N26 founder Valentin Stalf withdraws from the operational business

Berlin-based neobank N26 is about to undergo a major management change. Valentin Stalf, who founded the company together with Maximilian Tayenthal in 2013, is leaving the operational management and moving to the Supervisory Board after a transition phase. Tayenthal will remain in his current role as CEO of the N26 Group and bank. Together, the two founders will continue to hold just under 20 percent of the shares.

My move to the Supervisory Board is a strategic decision to continue to use my many years of experience and knowledge in the best possible way and to strengthen N26.

Valentin Stalf, founder and co-CEO of N26

Criticism from BaFin and pressure from investors

The move comes at a time when N26 is increasingly in the public eye. In recent months, there have been repeated critical media reports about the company. In particular, the renewed criticism of the financial supervisory authority BaFin in the course of a special audit had caused unrest and, according to media reports, triggered tensions between the founding duo and important investors. Stalf's move to the Supervisory Board is intended to strengthen the company's governance and stabilize its strategic direction in the long term.

We look forward to continuing to work closely with Valentin in his important new role as a member of N26's Supervisory Board to shape the future of the company together.

Christian Nagel, Partner of the investment company Earlybird

Strengthening the Supervisory Board and Management Board

In addition to the existing Supervisory Board around Chairman Marcus W. Mosen, Deborah Carlson-Burkart, Peter Kleinschmidt and Jörg Gerbig are already members of the board. The Supervisory Board is to be expanded in the coming months. At the same time, N26 is also strengthening its Management Board: Jochen Klöpper will take on the role of Chief Risk Officer from December 2025.

I got to know Valentin in 2013 as a pioneer of mobile banking. I have great respect for his entrepreneurial vision and achievements.

Marcus W. Mosen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board N26

Trading and new products

N26's trading offering is making a significant contribution to growth. The trading volume has increased more than sevenfold compared to the previous year and is expected to exceed the four billion euro mark by the end of the year. In addition to share and ETF trading, the bank also offers overnight money products, savings plans and investments in cryptocurrencies. A new addition is a mobile phone service for Germany and international travel, which is in high demand among customers. N26 is also working on further product innovations such as a digital family account, increased use of AI and the new premium account N26 ICON.

With Valentin Stalf's move to the Supervisory Board, N26 is sending a signal for the next development phase. The founder will remain closely associated with the company, contribute his knowledge at a strategic level in the future and remain one of the largest shareholders.