FiRadar is an elite strategic advisory firm and accelerator. We bridge the gap between Fintech innovation and Financial Institution (FI) stability. For the few who pass our 10-point Strategic Audit, we provide the capital, the core integration expertise, and the direct line to 5,000+ C-level FI leaders to drive rapid scale.
FiRadar is led by Managing Partner Tom Penton, a Gartner veteran, alongside a collective of veteran C-level compliance, legal, and technology executives. With over two decades of trust built in the boardrooms of the nation's leading FIs, our team knows exactly what it takes to turn a "tech solution" into an "institutional standard."
Having successfully guided 8 fintech acquisitions and exits, our methodology is designed to do one thing: Maximize Valuation through Institutional Readiness.
See If You QualifyThe FiRadar methodology isn't theory — it's a repeatable playbook built from two decades of institutional deal-making. Here's what it delivers.
FiRadar's advisory team combines decades of institutional sales, regulatory mastery, and deep technology expertise — the exact disciplines that determine whether a fintech succeeds or stalls inside an FI.
Tom founded BankRadar — now evolving into FiRadar to serve the full spectrum of Financial Institutions (FIs). A former SVP of Sales at Gartner across Asia Pacific and Latin America, Tom has spent 27 years building trust in FI boardrooms. Under his leadership, FiRadar has assembled an advisory team whose collective relationships with 5,000+ C-level FI executives represent the firm's most powerful asset.
Pawneet is the CEO & Founder of PARC Solutions, a globally recognized compliance and risk advisory firm. With 25+ years across public and private sectors, she is a former CCO and Head of Financial Crimes/BSA Officer, and former SVP of AML Risk Management at The Bancorp. An ACAMS panelist and GRC World Forums speaker, Pawneet ensures every fintech FiRadar vets meets the rigorous regulatory standards that FI boards demand — from AML and KYC to FFIEC and sanctions compliance.
Minesh is FiRadar's technology authority, bringing deep hands-on expertise in Banking-as-a-Service, core system architecture, and API-driven FI integrations. Based in the Greater Chicago Area, he brings a practitioner's understanding of what it actually takes to connect a fintech to the FIS, Fiserv, and Jack Henry ecosystems — cutting through vendor claims to assess real integration timelines, security posture, and scalability inside a regulated banking environment.
Tom brings over 30 years of banking law and regulatory risk management expertise to FiRadar. Recently retired as Executive Vice President & General Counsel of The Bancorp — one of the nation's most prominent fintech-forward financial institutions — he previously served as a Partner at Lindquist & Vennum (now Ballard Spahr), where he specialized in banking law within their Financial Institutions Practice Group, and as SVP & Regulatory Counsel at Marshall BankFirst Corp. Tom guides FiRadar's fintechs and FI partners through the legal complexities of institutional partnerships, licensing, and regulatory structure.
From community credit unions to top-15 national banks — FI leaders trust FiRadar's judgment.
"I trust Tom and his recommendations. He will be transparent with me about the fintech's strengths and weaknesses."
"When a fintech makes it through FiRadar's audit process, we will absolutely review it."
"I'm smart because I know I ain't. So I surround myself with thought leaders. FiRadar is one of them."
Our AI-powered Lead Analyst will run you through the same 10-point vetting process used to identify every firm in the FiRadar portfolio. Get your Institutional Readiness Score — and see if you have what it takes to access the network, the capital, and the exits.
U.S. Bank was named Best-in-Class for the second consecutive year in Javelin Strategy & Research's 2025 Mobile and Online Banking Scorecards — scoring 70% of available points against a 42% industry median. Our AI Digital Benchmark Analyst scans your bank or credit union's website, scores your digital experience against that gold standard across 6 dimensions, and surfaces the specific fintech categories that close your gaps.
Not ready to run the full audit, or need to discuss something sensitive before sharing details live? Send us a message directly and a member of the FiRadar team will follow up.