Founders Bank

What Founders Bank does

Founders Bank is a community bank founded in 2020 and chartered in Washington, D.C., serving businesses, nonprofits, professionals, and individuals across the Greater Washington area (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia). The bank operates through three physical locations: a corporate headquarters and full-service Friendship Heights branch in Washington, D.C., and an Arlington Loan Production Office in Virginia. It supplements its physical distribution with digital channels including dedicated Personal and Treasury mobile apps, online wire and ACH origination, positive pay, mobile deposit capture, RTP and FedNow receive-only real-time payments, and a .BANK domain with annual verification. Core banking technology relies on standard digital banking platforms rather than proprietary systems, with differentiated integrations limited to Rynoh and Zoccam software for title and escrow clients.

The bank segments its go-to-market into six industry verticals: Local Businesses, Nonprofits & Associations, Professional Services Firms, Real Estate, Title & Escrow, and Contracting & Trades, plus an individual consumer vertical for personal banking. Its product portfolio spans commercial deposits (interest checking, IOLTA, money market, CDs), commercial loans (commercial real estate, construction lines of credit, commercial and industrial), treasury management (wires, ACH, positive pay, lockbox), business credit cards (Platinum Cash Back at $79/year, no-fee Platinum Benefits), purchasing cards ($250 implementation, tiered rebates), and personal banking (checking tiers, money market, IRAs, Zelle, HELOCs, ARMs, personal credit cards, auto loans).

Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income from lending, supplemented by transaction fees on deposit accounts, treasury management service fees, credit card interchange and annual fees, and purchasing card implementation and rebate revenue. Distribution follows a relationship-led, community-banking motion anchored by the Founders Series—a recurring program of panels, webinars, and networking events aimed at local business leaders in DC, MD, and VA. The bank completed a $25 million capital raise in Q4 2022 alongside reaching profitability, grew to $100 million in assets by April 2022, and has received a 5-star BauerFinancial rating (September 2024) along with three consecutive Washington Business Journal Best Places to Work awards and three consecutive Arlington Magazine Face of Business Banking recognitions.

Name

Founders Bank

Legal name

Founders Bank

Website

https://founders.bank

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founders Bank is a Washington, D.C.-chartered community bank founded in 2020 providing commercial deposits, treasury management, commercial and consumer lending, and specialized industry-vertical banking (Real Estate, Title & Escrow, Nonprofits, Professional Services, Contracting & Trades) to businesses and individuals across the DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

Keywords

• Community banking
• Commercial lending
• Treasury management
• Small business banking
• Commercial real estate loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Lending: Primary revenue through interest earned on commercial loans, commercial real estate loans, construction lines of credit, and personal loans including mortgages and home equity lines.
2. Deposit Account Fees and Services: Fees from commercial and personal checking accounts, money market accounts, CDs, and analysis account services.
3. Treasury Management Services: Fees for ACH origination, wire transfers, positive pay services, lockbox, and merchant services.
4. Credit Card Revenue: Annual fees on business and personal credit cards, interchange revenue, and cash back rewards costs.
5. Purchasing Card Program: Implementation fees and annual fees per physical card, plus tiered rebates based on spend volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Founders Bank is a community bank offering commercial and personal banking products to businesses, organizations, nonprofits, and individuals in the Greater Washington DC area (DC, MD, VA). Core offerings include commercial deposits, treasury management services (wire/ACH origination, positive pay, RTP/FedNow), commercial and CRE lending, construction lines of credit, business and personal credit cards, purchasing cards, and a suite of personal banking products, all delivered with relationship-based service backed by online and mobile banking.

Product overview

Founders Bank is a community bank serving businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Greater Washington area (DC, MD, VA) since 2020. The bank operates as a unified community banking platform offering core deposit and lending products alongside specialized treasury management services and industry-specific banking solutions. The core product portfolio includes Commercial Deposits (checking, money market, CDs), Treasury Management (wire, ACH, positive pay, mobile banking), Commercial Loans, and Personal Banking. Add-on products include Business Credit Cards (Platinum with Cash Back and Platinum Benefits), Purchasing Cards, and Personal Credit Cards. The bank differentiates through six industry verticals: Local Business, Nonprofits & Associations, Professional Services Firms, Real Estate, Title & Escrow, and Contracting & Trades. The Founders Series is a signature community engagement platform featuring events, webinars, and networking programs. Mobile banking is supported through dedicated Personal and Treasury apps available on iOS and Android.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Deposits Business deposit accounts including Commercial Interest Checking, IOLTA, Commercial Money Market, and Certificate of Deposit products for businesses operating in the Greater Washington area.
• Treasury Management Comprehensive treasury services including online wire origination, ACH origination, positive pay, mobile deposit capture, RTP and FedNow receive-only payments, and landlord escrow sub-accounts for business customers.
• Commercial Loans Commercial lending products including construction lines of credit and commercial real estate loans supporting businesses in the Greater Washington area.
• Business Credit Cards Business credit cards including Platinum Card with Cash Back Rewards ($79 annual fee, 1% cash back up to $1,000 annually) and Platinum Benefits Card (no annual fee), supporting up to 50 cardholders per account.
• Purchasing Card Corporate purchasing card with unlimited cardholders, real-time card controls, expense management portal, and tiered rebate structure based on spend ($250 implementation fee, $25 annual fee per physical card).
• Personal Banking Personal deposit accounts and services including Personal Free Checking with eStatements, Personal Interest Checking, Personal Premium Checking, Personal Money Market, Personal Savings, Minor Savings, IRA accounts, debit cards with ATM fee reimbursements, and Zelle person-to-person payments.
• Personal Credit Cards Personal credit card offering Platinum Card with 1% cash back on all purchases.
• Personal Loans Personal lending products including Adjustable Rate Mortgages, Home Equity Lines of Credit, Personal Lines of Credit, and Automobile Loans.
• Local Business Banking Banking services tailored for local businesses including retail shops, service-based companies, and restaurants with deposit accounts, ACH/wire services, merchant services, fraud prevention, and commercial lending.
• Nonprofits & Associations Banking Banking solutions for nonprofit organizations and associations including interest-bearing checking, CDs, ICS/CDARS, remote deposit, ACH blocks, and owner-occupied loans.
• Professional Services Firms Banking Banking services for law firms, accounting practices, engineering companies, and consulting groups with responsive support and tailored banking solutions.
• Real Estate Banking Banking for developers, investors, brokers, and property managers with fiduciary/escrow accounts, 1031 exchange accounts, escrow management, construction lines of credit, and commercial real estate loans.
• Title & Escrow Banking Specialized solutions for title and escrow companies with fiduciary/title escrow accounts, BAI-formatted reports, software integration with Rynoh and Zoccam, no transaction fees, and next-day funds availability.
• Contracting & Trades Banking Banking services for construction firms, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping companies with cash flow management and business optimization solutions.
• Founders Bank Treasury Mobile App Mobile banking application for business and treasury management, providing online wire origination, mobile ACH, positive pay, and real-time account access.
• Founders Bank Personal Mobile App Mobile banking application for personal banking customers, providing mobile account access, mobile deposit, and account management.
• Founders Series Community engagement initiative featuring panels, events, discussions, webinars, roundtables, workshops, and networking events designed to unite local business leaders and community advocates in the Greater Washington area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached $100 million in assets within first year of operations (2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OptimaNova AIcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 June 2026Partnership with OptimaNova AI (Founder & CEO Joe Paul) for AI-powered networking events. Collaborated on the Igniting Ideas: AI Networking Luncheon as part of the Founders Series initiative, bringing together forward-thinking professionals for AI-focused business connections.
• Community Title NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 April 2026Partnership with Community Title Network on the 'Beyond the Deal' Founders Series event bringing together leaders across DC's real estate community. CTN's Kevin Bayly participated as a panelist alongside Founders Bank CEO Martin McCarthy.
• Greater Washington Community FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 February 2026Hosted 'Building a Legacy of Purpose-Driven Giving' event with the Greater Washington Community Foundation featuring the Ruppert Family. The foundation facilitates intergenerational philanthropy discussions and community giving initiatives.
• RynohcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware integration partnership providing secure fund management and transaction processing for Title and Escrow industry clients. Part of Founders Bank's specialized solutions for the title and escrow industry.
• ZoccamcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware integration partnership for Title and Escrow services providing transaction management capabilities integrated with Rynoh for the title and escrow industry segment.
• IntraFi NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for Insured Cash Sweep (ICS) and CDARS deposit products providing smart, secure deposit insurance solutions for customers with large deposits.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Revere Bank: Maryland/DC-area community commercial bank with focus on businesses and professionals, comparable vertical mix and relationship-banking model. Founders Bank's CEO Martin McCarthy was previously SVP of Commercial Real Estate and C&I Lending at Revere Bank, making it the most directly comparable peer in product, geography, and segment focus.
• Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Company: Virginia-based community bank with deep Northern Virginia branch presence serving businesses and consumers. Closely comparable in terms of regional DMV footprint, commercial deposit and lending emphasis, and community-bank scale.
• EagleBank (or its holding company Eagle Bancorp): Largest locally headquartered community bank in the DC metropolitan area focused on commercial lending, treasury management, and business banking. Serves the same professional services, real estate, and SMB segments in DC/MD/VA and is the natural scale-up comparable for Founders Bank's strategy.
• MainStreet Bank: Northern Virginia-headquartered community commercial bank with comparable branch footprint in the DMV region. Serves similar small business and professional services segments with relationship-driven banking model.
• Sandy Spring Bank (now part of Atlantic Union Bankshares): Maryland-headquartered community commercial bank serving businesses, nonprofits, and professionals with comparable commercial lending, treasury management, and personal banking products. Overlapping geographic footprint in DC suburbs makes it a directly comparable DMV competitor.
• John Marshall Bank: Northern Virginia community bank focused on commercial and small business banking with treasury management and CRE lending. Same core product set, geography, and target SMB segment as Founders Bank.
• Chain Bridge Bank: DC-chartered community bank serving businesses and nonprofits in the Washington metropolitan area. Directly comparable by charter jurisdiction, product mix including commercial deposits and title/escrow capabilities, and SMB/nonprofit focus.
• Village Bank: Virginia-based community commercial bank where incoming CFO Donnie Kaloski previously served as EVP, CFO, and Chief Risk Officer. Comparable in regional footprint, business banking model, and SMB/commercial segment focus.

Emerging players

• nkbc Bank: Digital-forward community bank focused on small business and consumer banking. Comparable as a smaller-balance-sheet challenger that has scaled via a modern digital stack, but operates nationally rather than in the DMV region.

Broad incumbents

• Capital One Bank: Virginia-headquartered super-regional bank that dominates the DMV small business and consumer banking market with full consumer, commercial, and digital banking capabilities. Serves as the scale competitor that Founders Bank is differentiated away from via relationship banking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundersbank

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Founders Bank