Skip to main content
UnicornBurnBETA
Evaluate a dealFeaturesMethodologyPricing
// sign inStart free →
Evaluate a dealFeaturesMethodologyPricing// sign inStart free trial →

// PLATFORM

FeaturesEvaluate a dealMethodologyPricingAPI

// COMPANY

AboutChangelogSecurityContact

// EXPLORE

AutopsiesRankingsInvestorsShare your story
© 2026 UnicornBurn
PrivacyTermsData RightsAccessibility
← All autopsies·UK·Fintech
// startup autopsy

Loot

The student neobank. Ran out of money before students could bank on it.

runway zero
Founded2014
Closed2019
CountryUK
SectorFintech
Raised£7M
FounderOllie Purdue

// the model, blind

Evaluating only Loot’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Competition as the #1 likely cause. Documented cause: Ran out of cash.

Full Analysis

Free · no account needed

Documented cause

Loot targeted UK university students with a prepaid card and budgeting app. After raising £7M it struggled to achieve sustainable unit economics while competing against better-funded Monzo and Revolut. Unable to raise a Series A in 2019, Loot entered administration in February 2019 with 150,000 accounts.

Lesson

“A sub-segment (students) within a market already being disrupted by better-funded competitors requires closing the funding gap before the big players dominate distribution.”

FAQ

Why did Loot Bank fail?

Loot failed because it could not achieve sustainable unit economics in the UK student neobank market while competing against better-funded Monzo and Revolut. Unable to raise a Series A in 2019, it entered administration with 150,000 accounts.

// MORE FINTECH FAILURES
Wirecard
Fintech
compare →
Silicon Valley Bank
Fintech
Sudden Collapse
compare →
LendingClub (2016 crisis)
Fintech
compare →
Wealthfront (acquisition collapse)
Fintech
compare →
// engine intelligence on Loot
Tier 1 · instant unlock🔒 free account
Loading engine analysis…
Tier 2 · the productAnalyst · €149/mo

What you see retrospectively on Loot, applied predictively to your companies:

  • →Cross-reference this pattern against your live portfolio
  • →Alerts when a company you track starts matching this profile
  • →Export the IC-ready risk brief (PDF)
See Analyst plan →Evaluate a deal →

5,032 documented autopsies · 85.9% Top-3 cause match. How we measure accuracy →

← PrevGreensill CapitalFintechNext →Thomas CookEcommerce
XLinkedInClaim this autopsy·Report error
¿Te ha sido útil?