Matters, a Stockholm-headquartered personal finance platform built around artificial intelligence, has come out of stealth after securing $5m in pre-seed capital to develop a consumer bank that rewards customers rather than profiting from their financial missteps.
Swedish angel investor Jakob Johansson anchored the round. He was joined by a group of fellow angels including Knut Frängsmyr, who previously served as chief operating officer at Klarna, Voi co-founder Douglas Stark, Röko CEO Johan Bladh, Validio CEO Patrik Tran and Evoke CEO Per Widerstrom.
The startup is headed by Per Österström, who previously built Sambla Group into the largest consumer loan broker in the Nordics. Under his leadership, that business grew to more than 400 employees and generated roughly $200m in revenue before Nordic Capital acquired it in early 2021. Matters marks his second FinTech venture, created with the aim of reshaping banking through automation and intelligent technology.
Alongside the funding news, Matters has appointed Lars-Åke Norling as chair. Norling previously led Nordnet, a European savings and investment platform, as CEO. Over a period of under seven years in that role, Nordnet’s market value grew tenfold to SEK 80bn. His background in regulated consumer finance is expected to support Matters as it moves into banking.
Under the Matters model, users will be charged a fixed monthly subscription for neobank services that include an AI Advisor, designed to encourage more mindful spending and help customers build savings towards their goals. Income streams that conventional banks typically keep for themselves, such as interchange and foreign exchange fees, will instead be passed back to users through an accumulated cashback mechanism. The company believes this alignment of interests will let it prioritise customer experience and grow through loyalty and retention.
The fresh capital will go towards applying for licences, expanding across the EU, enlarging the current 14-strong team, attracting more users and possibly pursuing strategic acquisitions.
Matters founder and CEO Per Österström said, “Banks earn more when consumers manage their money worse. At Matters, we’re purposely travelling in the opposite direction. Our goal is to build a bank that actively makes financial wellbeing available to anyone, not just those who already enjoy it. This angel investment allows us to enact this vision. Keep an eye out for our first consumer product we are launching in the coming weeks.”
Matters chair Lars-Åke Norling said, “I have spent my career in regulated consumer finance, deciphering when a financial product will and won’t work. I am therefore confident that Matters and Per, as a second-time founder with prerequisite knowledge of the field, will help consumers with their personal finances. I am proud to be joining as Chair and feel excited by Matters’ mission and the products we will reveal in the coming weeks and months.”
Copyright © 2026 FinTech Global
