At Pentathlon Ventures, we back founders solving real, high-impact problems, especially in industries that have long been overlooked. Today, we’re proud to announce our investment in OneStack, a fintech company reimagining how India’s cooperative banks operate in the digital age.
Despite serving over 230 million people, India’s 100,000+ cooperative banks remain stuck in the past—dependent on outdated infrastructure, fragmented service providers, and manual processes. As private and public sector banks leap ahead with UPI, mobile banking, and real-time payments, cooperative banks risk being left behind.
OneStack is closing that gap. By offering an end-to-end digital stack—from UPI to core banking—OneStack is turning these legacy institutions into modern, tech-enabled banks ready to serve the next generation of customers.
Bridging the Digital Gap in Cooperative Banking
India’s cooperative banks are the financial backbone of small towns and rural Bharat. With deep community roots and decades of trust, they serve as the first (and often only) touchpoint for millions seeking basic banking services.
Yet, when it comes to technology, these banks are still operating in the past.
Unlike their private and public sector counterparts, cooperative banks have been left behind in India’s digital banking revolution. While UPI, mobile apps, and real-time payments are now standard elsewhere, many cooperative banks still rely on:
- Legacy core banking systems
- Manual ledger entries
- Disconnected service vendors
- Zero digital customer touchpoints
The result? Slower services, regulatory non-compliance, and declining customer retention.
With increasing pressure from the RBI to modernize and customers demanding digital-first experiences, these banks face a stark choice: transform or become irrelevant.
That’s where OneStack comes in.
Know all about the Cooperative movement in India, that is gathering pace everyday – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUQpA1Fc_Qs
OneStack’s Full-Stack Solution for Neo-Bharat Banks
OneStack is enabling cooperative banks to operate like modern fintechs without the cost, complexity, or long implementation cycles typically associated with digital transformation.
At its core, OneStack offers an end-to-end digital banking stack, purpose-built for the unique needs of cooperative banks. The platform includes:
- UPI enablement
- Mobile banking apps for customers
- Core banking systems (CBS)
- Soundboxes for merchant acceptance
- Modules for lending, insurance, and compliance
But what sets OneStack apart is the way it’s delivered.
Rather than overwhelming banks with a one-time overhaul, OneStack follows a layered, plug-and-play model:
- Start small with mobile banking, UPI and soundboxes to build digital rails
- Expand into CBS
- Unlock deeper value through lending and insurance modules
This approach allows partner banks to modernize at their own pace, while ensuring interoperability, compliance, and scalability from day one.Know all about it here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCDft5gVmIA
Founders with Fintech DNA and Operational Depth
Behind every category-defining company is a team that understands both the problem and the path forward. OneStack is led by two such founders: Amit Kapoor and Vishal Gupta.
- Amit Kapoor, Co-founder & CEO, brings deep fintech experience. As the co-founder of Airpay, he has spent years building payment infrastructure and navigating the complexities of banking integrations, compliance, and scale. His insider perspective on India’s financial backbone makes him uniquely suited to lead this transformation.
- Vishal Gupta, Co-founder & COO, complements the vision with strong operational chops. Having led teams at Baxter, Marico, and Nando’s India, he knows how to scale organizations, streamline execution, and manage distributed operations—a critical asset in working with decentralized banking networks across the country.
Together, they bring the ideal blend of fintech innovation and executional maturity, a rare combination in this sector.
Early Traction in a Traditionally Slow-Moving Sector
OneStack has done what few fintechs have managed to do, crack the cooperative banking market at scale.
In a short span, the company has:
- Onboarded hundreds of cooperative banks
- Enabled UPI transactions, mobile banking adoption, and core banking upgrades
- Deployed soundboxes to improve merchant acceptance and customer engagement
Partner banks are already reporting:
- Higher deposit inflows
- Increased customer retention
- Improved regulatory compliance
In a sector where transformation is often measured in years, OneStack is executing at a startup’s pace. This rare ability to move fast while respecting legacy systems is exactly what the cooperative banking ecosystem needs and what sets OneStack apart from traditional banking vendors.
A Market Ripe for Disruption, And Ready to Scale
Despite their reach and relevance, cooperative banks have been overlooked by most fintech innovators.
While large fintechs and banking software providers have focused on scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) and NBFCs, the cooperative segment remains underserved—viewed as too fragmented, too complex, or too slow.
OneStack saw it differently.
They recognized that cooperative banks need a modular, affordable, and interoperable solution that respects their constraints and accelerates their growth.
This is where OneStack stands apart:
- Built specifically for Bharat’s banking realities
- Priced for scale, not exclusivity
- Designed to plug in, not rip out
With regulatory nudges from the RBI, growing customer expectations, and a generation of banks eager to stay relevant, the timing couldn’t be better.OneStack is delivering a digital bridge to the future. Know all about it here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRacuYTbbvA
A Step-by-Step Path to Market Leadership
OneStack is engineered for scalable expansion, not just adoption.
Its go-to-market model is built on momentum: start with high-utility, low-barrier products and expand organically into deeper services.
Here’s how it plays out:
- Phase 1: Begin with UPI integration and soundboxes—simple tools that create immediate value and onboard banks with ease.
- Phase 2: Roll out mobile banking apps and core banking upgrades, driving customer engagement and operational efficiency.
- Phase 3: Introduce lending modules, insurance, and other revenue-generating services that deepen the relationship and increase lifetime value.
Each new product layer strengthens the partner bank’s ability to compete, grow, and thrive in a digital-first ecosystem.
With this playbook, OneStack is poised to become the default fintech stack for cooperative banks across India and potentially beyond, in global credit union markets facing similar challenges.
Looking Ahead
At Pentathlon Ventures, we believe in backing founders who build for the real India, those who take on hard problems, in sectors that matter, at moments that count.
OneStack is doing exactly that.
By helping cooperative banks with modern, interoperable, and affordable digital infrastructure, they’re upgrading systems, preserving trust, expanding access, and ensuring financial relevance for millions.
We’re thrilled to partner with Amit, Vishal, and the OneStack team as they rewire one of the most foundational, but underserved, parts of India’s financial system.
The future of banking is inclusive, local, and with OneStack it’s already here.
