Maximum raises $30m Seed funding for AI-native banking platform

By Milan Rojan

US-based FinTech Maximum has emerged from stealth after raising $30 million in a Seed funding round led by CRV, with participation from Pear VC, Restive, Plug and Play Ventures, Anthemis and other investors. The funding will support the development of an AI-native operating system designed for banks.

Randy Fernando, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Maximum, said: “The advancement of AI is creating a paradigm shift in financial services, and banks can’t keep pace by relying on legacy providers. Maximum will provide banks with ultimate control, powerful agentic capabilities, and the tools to innovate.”

Founded by FinTech entrepreneur Randy Fernando, Maximum is building a platform aimed at replacing legacy banking infrastructure with a real-time, AI-powered operating system. Fernando previously founded Vault, acquired by Acorns in 2017, and Power, acquired by Marqeta in 2023.

The company said the platform was designed to provide banks with greater control over operations while enabling AI-powered automation, real-time insights and faster product development. It added that the system has integrated AI at its core, allowing financial institutions to deploy custom AI agents to automate operational workflows and improve customer experiences.

According to Maximum, more than 70% of nearly 5,000 banks in the US continue to rely on legacy core banking systems developed before the emergence of mobile banking, real-time payments and artificial intelligence.

Caitlin Bolnick Rellas, General Partner at CRV, said banking technology has reached a point where incremental improvements are no longer sufficient, adding that the firm believes Maximum is well positioned to build the next generation of banking infrastructure.

Maximum said it has attracted interest from community and regional banks and plans to expand its customer base over time. The company added that the new capital will support product development, engineering recruitment, operational expansion and customer implementations as it scales its AI-native banking platform.