Curve appoints first head of Lithuania as it plots European expansion

Renata Sumskaite will help Curve deepen its presence across Europe.

Lithuania is the destination of choice for many fintechs thanks to its attractive banking landscape and all-your-cards-in-one fintech Curve has started to put down some solid foundations there.

Curve has appointed Renata Sumskaite as CEO and head of Curve Lithuania to help the fintech work on its European growth strategy from an EU-licenced base.

Prior to her new role at Curve, Sumskaite was the head of Barclays-backed fintech hub ‘Rise Vilnius’ and was also head of the Barclaycard change delivery team in Lithuania.

“Working in this environment is really inspirational, supporting and driving Curve’s deeper penetration and growing its product footprint in Europe,” the newly appointed CEO and head of Curve Lithuania, said.

“Curve’s European customers will benefit from our ability to turbo-charge the banking experience, bringing 21st-century money management to many millions, which has been crucial during these changing times.”

With her extensive background in the Lithuanian fintech scene, Sumskaite brings with her a wealth of experience to help Curve build its services and reach across the European Union.

“Lithuania is home to innovation-friendly regulation and a vibrant fintech community, including a sizable pool of engineering talent. These were a major draw for Curve, and will help maximise our growth around Europe,” Shachar Bialick, founder and CEO of Curve, added.

As it stands, Curve operates in 31 markets across the UK and European Economic Area.

Lithuania is such a popular destination for many fintechs thanks to its low corporation tax and the fact that a banking licence from its central bank tends to be cheaper than other European countries.

Earlier this year, Curve closed its most successful crowdfunding campaign yet, raising just shy of £9.9m from nearly 12,000 eager investors.

At the time, the fintech said it planned to use the fresh cash for European expansion, clearly putting its money where its mouth is with its most recent hire.