Fintech/News/ N26 top director departs as digital bank scouts $10bn valuation Georg Hauer is among a string of key execs to have left the German fintech over the past year. By Tom Matsuda 28 September 2021 N26 Twitter N26 Twitter \Fintech Czech fintech 4Trans raises €3m By Zosia Wanat 29 June 2022 Fintech/News/ N26 top director departs as digital bank scouts $10bn valuation Georg Hauer is among a string of key execs to have left the German fintech over the past year. By Tom Matsuda 28 September 2021 Berlin-based neobank N26 is losing another of its key executives, with Georg Hauer announcing today he is stepping back after three years at the startup. As manager for the DACH region, Hauer was not only responsible for the bank’s home markets of Germany and Austria but also its efforts in growth markets such as Poland and Slovakia. He was viewed as one of the top power players among cofounders Valentin Stalf and Maximillian Tayenthal. Hauer joins the fast-growing N26 alumni who have jumped ship in recent months, following the departures of CPO Georgina Smallwood, HR manager Diana Styles, CFO Richard Groeneveld and CEO Markus Gunter. The company also faced a backlash from employees last year, demanding a workers union. N26 employees, including execs, have also complained about its very stringent equity packages, according to multiple sources. Hauer is leaving to join fintech newcomer Hawk AI, a Munich-based money-laundering detection and investigation platform that recently raised a $10m Series A. Hauer will act as both operating and financial chief at Hawk AI. His exit comes as the German challenger bank is reportedly set to raise funds from Spotify investor Dragoneer, propelling its valuation to $10bn. That would make it one of Europe’s most valuable fintechs, joining a select group of eight other decacorn fintechs. In a LinkedIn post, Hauer said “As in my previous role at N26, I’m looking forward to joining a disruptor at the beginning of a truly exciting journey. Today, N26 is recognized as a true innovator that has changed the face of banking — and I’m excited to take Hawk AI on that same journey” Sifted has contacted Hauer for comment. Tom Matsuda is an editorial intern at Sifted. He tweets from @_tommatsuda and coauthors our Fintech newsletter. Sign up here. Related Articles Mastercard held deal talks with Sweden’s Tink By Isabel Woodford Click here to read more The Swedish startup taking on Apple Pay By Mimi Billing Click here to read more Which European country is winning the race to become completely cashless? In partnership with Zimpler Click here to read more TransferWise hits $5bn valuation after secondary share sale By Michael Stothard Click here to read more Most Read 1 \Startup Life Where are Europe’s top digital nomad villages? 2 \Public & Academic UCL and Oxford are Europe’s ‘worst universities for spinouts’ 3 Member \Venture Capital The top early-stage investors in the Netherlands 4 \Deeptech Pitch tops Europe’s B2B tech soonicorns list 5 \Venture Capital Octopus Ventures launches its first-ever pre-seed fund of £10m Join the conversation Subscribe Notify of new follow-up comments new replies to my comments
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