N26 announced that its Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Valentin Stalf, will step down from his operational role and transition to the Supervisory Board after an initial handover period. Stalf founded the Berlin-based digital bank with Maximilian Tayenthal in 2013, and together they continue to hold nearly 20% of the company’s shares.
Stalf said, “My move to the Supervisory Board is a forward-looking decision to continue to best utilize my many years of experience and knowledge to strengthen N26. I will actively and passionately contribute to N26's long-term leadership and strategic direction and will remain one of the largest N26 shareholders. The new role also offers me the opportunity to devote more time to my family office and other entrepreneurial pursuits.”
Marcus W. Mosen, Chair of the Supervisory Board, stated, "I first met Valentin, a pioneer in mobile banking, in 2013. I have tremendous respect for his entrepreneurial vision and achievements. Together with Max, he has turned N26 into an industry frontrunner and market-leading digital bank known across Europe.”
Christian Nagel, Partner of Earlybird Venture Capital and long-time N26 investor, commented, "Earlybird is very grateful to Valentin for his visionary ideas and extraordinary achievements. It is remarkable what he and Maximilian have done to make N26 a top European digital bank, positively changing banking for millions of customers.” N26, which reached profitability in 2024, continues to grow its customer base across 24 European markets while expanding its product offerings, including trading, savings, crypto investments, and mobile communication plans.
