“Can an influencer-led neobank survive its reputational and regulatory crises by pivoting to underbanked LATAM markets via BaaS alliances?”
Founded 2019 as an influencer-marketed neobank targeting Millennial and Gen-Z, positioning itself against Monzo and Revolut. After early 2020 troubles (FCA warning, technology partners publicly disavowing the company), Lanistar pivoted to Latin America, launching first in Brazil via a Mastercard BaaS 'one-stop shop' alliance in 2023 before attempting UK re-entry. The company has been in distress with two winding-up petitions filed since late 2024.
Lanistar discloses Modulr and Mastercard (BaaS alliance) as its banking providers, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Lanistar does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through Modulr and Mastercard (BaaS alliance).
Lanistar's cards are issued through Global Processing Services on the Mastercard network.
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 3 layers in Lanistar's stack: Banking / BaaS (Modulr and Mastercard (BaaS alliance)); Card issuing (Global Processing Services); Card network (Mastercard).
Lanistar was founded by Gurhan Kiziloz and is founded in 2019, headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Lanistar has raised $21.3M in total.
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Lanistar 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.