Spade

High-Level Overview

Spade is a fintech startup founded in 2021 that provides an enriched transaction data API designed to empower financial institutions, particularly card issuers, with superior, real-time merchant data. Its product enhances the standard transaction information by adding detailed merchant identification, geolocation, and categorization, enabling clients to authorize more transactions, reduce fraud, and build better banking infrastructure. Spade serves fintech companies and aims to expand to large U.S. banks, helping them make more informed payment decisions and improve fraud detection by over 15%. The company is growing rapidly, with plans to scale its team and customer base significantly[1][2][4].

Origin Story

Spade was co-founded by Oban MacTavish (CEO), Tess Bloch, and Cooper Hart in 2021. MacTavish previously co-founded Hubly, a SaaS platform for independent RIAs. The idea emerged from the need to improve the quality and speed of transaction data available to card issuers, which traditionally rely on incomplete and inaccurate merchant information. Early traction came from fintech clients like Mercury, Sardine, Ramp, and Unit, validating the product’s value in fraud detection and transaction authorization. The company has raised $16.1 million in venture capital, including investments from Andreessen Horowitz and Flourish Ventures, supporting its growth and product development[1][2][4].

Core Differentiators

• Product Differentiators: Spade offers real-time enrichment of transaction data by linking transactions to verified merchant identities, categories, and geolocations, providing clarity beyond standard card network data.
• Speed and Accuracy: The startup emphasizes rapid data delivery to card issuers, faster than competitors, which is critical for real-time fraud detection and authorization.
• Data Partnerships: Spade leverages partnerships, such as with SafeGraph, to access millions of points of interest (POI) and merchant data, enabling broad and accurate coverage without costly in-house scraping.
• Developer Experience: The API is designed to integrate seamlessly with fintech infrastructure, empowering customers to build tailored financial products and improve user insights.
• Community and Ecosystem: Spade’s early clients include notable fintech firms, and it is expanding its reach to larger banks, positioning itself as a key player in the fintech data ecosystem[1][2][3][4].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Spade rides the growing trend of fintech infrastructure modernization, addressing the critical need for better transaction data to combat rising credit card fraud and improve payment authorization. The timing is favorable as banks and fintechs face increasing pressure to reduce fraud losses and enhance customer experience. By enriching transaction data with accurate merchant details and geolocation, Spade helps transform an outdated card data infrastructure, enabling more precise underwriting, fraud detection, and personalized financial services. This innovation supports broader market forces pushing for transparency, security, and smarter financial products in the payments industry[1][3][4].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Spade is poised to expand beyond its current fintech client base into major U.S. banks and potentially international markets. Its growth will be shaped by ongoing trends in fraud sophistication, regulatory demands for transparency, and the increasing importance of real-time data in financial services. As Spade scales its team and technology, it could become a foundational layer in the payments ecosystem, driving new product innovations and helping financial institutions reduce fraud and increase transaction approval rates. The company’s mission to overhaul credit card transaction data infrastructure aligns with a broader fintech evolution toward enriched, actionable data at the point of transaction[1][4].