If a cat had a thousand lives, we would name it Plaid — in recognition of the fintech startup giant that moves forward relentlessly, regardless of obstacles along the way. Case in point: When the Department of Justice scuttled a $5 billion acquisition deal with Visa, Plaid barely blinked.

Instead, it continued its quest to make open banking a reality by releasing new features and raising more money. It’s been an impressive performance, considering the challenges presented by the macro-environment — from which Plaid was entirely not immune.

These are just a few reasons why we’re excited that Zach Perret, Plaid’s co-founder and CEO, will join us for the aptly named session “Plaid’s Zach Perret Opens Up on Open Banking.” You’ll find it on the Fintech Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, which takes place September 19–21 in San Francisco.

We look forward to hearing Perret’s take on the current state and overall future of open banking. We’re also interested in how he, and the company, regrouped after the Visa deal fell through. What did it take to focus and forge ahead?

Plaid has been gradually expanding its offerings over the years — including adding income verification services, facilitating payments and tackling fraud. We wonder whether Perret ever worries about the company trying to do too much at once.

We’ll also ask what’s ahead for Plaid, and, without a doubt, more questions will pop up between now and September. Join us for what’s sure to be an interesting, insightful session.

Zach Perret: Plaid co-founder and CEO

When Zach Perret realized how difficult it was to build a personal finance application, he co-founded Plaid in 2013. The tech platform gives developers easy and secure access to a financial data network capable of powering any digital financial service.

Prior to founding Plaid, Perret was a consultant for Bain and graduated with degrees in physics and chemistry from Duke University.

Hear more conversations with leading experts on the Fintech Stage, which features topics like DeFi, challenger banks, blockchain, NFTs and web3. It’s just one of the six new stages for six breakthrough sectors at Disrupt. Buy your pass today!

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