GildaNolan0093: starting first stub initial version

2026-04-08T07:41:55Z

starting first stub initial version

New page

{{Short description|Indian small finance bank}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Slice Small Finance Bank
| logo = File:Slice Small Finance Bank.png
| logo_size = 160px
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| industry = [[Small finance bank]] [[Financial technology]]
| founded = {{start date and age|2016|1}}
| predecessors = Slice North East Small Finance Bank
| founder = Rajan Bajaj<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mishra |first1=Digbijay |title=Slice Bank in talks to raise $250 million to expand its digital banking operations |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/startups/slice-bank-in-talks-to-raise-250-million-to-expand-its-digital-banking-operations/articleshow/117583329.cms |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Economic Times]] |date=27 January 2025}}</ref>
| hq_location_city = [[Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]] (corporate) [[Guwahati]], [[Assam]], [[India]] (registered)
| area_served = India
| key_people = {{plainlist|
* Rajan Bajaj ([[Managing director|MD]] & [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])<ref>{{cite news |title=Rajan Bajaj appointed Slice SFB's new CEO and MD |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/rajan-bajaj-appointed-slice-sfbs-new-ceo-and-md/articleshow/128423312.cms |access-date=27 February 2026 |work=The Economic Times |date=16 February 2026}}</ref>
}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.slice.bank.in}}
}}
'''Slice Small Finance Bank''' ([[doing business as]] '''slice''')<ref>{{cite news |last1=Verma |first1=Mansi |title=After years of burn, Slice looks to turn profitable in FY26 |url=https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/slice-north-east-small-finance-bank-digital-bank-slice-fintech-slice-bank-merger-11751126369921.html |access-date=15 November 2025 |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=29 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Vardhan |first1=Gyan |title=Slice rolls out UPI credit card and opens UPI-powered bank branch in Bengaluru |url=https://entrackr.com/snippets/slice-rolls-out-upi-credit-card-and-opens-upi-powered-bank-branch-in-bengaluru-9445022 |access-date=15 November 2025 |work=Entrackr |date=28 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref> is an Indian [[small finance bank]] based in [[Bengaluru]]. It was formed as a result of the merger between [[fintech]] company Slice and North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Karthik |first1=Hamsini |title=slice-North East SFB merger — an unusual marriage |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/specials/current-account/slice-north-east-sfb-merger-an-unusual-marriage/article67393740.ece |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Hindu Business Line]] |date=8 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
===Slice===

Slice was founded in January 2016 as SlicePay, a fintech company offering [[buy now, pay later]] and [[Line of credit|credit lines]] for students and young professionals.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bhakta |first1=Pratik |title=High risk, high reward: Slice’s bet in millennial credit space |url=https://the-captable.com/2021/12/high-risk-high-reward-unicorn-slice-bet-in-millennial-credit-card-2/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=The CapTable |date=1 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sanghvi |first1=Disha |title=Easy credit can derail students’ money lives |url=https://www.livemint.com/money/personal-finance/easy-credit-can-derail-students-money-lives-1567012149711.html |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=28 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Abrar |first1=Peerzada |title=Slice, credit provider for young professionals, eyes $1 bn gross transactions |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/slice-loan-provider-for-young-professionals-eyes-1-bn-gross-transactions-121052400542_1.html |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Business Standard]] |date=24 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref> In January 2019, the company received a [[non-banking financial company]] (NBFC) license from the [[Reserve Bank of India]] (RBI).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tripathi |first1=Dhirendra |title=Student microfinancing start-up SlicePay gets RBI licence for NBFC play |url=https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/student-microfinancing-start-up-slicepay-gets-rbi-licence-for-nbfc-play-1548405211531.html |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=25 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Later that year, Slice launched its prepaid card in partnership with [[Visa Inc.|Visa]] and [[SBM Bank India]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Rajiv |title=Fintech, Slice: Slam Dunk: Can Rajan Bajaj grab a big slice of the fintech pie? |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/slam-dunk-can-rajan-bajaj-grab-a-big-slice-of-the-fintech-pie/71915/1 |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Forbes|Forbes India]] |date=1 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In November 2021, Slice became a [[unicorn (finance)|unicorn company]], after raising about $220 million.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Saritha |title=Tiger Global Helps Make Credit-Card Startup Newest India Unicorn |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-28/tiger-global-helps-make-credit-card-startup-newest-india-unicorn |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=28 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref> By mid-2022, it was reportedly issuing over 300,000 prepaid cards per month,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Noronha |first1=Gaurav |title=Once invincible, Slice finds itself trapped between banks, regulators, and products |url=https://the-ken.com/story/once-invincible-slice-finds-itself-trapped-between-banks-regulators-and-products/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Ken]] |date=24 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Malik |first1=Bismah |title=Slice's Existential Threat — Can Fintech Unicorn's Shaky Business Model Survive RBI's PPI Notification? |url=https://inc42.com/features/slices-existential-threat-can-fintech-unicorns-shaky-business-model-survive-rbis-ppi-notification/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=Inc42 Media |date=14 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref> having positioned itself as a credit card [[Challenger bank|challenger]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nair |first1=Vishwanath |title=How Slice Scored A Bank License From RBI |url=https://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/how-slice-scored-a-bank-license-from-rbi |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[NDTV]] |date=11 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kalra |first1=Jaspreet |title=Lending is easy for Slice, making money isn’t |url=https://the-ken.com/story/lending-is-easy-for-slice-making-money-isnt/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Ken]] |date=25 January 2022}}</ref> However, after the RBI's June 2022 directive barring NBFC companies from issuing credit lines on prepaid payment instruments, the company discontinued prepaid cards to comply with the new norms.<ref>{{cite news |title=Slice pivots to real-time term loans after new RBI guidelines |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/slice-pivots-to-real-time-term-loans-after-new-rbi-guidelines/article65661619.ece |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Hindu Business Line]] |date=20 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Panchal |first1=Salil |title=The Slice-NE SFB merger shakes up banking landscape |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/the-slicene-sfb-merger-shakes-up-banking-landscape/88819/1 |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Forbes|Forbes India]] |date=10 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

===NESFB merger===
North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) was established in July 2016, and was one of the [[Small finance bank#History|10 financial institutions]] to be granted a small finance bank license by the RBI in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=North East Small Finance Bank Limited |url=https://www.crisil.com/mnt/winshare/Ratings/RatingList/RatingDocs/NorthEastSmallFinanceBankLimited_October%2013,%202023_RR_329715.html |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[CRISIL]] |date=13 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Agrawal |first1=Amol |title=RBI should allow large and profitable fintechs to become small finance banks |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/opinion/rbi-should-allow-large-and-profitable-fintechs-to-become-small-finance-banks-11583611.html |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Moneycontrol]] |date=23 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Vardhan |first1=Gyan |title=Slice merger with NESFB comes with a cost: Legacy NPAs worth Rs 192 crore |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/slice-merger-with-nesfb-comes-with-a-cost-legacy-npas-worth-rs-192-crore-12866998.html |access-date=14 November 2025 |work=[[Moneycontrol]] |date=15 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2023, Slice announced that it would merge with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB), marking the first instance of a fintech company merging with a bank in India.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Ritu |title=Fintech slice gets rare RBI nod to merge with North East Small Finance Bank |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/fintech-slice-gets-rare-rbi-nod-to-merge-with-north-east-small-finance-bank-17945301.htm |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[CNBC TV18]] |date=4 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Noronha |first1=Gaurav |title=Slice proves RBI can love fintechs, after all |url=https://the-ken.com/story/slice-proves-rbi-can-love-fintechs-after-all/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Ken]] |date=9 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kayastha |first1=Anshika |title=Merger of North-East SFB and slice: RBI kills two birds with one stone |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/merger-of-north-east-sfb-and-slice-rbi-kills-two-birds-with-one-stone/article67385560.ece |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Hindu Business Line]] |date=6 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dethe |first1=Amol |title=Slice gives hope to FinTechs to become banks |url=https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/editors-view/slice-gives-hope-to-fintechs-to-become-banks/104199877 |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Economic Times]] |date=6 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> The merger was completed in October 2024 after regulatory scrutiny.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Manish |title=Indian fintech Slice seals bank merger |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/27/india-fintech-slice-now-bank/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=28 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Moharkan |first1=Furquan |last2=Manikandan |first2=Ashwin |title=RBI sets a tough test for Slice-NESFB merger |url=https://themorningcontext.com/internet/rbi-sets-a-tough-test-for-slice-nesfb-merger |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=The Morning Context |date=11 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kawale |first1=Ajinkya |last2=Saha |first2=Manojit |title=A 'Slice' of lifeline: Fintech firm to infuse capital in North East SFB |url=https://www.business-standard.com/finance/news/a-slice-of-lifeline-to-ne-sfb-will-dilute-promoter-s-shareholding-123100401316_1.html |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Business Standard]] |date=4 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Sachin |title=Slice model won’t be template for future SFB licences |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/business/industry-slice-model-wont-be-template-for-future-sfb-licences-3264210/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Financial Express (India)|The Financial Express]] |date=6 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> The merged entity was renamed as Slice Small Finance Bank in May 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Banthia |first1=Jyoti |title=slice Small Finance Bank Limited (slice SFB) emerges as India’s first fintech bank post merger with NESFB, focusing on expansion |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/slice-to-rebrand-as-slice-small-finance-bank-plans-expansion/article69146830.ece |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[The Hindu Business Line]] |date=27 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dubey |first1=Navneet |title=North East Small Finance Bank renamed to slice Small Finance Bank; RBI issues notification |url=https://www.fortuneindia.com/personal-finance/banking/north-east-small-finance-bank-renamed-to-slice-small-finance-bank-rbi-issuesnotification/123318 |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune India]] |date=21 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==Funding==
As of December 2024, Slice has raised $387 million in funding across multiple rounds from investors such as [[Tiger Global]], [[Insight Partners]], and [[Blume Ventures]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The 51 most disruptive startups of 2024 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/13/the-51-most-disruptive-startups-of-2024/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=13 December 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Banks}}
* [[Neobank]]
* [[Banking in India]]
* [[List of banks in India]]
* [[Indian Financial System Code]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Banking in India}}

[[Category:Small finance banks]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 2016]]
[[Category:Banks established in 2016]]
[[Category:Private sector banks in India]]
[[Category:2016 establishments in Karnataka]]
[[Category:Banks based in Karnataka]]

Slice Small Finance Bank - Revision history

GildaNolan0093: starting first stub initial version