# SoFi

> SoFi is an American financial technology company and licensed bank offering lending, banking and investing.

Source: https://www.neobank.wiki/wiki/sofi
Last updated: 2026-08-11
Categories: Financial technology, United States neobanks, Licensed neobanks, Consumer neobanks, Super-app neobanks, Public companies, Companies founded in 2011

**SoFi** (Social Finance, Inc.) is an American [financial technology](/wiki/neobank) company founded in 2011. Originally a student-loan refinancer, it obtained a US national bank charter in 2022 and now offers banking, lending and investing products.[^sofi]

## History

SoFi was founded in 2011 at Stanford, initially refinancing student loans. It broadened into a diversified financial-services company and became a chartered bank after acquiring a community bank in 2022.

## Founders

[SoFi](/wiki/sofi) (Social Finance) was founded in 2011 at Stanford Graduate School of Business by **Mike Cagney**, **Dan Macklin**, **Ian Brady** and **James Finnigan**.

**Mike Cagney** served as co-founder and early chief executive. He led SoFi from an alumni-funded student-loan refinancer into a diversified consumer-finance platform spanning personal loans, mortgages and investing before departing the company in 2018. Subsequent leadership under Anthony Noto pursued a U.S. national bank charter (completed in 2022).

**Dan Macklin**, **Ian Brady** and **James Finnigan** co-founded SoFi with Cagney while studying at Stanford. Together they pioneered SoFi's early peer-to-peer and alumni-network lending model that later evolved into one of America's best-known public fintech banks (NASDAQ: SOFI).

## Bank charter

SoFi obtained a U.S. national bank charter in 2022 via acquisition of Golden Pacific Bancorp, enabling SoFi Bank to take deposits directly. That shift moved SoFi from a lending/fintech stack toward a diversified financial-services company spanning banking, brokerage and lending under one public brand (NASDAQ: SOFI).

## Reception

SoFi is often cited as a U.S. "financial services supermarket" rather than a pure fee-free [neobank](/wiki/neobank). Analysts watch membership growth, net interest income and cross-sell of lending and investing products; leadership transitions after the founding era remain part of the company's public narrative.

## Products

SoFi offers checking and savings accounts, personal and student loans, mortgages, credit cards, and brokerage and retirement investing.

## Infobox

- **Type**: Public (NASDAQ: SOFI)
- **Founded**: 2011
- **Founders**: Mike Cagney, Dan Macklin, Ian Brady, James Finnigan
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, U.S.
- **Licence**: US national bank charter (2022)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is SoFi?

SoFi is an American financial technology company and licensed bank offering lending, banking and investing.

### When was SoFi founded?

SoFi was founded in 2011.

### Where is SoFi headquartered?

SoFi is headquartered in San Francisco, U.S..

### Who founded SoFi?

SoFi was founded by Mike Cagney, Dan Macklin, Ian Brady, James Finnigan.

### What type of company is SoFi?

SoFi is described as US national bank charter (2022) in its neobank.wiki profile.


## References

[^sofi]: SoFi obtained a US national bank charter in 2022 via the acquisition of Golden Pacific Bancorp. — https://www.sofi.com/about/