Amy O'Brien

Checkout.com is facing its second round of executive departures this year and laying off around 80 employees, after making a series of “layoffs by stealth” earlier in 2023. In the last month, four senior executives at the payments unicorn have left the company, according to people familiar with the moves. Two of these executives were members of the C-suite. So far, just one of the four executives departing has been replaced.

Berlin-based neobroker Trade Republic has been granted a full banking licence from the European Central Bank. The new licence means the fintech can hold customer deposits and also create a lending business. Previously, the fintech worked with banking partners Solaris AE, Deutsche Bank AG, JP Morgan SE and Citibank Europe plc to handle customer funds, according to its website.

Revolut has seen more former employees go on to found new startups of their own than any other private European tech unicorn. The British neobank has overtaken Berlin rival N26 and other fintech heavyweights like Klarna and Wise in 2023, when ranked by the number of alumni employees that have launched their own new companies.