“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?”
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.
Fizz discloses Lead Bank as its banking provider, with Patriot Bank, N.A. as its sponsor bank, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Fizz does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through Patriot Bank, N.A..
Fizz moves money over ACH.
Fizz's cards are issued through Patriot Bank.
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 4 layers in Fizz's stack: Money movement (ACH); Banking / BaaS (Lead Bank); Card issuing (Patriot Bank); Sponsor bank (Patriot Bank, N.A.).
Fizz was founded by Carlo Kobe and Scott Smith and is founded in 2021, headquartered in United States.
Fizz has raised $14.4M in total (latest round: Seed, 2024).
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Fizz and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.