMorgan Chase (48.5%)[2]
Number of employees
427 (2020)
SubsidiariesVivabank
Viva Services
Viva Payment Services
Websitewww.vivawallet.com

Viva Wallet  is a European Neobank entirely based in Microsoft Azure with presence in 24 European countries.[3][4] Viva Wallet Holdings owns a Banking License (VIVABANK SA).[5] In January 2022, international media reported that Viva Wallet was the first Greek unicorn startup[6] company after an agreement with JP Morgan Chase was announced.[7] Viva Wallet is part of the Viva Wallet Group, consisting of the subsidiaries Viva Services SA, Viva Payment Services and Vivabank.[8]

History

In 2000, Haris Karonis founded Realize SA in Athens, Greece, which initially operated as a software house. In 2006, Viva Services was founded and entered the voice over IP business and later travel services, followed in 2010 by an expansion to the e-ticketing market. In 2011, Haris Karonis and Makis Antypas founded Viva Payments, which is licensed as a payment institution for the European Economic Area, following the transposition of the PSD2 in the Greek institutional framework.[9]

Three years later, in 2014, the company obtained an Electronic Money Association License[10] and announced the completion of its Series A round funding round, led by the Latsis family office.[11]

In 2020, Viva Wallet expanded its services to 23 European countries.[12] On August 3 of the same year, the company announced the acquisition of the banking license of Praxia Bank.[13]

In 2021, Viva Wallet announced the completion of its Series D funding round, led by Tencent, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as Jim Breyer’s Breyer Capital.[14]

Investment from JP Morgan

On 25 January 2022, JPMorgan Chase announced that it was to buy a 48.5% stake in Viva Wallet Holdings Software Development S.A.[7] After the agreement with JP Morgan, international media reported that Viva Wallet was the first Greek ''unicorn startup."[6]

Founders

Haris Karonis was born in 1974 in Athens, Greece. He is currently the CEO and Co-founder of Viva Wallet.[15]

Makis Antypas was born in Athens, Greece, in 1976. He’s the Co-founder and CIO of Viva Wallet and is currently serving as the CEO of Vivabank.[16]

Viva Wallet's subsidiaries

Viva Services

Viva Services is a provider of online services in Greece.

It is an online travel agency, a KO telecommunications provider licensed by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission and a registered insurance agent. The company is a subsidiary of Viva Wallet Holdings SA (formerly Realize SA).

Vivabank

On August 3, 2020, Viva Wallet announced the acquisition of the banking license of Praxia Bank, opening the way for the creation of Vivabank.[13] Vivabank is a credit institution licensed and supervised by the Bank of Greece.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Viva Wallet Stock Price, Funding, Valuation, Revenue & Financial Statements".
  2. ↑ "Viva Wallet announces closing of J.P. Morgan deal". Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  3. ↑ Georgiopoulos, George (2022-01-25). "JPMorgan agrees to acquire 49% stake in Greek fintech Viva Wallet". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  4. ↑ "JPMorgan sees Viva Wallet investment as building block in Europe". American Banker. 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  5. ↑ "UPDATE 1-Greek fintech Viva Wallet gears up for 500 mln euro fundraising -sources". Reuters. 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  6. 1 2 Tagaris, Karolina; Maltezou, Renee (2022-02-09). "Greece's fledgling tech scene starts to take off". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  7. 1 2 "J.P. Morgan to acquire a stake in Viva Wallet". JP Morgan. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  8. ↑ IQ (2021-03-29). "Greek ticketer Viva expands marketplace into Europe". IQ Magazine. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  9. ↑ "Viva Wallet: The history of the Greek Neobank and its path to the top of fintech". emeastartups. 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  10. ↑ "Our members | Electronic Money Association". Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  11. ↑ Chrysopoulos, Philip (2022-02-01). "JP Morgan Viva Wallet Deal Creates Greece's First FinTech Unicorn". GreekReporter.com. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  12. ↑ Sotiris Nikas; Jan-Henrik Foerster; Ruth David (November 25, 2021). "JPMorgan Is Said to Weigh Deal With Greek Fintech Viva Wallet". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  13. 1 2 "Viva Wallet buys Greece's first digital challenger Praxia Bank". FinTech Futures. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  14. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (2021-04-28). "Greece's Viva Wallet raises $80M for its neobank targeting small business merchants". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  15. ↑ "Greece Rising | Sifted". sifted.eu. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  16. ↑ "Makis Antypas - Fintech Finance". ffnews.com. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  17. ↑ "Supervised-institutions". Bank of Greece. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
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