Fifth Third Partners with QED Investors to Advance Fintech Strategy

CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fifth Third Bancorp (Nasdaq: FITB) today announced an innovative partnership between Fifth Third Capital Holdings, LLC and leading financial technology (fintech) venture capital firm QED Investors. Under the exclusive partnership, QED Investors will advise on the continued development of Fifth Third’s strategy to leverage fintech innovation to bring new products and services to bank customers while promoting the growth of fintech companies in the U.S.

“There is an unprecedented amount of innovation emerging in all parts of the financial services ecosystem,” said Tim Spence, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Fifth Third Bancorp. “Our partnership with QED should enable us to identify new, high-potential technologies to complement our internal R&D and innovation efforts.”

This partnership, in addition to prior fintech company investments such as GreenSky, Transactis and AvidXchange, supports Fifth Third’s NorthStar strategy of enhancing its products and serving its customers more effectively through technology. By delivering products and services that its customers can count on, Fifth Third can better help those customers achieve their financial goals.

“We are incredibly excited about partnering with Fifth Third, a bank that is at the vanguard of change in the fintech space,” said Frank Rotman, Co-Founder and Partner at QED Investors. “Fifth Third is a natural partner for QED, one that embraces innovation and shares many of our views about what the future will look like in the space. We are thrilled for what this unique partnership means for the future of fintech and financial services at large.”

Fifth Third Capital and QED Investors led ApplePie Capital’s Series B capital raise in the fourth quarter of 2016. Fifth Third Capital and QED are also investors in GreenSky and AvidXchange. Fifth Third Capital continues to seek strategic investments in Fintech companies in the US market.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. As of Sept. 30, 2016, the Company had $143 billion in assets and operated 1,191 full-service Banking Centers, including 94 Bank Mart® locations, most open seven days a week, inside select grocery stores and 2,497 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third also has an 17.9% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of Sept. 30, 2016, had $314 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $27 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.”

About Fifth Third Capital

Fifth Third Capital Holdings, LLC is a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp. Fifth Third Capital seeks to invest in strategically relevant companies that support innovation across Fifth Third’s lines of business, bringing new solutions to bank customers and creating value for shareholders. Established in 2010, Fifth Third Capital has made numerous equity investments spanning the full company life cycle, from early to mature stage.

About QED Investors

QED Investors is a leading boutique venture capital firm based in Alexandria, VA. QED was co-founded by Nigel Morris, who also co-founded Capital One. They are focused on investing in early stage, disruptive financial services companies in the U.S., U.K. and Latin America. QED is dedicated to building great businesses and uses a unique, hands-on approach that leverages their partners’ and principals’ decades of entrepreneurial and operational experience, helping their companies achieve breakthrough growth. Notable investments include Credit Karma, SoFi, Avant, Remitly, Fundera and LendUp. For more information, please visit www.qedinvestors.com.

Contacts
QED
Frank Rotman, 804-445-2232
or
Fifth Third
Sean Parker (Media), 513-534-6791
Sean.parker2@53.com
or
Sameer Gokhale (Investors), 513-534-2219