Renaud Laplanche
Co-founder & CEO Upgrade
Renaud is the co-founder and CEO of Upgrade, Inc., A fintech company offering mobile banking and responsible credit to everyday consumers. Under his leadership, Upgrade has already delivered over $45B in affordable credit to 7.5 million consumers and became one of the most valuable private US fintech companies with a valuation of $7.3 billion.
Prior to Upgrade, Renaud founded and ran for 10 years Lending Club. At Lending Club, Renaud pioneered consumer fintech and grew the company to become the largest provider of personal loans in America.
Renaud was ranked among the world’s most influential leaders by Bloomberg Markets and recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative for expanding access to affordable and responsible credit. He holds the Newport-Bermuda sailing record with the only crossing ever achieved under 24 hours.
2026 Agenda Sessions
The New Frontier for Digital Banking: Access to Affordable Credit
The first wave of digital banking was defined by access and convenience; features like early paycheck access and online checking are now the industry baseline. But as the K-shaped economy puts fresh pressure on U.S. households, affordable and flexible credit becomes the new frontier.
Upgrade Co-founder and CEO Renaud Laplanche joins Fortune’s Jeff Roberts to discuss the next evolution of the category: moving beyond simple transactions into a cohesive mobile banking ecosystem designed for the needs of everyday consumers. They will explore how the most successful neobanks are combining deposit accounts with credit cards, BNPL, interest-free cash advances, 10.00% APY savings incentives, and automated credit building. Discover why the future of banking isn't just about moving money and having access to a paycheck faster, but collapsing traditional product silos to build consumer resilience in an increasingly unpredictable and often bifurcated economy.
Tuesday 31 March 15:00 - 15:20 Main Stage
Upgrade Co-founder and CEO Renaud Laplanche joins Fortune’s Jeff Roberts to discuss the next evolution of the category: moving beyond simple transactions into a cohesive mobile banking ecosystem designed for the needs of everyday consumers. They will explore how the most successful neobanks are combining deposit accounts with credit cards, BNPL, interest-free cash advances, 10.00% APY savings incentives, and automated credit building. Discover why the future of banking isn't just about moving money and having access to a paycheck faster, but collapsing traditional product silos to build consumer resilience in an increasingly unpredictable and often bifurcated economy. Main Stage US/Pacific
