Augustus Becomes a Unicorn: $180 Million for Global Dollar Infrastructure

The German-American fintech company Augustus (formerly Ivy), with offices in Berlin and New York, has closed a Series B funding round of $180 million, reaching a valuation of $1 billion. The round is led by Tiger Global. Other investors include Hummingbird, QED, as well as existing investors and prominent founders from the international fintech scene, including representatives from Nubank, Ramp, Circle, and Deel.

With the fresh capital, Augustus aims to accelerate its international expansion and provide financial institutions worldwide with direct access to U.S. dollar payments.

Modern Dollar Infrastructure for Banks and FinTechs

Augustus is developing an API-based banking platform that offers international banks and fintechs direct access to U.S. dollar accounts and payment processing. Instead of involving multiple correspondent banks or intermediaries, financial institutions can access the U.S. dollar infrastructure directly through Augustus.

The platform supports, among other things, SWIFT, ACH, SEPA, and transactions with stablecoins. At its heart is Marble, a proprietary core banking platform that uses artificial intelligence to automate settlement processes and enables virtually round-the-clock availability of the banking infrastructure.

Own Banking License as a Strategic Advantage

A major milestone for Augustus was the provisional approval for a national U.S. banking license granted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in May 2026. This makes Augustus one of the few technology companies permitted to establish a federally regulated bank in the U.S.

Through this infrastructure, the company can offer international financial institutions direct access to the U.S. dollar and differentiate itself from traditional correspondent banks and middleware providers.

International Growth Markets

Augustus’s key target markets include Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In these regions, demand for a modern, programmable dollar infrastructure is growing steadily, particularly among digital banks and fintechs.

With its combination of its own banking license, modern software, and AI-powered automation, Augustus is positioning itself as an infrastructure provider for next-generation cross-border payments.

German-American FinTech Valued at Billions

With this latest funding round, Augustus has joined the ranks of the “unicorns” and is now among the most valuable German-American fintech companies. The funding underscores investors’ confidence in the approach of replacing traditional banking infrastructure with technology-driven solutions and providing international financial institutions with direct access to the global dollar system.