← Embedded Finance Index 2026

Fizz

“Can a debit-card-plus-AI-budgeting product become the financial OS for Gen Z college students by combining credit-building, financial literacy, and gamification in one app?”

Founded2021
HQUnited States
FoundersCarlo Kobe, Scott Smith
Total raised$14.4M
Latest roundSeed, 2024
IndustryFintech / Consumer banking
The story

Founded in 2021 by two college dropouts, Fizz was conceived as a debit card for Gen Z college students that builds credit history — a product gap for the 18–24 cohort who typically cannot access credit cards. The core product combines a Mastercard debit card (issued by Patriot Bank, N.A.) with an AI-powered budgeting tool and gamified financial literacy features. The company secured Kleiner Perkins backing in 2024 and has positioned itself as a financial independence platform for college students, with Dwolla handling money movement and Lead Bank serving as a partner bank.

Last 12 months
2024-06
Product timeline
2021
Carlo Kobe and Scott Smith dropped out of Harvard and Cornell to found Fizz, a debit card product designed for Gen Z college students.· card
2023
Fizz Mastercard Cardholder Agreement published, with Patriot Bank, N.A. named as card issuer.· card
2024
Kleiner Perkins led a $14.4M seed round to accelerate Fizz's credit-building debit card and AI budgeting product for college students.· banking
The stack
4 layers disclosed in Fizz’s embedded-finance stack
Money movement
ACH
Banking / BaaS
in the full report
Card issuing
in the full report
Sponsor bank
in the full report
Accounting gap: none
3 more providers across 3 layers, with confidence-scored evidence and source URLs, are in the Embedded Finance Index report.