We invest in the banktech companies community banks will actually use.
The Perch Fund backs founders solving real problems for community banks, powered by industry expertise and a trusted network.
Portfolio
Early-stage banktech
Tools, infrastructure, and data platforms that serve community banks.
Bank-ready teams
Founders who understand community banking and build with real operational, compliance, and integration constraints in mind.
Real adoption
Solutions that can be rolled out across community banks, not just demoed to them.
We focus on:
Our goal isn’t to hunt unicorns. It’s to back companies that can quietly multiply in value by becoming essential to the community banking ecosystem.
Our Thesis
Community banks remain the backbone of local economies, but their technology options are antiquated, slow-moving, and often built by people who don’t understand how banks actually operate. The fintechs that will win here aren’t chasing headlines, they’re solving real problems for real banks.
Meet the Team
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Christian Ruppe
STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Christian is the Chief Innovation Officer at Colony Bank and a former fintech founder (Monotto, acquired). He’s spent the last decade at the intersection of community banks and fintech, evaluating vendors, building partnerships, and implementing real-world solutions. Christian brings the “little bird” advantage: trusted relationships and signals from across the banktech ecosystem.
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Zack Forbes
GENERAL PARTNER
Zack is the founder of impactFI Advisors and a long-time advocate for community bank focused innovation. He leads investment strategy and SPV management for The Perch Fund, bringing a track record of working with banks and banktech partners to deliver practical, scalable solutions.
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