BRANDON ARVANAGHI

When Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in early Mar, some panicked entrepreneurs found refuge in Brandon Arvanaghi's fledgling digital bank, Meow, which lets businesses earn interest through short-term US Treasuries. By the end of the month, the then-12-person company saw $500 million in inflows, bringing total assets under management to over $1 billion. Arvanaghi and cofounder Bryce Crawford, both of whom had worked as software engineers at cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, have since launched a high-interest business checking account, partnering with banks such as FirstBank to hold customer deposits. Like traditional banks, Meow makes money on the interest rate spread, paying a lower interest rate to depositors than it makes on loans. Founded in 2021, Meow now has more than 500 corporate customers.