Equity Research — Peer Group Analysis

Six Companies. One Continent. Who Wins Europe's Financial Future?

DKB, N26, Scalable Capital, Revolut, Trade Republic, and Satispay — a data-driven analysis of health, growth prospects, and strategic positioning.

DATEMarch 2026
COVERAGE6 Companies
SECTORSBanking · Brokerage · Payments
REGIONEurope (DACH Focus)
01 — Company Profiles

At a Glance

Six very different companies — from a 30-year-old state bank to an Italian payment startup. Who has the best model for the next 5 years?

DKB
Full Bank
Total Assets
€131B
Customers
5.9M
Profit H1 2025
€561M
pre-tax (segment)
Cost-to-Income
40%
↓ from 69% (2022)
N26
Neobank
Revenue 2024
€440M
+40% YoY
Active Customers
4.8M
Valuation
$6B
↓ from $9B (2021)
Profitability
Q3 2024
First quarterly profit
Revolut
Superapp
Revenue 2024
$4.0B
+72% YoY
Customers
52.5M
65M+ by Sep 2025
Net Profit 2024
$1.0B
4th consecutive year
Valuation
$75B
Nov 2025
Trade Republic
Neobroker
Revenue FY24
€272M
+52% YoY
Customers
10M
€150B AUM
Net Profit
€34.8M
3 consecutive years
Valuation
€12.5B
Dec 2025
Scalable Capital
Broker + Wealth
AUM
€20B+
1M+ customers
Est. Revenue
~€100M
Not yet profitable
Valuation
€1.5B
Series F, Jun 2025
Total Funding
$550M
BlackRock, Tencent
Satispay
Payments + Super App
Revenue 2025
€110M
+83% YoY (from ~€60M)
Users
5M+
380K merchants
Burn Reduction
-70% → -20%
Near breakeven trajectory
Meal Vouchers
50% of rev
+300% YoY, highly profitable
02 — Peer Comparison

Head-to-Head: The Hard Numbers

CompanyTypeRevenue 2024YoYProfitCustomersValuationMultipleProfitable?
RevolutSuperapp$4.0B+72%$1.0B52.5M$75B~19x✓ Since 2021
DKBFull Bank~€1.0B*Stable€561M (H1)5.9Mn.a.**n.a.✓ Long-term
N26Neobank€440M+40%€2.8M (Q3)4.8M$6B~12x⚡ From Q3 24
Trade RepublicNeobroker€272M+52%€34.8M10M€12.5B~46x✓ Since FY23
Scalable CapitalBroker+Wealth~€100M†~50%+1M+€1.5B~15x✗ Not yet
SatispayPayments+€110M+83%Burn -20%5M+~€1B~9x⚡ Near BE

* DKB NII H1 2025: €863M. ** 100% BayernLB subsidiary. † Estimates.

Revenue 2024 (€M)

Revolut
~€3,100M
DKB *
~€1,000M
N26
€440M
Trade Republic
€272M
Scalable Capital
~€100M
Satispay
€110M
03 — Strategic Positioning Matrix

Growth–Profitability Matrix

X-axis: Revenue growth rate. Y-axis: Profit margin maturity. Bubble size ≈ relative revenue. Inspired by the BCG framework but adapted for this peer group.

Profit Margin / Maturity →
Revenue Growth Rate →
Cash Cows
High profit, low growth
Stars
High profit, high growth
Dogs / Underdogs
Low profit, low growth
Question Marks
Low profit, high growth
Revolut
DKB
Trade Republic
N26
Scalable
Satispay
0%25%50%75%100%+
Reading the Matrix: Revolut is the only true Star — massive growth + strong profitability. DKB is the Cash Cow. Trade Republic is transitioning from Question Mark to Star. N26 sits at the boundary. Scalable is a classic Question Mark. Satispay is rapidly ascending — burn reduced from -70% to -20%, with 50% of revenue from a highly profitable meal voucher business, moving it toward the Star quadrant.
QuadrantCompanyWhy HereStrategic Implication
★ StarRevolut72% growth + 26% net margin + global scaleInvest to maintain dominance. IPO candidate.
🐄 Cash CowDKBHigh profitability (CIR 40%), stable low growthHarvest profits. Invest selectively in digital.
? → ★Trade Republic52% growth, early profitability, pivoting to bankingCritical transition. PFOF ban is the key test.
? BorderlineN2640% growth, barely profitable, leadership gapMust prove sustainable profitability.
? Question MarkScalable Capital~50% growth, not profitable, B2B angleB2B pivot is make-or-break.
? → ★ RisingSatispay83% growth, burn -70%→-20%, meal vouchers = 50% rev at high marginFastest improver. Trading + debit card + pensions launching = potential re-rating.
04 — Valuation & Multiples

What the Market Says

Valuation vs. Revenue

Trade Rep.
46x Revenue
Revolut
19x Revenue
Satispay
~9x Revenue
Scalable
~15x Revenue
N26
~12x Revenue

Revenue Growth YoY

Satispay
83%
Revolut
72%
Trade Rep.
52%
Scalable
~50%
N26
40%
Key Insight: Trade Republic's 46x reflects confidence in the broker→bank pivot. Revolut at 19x is cheap for 72% growth. N26 at 12x = post-hype discount. Satispay at 9x is now the cheapest in the peer group — with 83% revenue growth and burn collapsing from -70% to -20%, the market hasn't yet priced in the meal voucher profitability engine or the upcoming product launches.
05 — Deep Dives

What's Under the Hood?

Revolut — The Unstoppable
SuperappProfitable

Thesis: Clear European winner. $4B revenue, $1B profit, 72% growth, 52.5M customers. No European fintech comes close.

Revenue Mix: Card fees ($887M), Wealth/Crypto ($647M, +298%), Subs ($541M), FX, Interest ($790M). Business hit $1B annualized 2025.

Expansion: 39 countries. UK bank license (Aug 24). Mexico, Colombia, India in prep. Target: 100M in 100 countries.

Valuation
$75B
Margin
26%
Deposits
£30B
Trade Republic — Europe's Robinhood, Only Better
Broker → BankProfitable

Thesis: Hardest pivot in EU fintech: broker → savings platform. 10M customers, €150B AUM, profitable 3 years.

Key Risk: PFOF Ban (EU 2026). Must find new revenue. Banking license (ECB 2023) = game-changer. 65% first-time investors = massive LTV.

AUM
€150B
Equity
€567M
N26 — From Hype to Realism
NeobankTurnaround

What happened? Peak $9B → BaFin fines → growth cap → US/UK exit → founders leave → $6B. But: €440M (+40%), first profit, 200K+ signups/mo.

Leadership vacuum: Both founders gone. New CEO (ex-UBS) starts Apr 2026. Revenue: ~33% subs / ~33% interest / ~33% cards.

Peak → Now
$9B→$6B
Deposits
€10B+
DKB — The Silent Giant
Full BankProfitable

Anti-startup: €131B assets, Moody's Aa3, CIR 40%. Germany's #1 renewable energy lender (€12B). Upvest partnership for securities (2026).

Risk: Interest rate dependency + Germany concentration.

CIR
40%
Rating
Aa3
Scalable vs. Trade Republic
Head-to-Head

TR won consumer: 10M vs 1M customers, €150B vs €20B AUM, profitable vs not, €12.5B vs €1.5B valuation.

Scalable's edge: B2B White-Label (Barclays, ING, 200% YoY), own ETF (DWS/MSCI), ELTIF/PE access, Robo-Advisory. Both face PFOF ban.

Satispay — Italy's Secret Weapon, Now Arming Up
PaymentsNear Breakeven

Only independent payment network in this peer group (no Visa/MC). 5M+ users, 380K merchants. Now at €110M revenue (2025), with burn slashed from -70% to -20% — a dramatic trajectory improvement.

The meal voucher play is the hidden gem: 50% of revenue comes from a highly profitable B2B meal voucher/fringe benefits business that grew 300% YoY. This isn't just payments — it's a recurring, high-margin enterprise revenue stream that most observers underestimate.

Product pipeline is transformational: Trading, debit card, and pension fund products are about to launch. If executed well, this turns Satispay from a payments app into a genuine financial super app — with an independent payment rail as its moat.

At 9x revenue, Satispay is now the cheapest company in this peer group by multiple. The combination of 83% growth, rapidly improving unit economics, and a product roadmap that adds banking/investing makes this a potential re-rating candidate.

Revenue 2025
€110M
Burn Rate
-20%
Meal Vouchers
50% rev
Multiple
~9x
06 — Scenario Analysis 2028

All Six Companies: Bull / Base / Bear

For each: current position → three trajectories with valuation/profit ranges. Critically: what prerequisites must hold for each scenario to materialize?

Revolut
Current: $75B · $4B rev · $1B profit
Valuation Trajectory → 2028
NOW
$75B
BULL
$150B+
BASE
$75–100B
BEAR
$30–50B
Bull · $150B+

IPO 2026/27 at $100B+. 100M customers. US expansion. Stablecoin launch.

Prerequisites
Crypto stays buoyant; Wealth revenue sustainedUK bank drives deposits to £50B+IPO window opens favorably 2026/27No major regulatory setback in new marketsRevenue exceeds $6B by 2027
Base · $75–100B

30-40% growth continues. IPO 2028. 80M customers. 25%+ margin. UK becomes core.

Prerequisites
Revenue growth sustains 30%+ through 2028Net margin stays above 20%Core EU markets stabilize at scale
Bear · $30–50B

Crypto crash. Regulatory problems. IPO window closes. Growth to 15-20%.

Triggers
Crypto winter 2.0 (Wealth revenue -50%+)Major compliance issue in 2+ jurisdictionsGlobal tech IPO market freezes
Trade Republic
Current: €12.5B · €272M rev · €35M profit
Valuation Trajectory → 2028
NOW
€12.5B
BULL
€25–30B
BASE
€12–18B
BEAR
€5–8B
Bull · €25–30B

PFOF transition smooth. 20M customers. Loans/mortgages launch. IPO 2027 on €500M+ rev. Europe's Schwab.

Prerequisites
PFOF revenue replaced by subs + interest within 12 monthsCredit products generate €50M+ by 2028AUM exceeds €250B (equity bull market)FR/IT/ES each contribute 15%+ of customers
Base · €12–18B

PFOF ban costs 20-30% rev. Offset by interest/subs. 15M customers. Profitability dips, recovers.

Prerequisites
ECB rates stay above 2% through 2027Customer churn below 5% during transitionSavings plan stickiness maintains AUM growth
Bear · €5–8B

PFOF ban + falling rates = double hit. Bear market reduces AUM. Attrition to Revolut/N26.

Triggers
ECB rates <1.5% AND equities drop 25%+PFOF revenue gap persists beyond 18 monthsRevolut/N26 launch superior brokerage in DE
N26
Current: $6B · €440M rev · Breakeven
Valuation Trajectory → 2028
NOW
$6B
BULL
$10–15B
BASE
$5–8B
BEAR
$2–4B
Bull · $10–15B

New CEO professionalizes. 8M active. Business banking succeeds. Revenue €700M+. Credible IPO path.

Prerequisites
CEO Dargan executes smooth transition by Q3 2026Business banking: 100K+ SMEs, €100+ ARPUBaFin issues no further sanctionsNet margin exceeds 10% by 2027
Base · $5–8B

20-30% growth. Profitable but limited differentiation vs Revolut. Permanently #2-3 neobank.

Prerequisites
Revenue growth sustains 20%+ through 2028Leadership transition doesn't disrupt executionInterest income resilient despite rate cuts
Bear · $2–4B

Further BaFin issues. CEO transition fails. Rate reversal compresses NII. Down-round.

Triggers
New BaFin sanctions imposedCEO transition = 6+ month strategic driftECB rates fall below 1.5% (NII -30%+)Series F at $3-4B (down-round)
DKB
Current: Not listed · €131B assets · ~€1B/yr profit
Annual Profit Trajectory (Pre-Tax)
NOW
~€1.0B
BULL
€1.2–1.5B
BASE
€800M–1.0B
BEAR
€400–600M
Bull · €1.2–1.5B

Rates stay elevated. Upvest adds fee revenue. ESG financing accelerates. 7M+ customers.

Prerequisites
ECB rates remain above 2.5% through 2028Securities platform: 500K+ active tradersEU Green Deal sustains renewable financing demand
Base · €800M–1.0B

Gradual rate decline offset by loan growth. Securities platform launches, moderate uptake.

Prerequisites
ECB rates normalize to 2.0–2.5%No major credit losses in RE/energy portfoliosCIR stays below 45%
Bear · €400–600M

Sharp rate cuts. Real estate defaults rise. Digitalization lags. Customer growth stalls.

Triggers
ECB cuts to 1% or below (recession)German real estate downturn worsens (NPL spike)Neobanks capture DKB's younger demographics
Scalable Capital
Current: €1.5B · ~€100M rev · Not profitable
Valuation Trajectory → 2028
NOW
€1.5B
BULL
€4–6B
BASE
€2–3B
BEAR
€500M–1B
Bull · €4–6B

B2B becomes dominant EU infrastructure. 3M+ customers. Profitable. Own ETF gains €5B+ AUM. Pension products.

Prerequisites
2+ major bank partnerships (FR, ES)B2B revenue reaches 40%+ of totalPFOF replacement (subscriptions) works at scaleProfitability by H2 2027
Base · €2–3B

Steady to 2M customers. B2B diversifies. PFOF manageable. Near-breakeven by 2028.

Prerequisites
Subscription retains 70%+ active traders post-PFOFAUM grows to €40B+No major operational failure
Bear · €500M–1B

PFOF decimates revenue. TR + Revolut dominate. B2B fails. Burns cash. Forced sale or down-round.

Triggers
PFOF ban + failure to convert free→paidTR enters B2B or Revolut launches WealthMgmt for banksCash runway runs out before profitability
Satispay
Current: ~€1B val · €110M rev · Burn -20% (was -70%)
Valuation Trajectory → 2028
NOW
~€1B
BULL
€5–10B
BASE
€2–4B
BEAR
€500M–1B
Bull · €5–10B

Super app materializes: trading + debit card + pensions all gain traction. Meal vouchers scale across EU. 15M+ users. Revenue €300M+. Profitable by 2027. IPO or strategic premium.

Prerequisites
Trading + debit card launch drives 2x user engagementMeal vouchers replicated in FR/DE (€100M+ B2B rev)Pension product captures €1B+ AUM within 18 monthsInternational markets reach 30%+ of revenueBreakeven achieved by H1 2027, profitable by H2
Base · €2–4B

Meal vouchers continue compounding. Trading/card launch well but take time. Revenue €180-220M by 2028. Breakeven reached. Italy stays dominant but France grows steadily.

Prerequisites
Meal voucher margin sustains at current levels as it scalesBurn continues declining: -20% → -5% → breakevenNew products (trading, card, pensions) reach 500K+ usersItaly grows to 8M+ users; France passes 500K active
Bear · €500M–1B

New product launches underwhelm. Meal voucher growth plateaus. International expansion stalls. Still burning cash in 2028. Forced down-round or acquisition.

Triggers
Trading/card products fail to differentiate vs Revolut/TRMeal voucher market saturates in Italy; EU expansion blockedApple Pay / Google Pay capture micro-payment use casesBurn rate fails to improve below -15% by end 2027
07 — Risk Assessment

Risk Landscape

RiskRevolutTrade Rep.N26DKBScalableSatispay
Interest RateMedMedHighHighLowLow
PFOF BanLowHighLown.a.Highn.a.
RegulationMedLowHighLowMedMed
CompetitionMedMedHighMedHighMed
LeadershipLowLowHighLowLowLow
Geo ConcentrationLowMedMedHighMedHigh
08 — Verdict

Who Wins?

Power Rankings — European Fintech 2026

#1 — Clear Winner

Revolut

Scale + profitability + global expansion. Only EU fintech with realistic chance of becoming global champion.

#2 — Strongest Riser

Trade Republic

Defined EU neobroker market. Banking pivot brilliant. PFOF = key test. Highest upside if transition succeeds.

#3 — Solid Anchor

DKB

No hype, no crash. Profitable regulated bank. Limited growth upside, minimal downside risk.

#4 — Maturation

N26

Hype over — perhaps best thing for it. Decent fundamentals. CEO transition + Revolut differentiation = open questions.

#5 — Fastest Improver

Satispay

Independent payment network + meal voucher cash machine (50% of rev, 300% YoY, high margin) + imminent trading/debit card/pension launches. Burn slashed from -70% to -20%. At 9x revenue, now the cheapest multiple in the peer group. The risk/reward is asymmetric: €1B valuation with a credible path to €5B+.

#6 — Must Deliver

Scalable Capital

Strong B2B story but behind TR in consumer. Must master PFOF AND reach profitability. B2B = the joker card.

Strategic Mega-Trends

1. Convergence: Brokers → banks, banks → brokers, neobanks → brokers, payments → super apps. In 5 years, no clear category boundaries.
2. PFOF Ban 2026: EU ban reshapes brokerage. TR + Scalable must find new revenue. Subscriptions + interest = key.
3. Rate Reversal: Falling ECB rates compress interest income. DKB + N26 most exposed. Winners locked in customers to pivot to fees.
4. IPO Wave 2027/28: Revolut, TR, (maybe) N26 heading public. Sequence + valuations define EU fintech for a decade.