Vram Ismailyan and Kevin Miyamoto, veterans of Wells Fargo’s payments division, have joined forces to tackle a persistent challenge in commercial banking: outdated and fragmented technology systems that impede productivity. Their startup, Identifee, aims to unify disparate banking tools into a single, streamlined platform tailored specifically for commercial bankers.
Identifying a Critical Gap in Banking Technology
With nearly 14 years at Wells Fargo, Ismailyan experienced firsthand the inefficiencies caused by legacy systems. Preparing for client meetings required navigating 10 to 15 different platforms and manually compiling data into presentations, consuming five to ten hours per week. Similarly, Miyamoto managed an extensive portfolio of $900 billion in annual client payments using Excel spreadsheets instead of a dedicated CRM, highlighting the lack of suitable tools even at top-tier banks.
“If you want to pull any information on your customer, you might have to log in to 10 separate systems, download the data that’s all different into Excel, to then start to do analysis. It takes forever.” — Kevin Miyamoto, Co-founder of Identifee
Founded in 2021, Identifee consolidates multiple banking functions—such as CRM, business intelligence, and sales enablement—into a modular platform. Clients can select individual tools or adopt the full suite, eliminating the need to juggle multiple third-party applications like Salesforce, Seismic, Power BI, and Tableau. The platform also incorporates AI capabilities, including an intelligent agent that automates the completion of request for proposal (RFP) forms while adhering to each bank’s compliance and risk standards. This integration addresses a significant market need, particularly for smaller financial institutions where technology fragmentation is even more pronounced.
Rapid Client Growth and Industry Validation
Identifee has secured over 170 clients across the commercial banking and credit union sectors, including prominent names such as Silicon Valley Bank, First Fidelity Bank, and Comerica. The U.S. market for these institutions exceeds 8,800 entities, representing substantial growth potential. The startup recently raised $5 million in seed funding from investors like Ocean Azul Partners, 10X Capital, and Gaingels, fueling further development and market expansion.
Addressing a Neglected Segment in Fintech
Despite widespread awareness of banking technology inefficiencies, Ismailyan and Miyamoto note that few startups focus on commercial banking. Their insider experience and direct understanding of the problem differentiate Identifee in a crowded fintech landscape.
“There are tons of people familiar with [this problem], but those people don’t start companies like Vram and I did.” — Kevin Miyamoto, Co-founder of Identifee
FinOracleAI — Market View
Identifee targets a critical pain point in commercial banking by consolidating multiple legacy systems into a single, AI-enabled platform. The founding team’s deep industry experience lends credibility and insight, positioning the company well for sustained growth.
- Opportunities: Large addressable market exceeding 8,800 U.S. commercial banks and credit unions; growing demand for streamlined, compliance-centric productivity tools; potential for AI-driven automation to reduce operational costs.
- Risks: Competition from established CRM and BI vendors expanding into banking; challenges in integrating with diverse legacy systems; customer adoption barriers in traditionally conservative institutions.
Impact: Identifee’s innovative approach could significantly enhance operational efficiency across commercial banking, offering a compelling value proposition that may drive widespread industry adoption and reshape banking technology standards.
