In June, Fintech.ca editor-in-chief Rob Lewis engaged in an exclusive interview with Daniel Eberhard, founder and chief executive officer of KOHO.
Recently raising more than $100M at a valuation well north of $1B, Vancouver-born KOHO is one of several fintechs rising amidst an evolving landscape with potential to genuinely disrupt the status quo in Canada, which has been dominated since the country’s inception by a select few incumbents.
Envisioning a “different” kind of bank than the traditional sort, Eberhard explained to Lewis that expansion at KOHO “has always been customer-led.”
“The traditional banking model was built for someone with a stable salary, a long credit history, and a predictable financial life,” the Canadian entrepreneur noted, but today “a lot of Canadians don’t fit that profile.”
“We’ve spent over a decade building tools for people navigating real financial complexity,” Eberhard said.
For example, the company this year launched KOHO Crypto, a feature that allows Canadians to buy, hold, and manage digital assets directly within its app.
KOHO has also partnered with Interac and Payments Canada en route to becoming a full-fledged financial institution.
This week, the hardworking Eberhard was recognized by Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, which identifies “outstanding young achievers” in Canadian business since 1995, for his relentless pursuit of fintech innovation since 2014.
Other Canadians in the finance wheelhouse on this year’s list include Scotiabank’s Matthew Parker-Jones and TD Bank’s Morgan Klein-MacNeil.
“I offer my sincere congratulations to the 2026 honourees,” commented Jeff Freeborough of Caldwell.
“This year’s honourees are an impressive and inspiring group of leaders,” he said. “They are accomplished in their fields, committed to their communities, and already making a meaningful impact across Canada.”
Recipients gathered at an evening event in Toronto this month and will be further spotlighted at a Top 40 National Celebrations affair in October.
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