# Agora Financial Technologies

> Agora Financial Technologies (formerly Agora Services) is a New York-based banking-as-a-service and embedded-fintech provider that lets community banks and credit unions launch modern digital banking products without ripping out their legacy core. Its core-agnostic, cloud-native platform ships white-label mobile apps, card programs, and API access for niche segments like teens, families, gig workers, SMBs, and seniors - typically in weeks rather than the multi-year timelines of traditional core replacements. Founded in 2018 by fintech veteran Arcady Lapiro, the company positions itself as a way for smaller financial institutions to compete with challenger banks on cost and speed.

- **Founded:** 2018
- **Headquarters:** New York, New York, United States
- **Founders:** Arcady Lapiro (Founder & CEO), Shekhar Khakurdikar (Founder & CTO), Sam Levy (Founder & Senior Advisor)
- **Team size:** Approximately 7-19 employees
- **Products:** Modular Banking Platform, White-Label Digital Banking Apps, Teen & Family Banking, SMB & Gig-Worker Banking, Card Services
- **Notable:** Brought challenger-bank technology to community banks and credit unions starting as low as $5,000 to launch (2021)., Backed by the Independent Community Bankers of America through its ThinkTECH program., Rebranded from Agora Services to Agora Financial Technologies as it expanded its modular platform.

## Products & services

- **Modular Banking Platform** — A core-agnostic, cloud-native platform that decouples modern banking features from legacy core systems, letting institutions add new products via API without a full core migration.
- **White-Label Digital Banking Apps** — Branded mobile and web banking experiences that banks and credit unions deploy under their own name, with real-time account management.
- **Teen & Family Banking** — Shared parent-child accounts and youth banking products aimed at helping community institutions capture younger customers.
- **SMB & Gig-Worker Banking** — Account products for small businesses, freelancers, contractors, and gig-economy workers outside traditional employment.
- **Card Services** — Visa debit card issuance and card processing delivered through FDIC-member partner banks.
- **Banking API / Developer Platform** — Documented REST APIs (api.agoracoretech.com) for account management, transactions, and card controls that developers use to build banking products.

## Achievements

- Brought challenger-bank technology to community banks and credit unions starting as low as $5,000 to launch (2021).
- Backed by the Independent Community Bankers of America through its ThinkTECH program.
- Rebranded from Agora Services to Agora Financial Technologies as it expanded its modular platform.
- Launched niche digital banking solutions (teen, family, SMB, gig, senior) that larger cores typically do not serve.
- Founder Arcady Lapiro previously helped build Fortuneo Bank, one of Europe's earliest profitable digital banks.

## Latest updates

- **2024-11** — Founder Arcady Lapiro continues to publicly position Agora within the NYC fintech hub around modular banking and embedded finance.
- **2023-07** — Refreshed brand assets and website under the Agora Financial Technologies name.
- **2022-08** — Series A funding round reported in aggregated data sources (details for this entity unverified).
- **2021-04** — Announced pricing bringing challenger-bank tech to community banks and credit unions for as low as $5,000.
- **2020-03** — Closed $2M seed round, founder-driven with ICBA as an early investor.

## Links

- Website: https://agoraft.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agora-financial-technologies
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@agora4358

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Last updated: 2026-07-22