Seis

Overview

Seis built a consumer banking app entirely in Spanish for immigrants and other Spanish speakers in the United States. Customers could open an account with an ITIN, passport, consular ID, or Social Security number, receive a Visa debit card, use more than 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs, and later apply for secured or unsecured credit. The product addressed language, documentation, and trust together instead of translating a conventional bank interface.^[1][2]

The company demonstrated striking demand. Cofounder Joshua Howland said Seis opened more than 500,000 accounts, reached $10 million in annualized revenue 16 months after launch, and received more than 100,000 five-star app reviews. Eighty percent of its early growth came through word of mouth. Founder Trevor McKendrick says customers eventually spent more than $1.3 billion on Seis cards.^[3][4]

That growth did not survive a change in the source of new customers. In January 2026, after almost five years, the founders announced that Seis would shut down because immigration patterns had changed and demand had fallen. The company spent the following months winding down with its bank partners and offered customers a path to move to fellow immigrant-banking service MAJORITY.^[3][5][6]

Founding Story

McKendrick had already built for a Spanish-speaking audience. His Spanish Bible app surpassed one million users before Salem Media acquired it in 2015. He later served as chief of staff at Lambda School. His years living in Oaxaca, Mexico, and the experiences of immigrant friends supplied the thesis for Seis. He saw people rejected by financial institutions, charged high fees, or kept outside the system by language, documentation, fear, and mistrust.^[2][7]

“They have had many negative experiences with the banking system here, whether it's because of fear, language barriers or cultural differences,” McKendrick told CNN in 2022. “They deserve their own banking and that's why we started Seis.”^[8]

McKendrick and Joshua Howland founded the company in 2021. Howland, an experienced product and mobile leader, became cofounder and president. The team made three promises in its initial pitch: operate in Spanish with native-speaking staff, open accounts without requiring an SSN, and provide education and support for the customer's specific circumstances. Seis raised $5 million before its public launch from Y Combinator, Album VC, individual fintech founders, and other investors.^[3][7]

Timeline

• 2021: McKendrick and Howland founded Seis and began building its Spanish-first account and debit-card product.^[2][3]
• 2022: The company joined Y Combinator's Winter 2022 batch, announced $5 million in funding, and publicly launched. Independent databases later reported a $15 million Series A, though the company did not publish full financing terms.^[2][7][9]
• 2023: Sixteen months after launch, Seis had reached $10 million in annualized revenue according to the founders.^[3]
• 2024–2025: Seis expanded into credit and shipped a hybrid secured-unsecured card with Lithic in 65 days.^[10]
• January 2026: The founders announced the shutdown, citing changed immigration patterns and reduced demand.^[3]
• February 2026: MAJORITY published an opt-in account-transfer process for Seis customers.^[6]

What They Built

Seis was a financial-technology company, not a chartered bank. Thread Bank supplied deposit accounts and issued debit cards; Unit supplied banking infrastructure. Lead Bank issued the Seis Silver credit card. The app owned the customer experience, onboarding, support, product packaging, and community relationship.^[1][5]

Account opening took about three minutes and accepted identity documents that many new immigrants possessed. Customers received a US account, debit card, early access to direct deposits, transfers, cash access, and Spanish support. The product presented every workflow in Spanish rather than placing Spanish service behind a phone-menu option.^[1][8]

Its later memberships bundled banking and credit. The base tier cost $6 a month or became free after $1,500 in monthly card spend. Plus cost $10, falling to $4 at the same spending threshold, and included a secured credit card. Premium cost $15.95, falling to $9.95, and added benefits such as one free cash deposit, one out-of-network ATM withdrawal, and higher cashback limits. The hybrid credit product could start secured and extend unsecured capacity to qualifying customers, creating a path into mainstream credit.^[1][10]