Bucket

Bucket is a financial technology company. Its mobile platform enables users to pay with cash at local merchants, and receive change that goes into a digital account.

As the company says, Bucket is “Your digital piggy bank.”

Essentially, Bucket provides a way for you to digitize your loose change and make it valuable for you.

Over the past five years, 73 billion coins have been minted in the U.S. The problem is that coins are inconvenient to carry and store, often ending up in pockets, old jars, or in the trash. In fact, each year, $62 million in coins are found in landfills.

Producing coins is also bad for the environment. Pennies, for example, are made with mined zinc and copper. And according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a single zinc mine in the U.S. is the No. 1 polluter in the country.

Despite the problems associated with coins, 30% of retail transactions in the U.S. are still done in cash. Globally, that number reaches roughly 80%, meaning the majority of consumers are receiving coins and loose change with their purchases.

Here’s how Bucket’s platform works:

Consumers pay with cash at participating retailers and say “Bucket the Change” when making purchases. They’ll receive a receipt from the merchant with a special Bucket barcode attached to it.

Next, consumers scan their Bucket receipt through the Bucket the Change mobile app, and the money will be deposited into their account. When their account reaches $50, users can “cash out” by choosing a prepaid card, gift card, or a donation to one of Bucket’s charity partners.

The app is free for consumers to download, while Bucket earns 2.5% to 3.5% of each deposit.

Bucket has raised $2.5 million from investors including Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE: FIS), ranked the No. 1 Fintech company on the FinTech100 list in 2013 and 2014.

To launch its platform, Bucket is initially focusing on small- and medium-sized businesses. These include fast food restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Together, these businesses complete more than 91 trillion cash transactions annually.

In 2019, the company will launch pilot programs in California and Arkansas.

The company could potentially be an interesting acquisition target in the future...

According to a December 2018 article from Bloomberg, major banks have more than $100 billion in excess capital, and “a major appetite for technology.” At the same time, many innovative financial technology startups, or “fintech” companies, have gained traction and “are ripe for acquisition.”

By providing a valuable service, Bucket aims to be among these acquisitions.

Team Background

Daniel Kam - Co-Founder & COO

Daniel brings more than 20 years of business-to-business sales experience to Bucket.

He was previously Managing Partner for Coaching Collective, a Los Angeles-based company focused on providing career coaching services. In addition, he served in the same role for Solid Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee company.

For 15 years, he served as CEO and President of Wet Ink Printing, a print and communications company focused on the marketing industry.

Daniel earned a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Design and Planning from the University of California, San Diego.

Francis Hwang - Co-Founder & CEO

Francis has more than a decade of experience launching and managing successful businesses.

Prior to starting Bucket, he founded The Kaiju Project, a crypto-currency-related company focused on creating a secure digital wallet.

For three years, he served as Chief Scientist for Unitas Global, a software technology company. His duties included overseeing the company’s strategic plans and signing software clients.

Francis was previously responsible for customer acquisition for ESPN and Disney.

He studied at Purdue University.

Co-Investors

CCF Brands

A category management company specializing in suppling eggs to major retailers.

Fidelity National Information Services

A publicly-traded, international financial services company.