Novus World
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
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Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Novus World (novus.world) was a London-based impact banking app that turned everyday spending into social and environmental good. Founded in 2020 by Hristian Nedyalkov, Shruti Rai, Andoni Pina Sigg, Marco Wolf, and Noah Bernet, it issued a debit card where every tap earned impact points donated to causes like meals, education, ocean cleaning, and reforestation — funded by a share of the interchange fees the bank collected. It was the first UK digital banking app certified as a B Corporation, secured FCA approval (via PayrNet/Railsbank), and launched publicly in 2022 after raising over £2.2 million in a Seedrs crowdfunding campaign that beat its £900,000 target.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
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03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded
Novus World was founded in London by five entrepreneurs to build a super app for conscious consumers.
- FCA approval and funding
Novus secured FCA regulatory approval as an electronic money agent, partnered with Railsbank and Visa, raised pre-seed capital, and launched a Seedrs crowdfunding campaign that hit its £900,000 target within an hour.
- Public launch
Novus closed its crowdfund at over £2.2 million and launched its impact banking app publicly in the UK, with an in-app marketplace of ethical brands and carbon-footprint tracking.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
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