Analysis · Financial Services

Better fund shares neobank microtrend story

By Startup Enthusiast · 7 September 2026

What they do

Better Fund identifies early microtrends and backs multiple companies before they become obvious

It invested in several Indian neobanks starting 2018/19, including one for Gen Z, NRIs, and SMBs

Slice broke through by acquiring a bank and became a top credit card issuer within a year

Better Fund's first microtrend was neobanks in India, starting in 2018/19.
The fund identifies microtrends early, builds conviction, and backs multiple companies before the trend becomes obvious.
Founder Vaibhav Domkundwar was convinced by the memory of Simple, a late-2000s digital bank for small businesses.
By 2018/19, India had a smartphone-first, data-connected, UPI-led population ready for modern banking.
Better Fund invested in several neobanks: one for Gen Z, one for NRIs, one for SMBs, and more.
The hardest constraint for neobanks in India is getting a banking license, forcing dependence on bank partnerships.
Without a license, delivering a true full-stack customer experience was hard; dependencies caused delays.
Slice broke through by acquiring a bank and becoming a full-stack neobank.

Slice became one of the top credit card issuers in India within about a year of going full-stack, ahead of many large banks.
Slice posted a PAT of around ₹46 crore in Q1FY27.
Several other neobanks from the cohort are still in play and delivered improvements in customer experience.
Vaibhav Domkundwar is excited to see how neobanks navigate the next chapter and unlock more of the vision.

Better Fund is an early-stage investment firm that identifies microtrends.
It builds conviction and backs multiple companies in a trend before it becomes obvious.
The fund's first microtrend was neobanks in India, starting in 2018/19.
It invested in several neobanks targeting different segments: Gen Z, NRIs, SMBs, and more.

Vaibhav Domkundwar is excited to see how neobanks navigate the next chapter and unlock more of the vision.