What stage does Bankwell Financial Group invest at?

Bankwell Financial Group invests at the Seed stage.

Bankwell Financial Group

Venture debt

Seed · 16 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Bankwell is a commercial bank with over $3 billion in assets, serving business owners and individuals with the stability of a well-capitalized institution and personalized, client-centric service.

Source: firm website, verified Oct 2, 2026.

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Stage

Seed

Instruments

Debt

Team · 16 people

from the firm's website & public directories

Anahaita Kotval· Director· White Plains, NY

Board member; Chief Executive Officer of Lifting Up Westchester.

Blake S. Drexler· Chairman· Rowayton, CT

Chairman of the board; Portfolio Manager at Mariner Capital.

Carl M. Porto· Director· Hamden, CT

Board member; Principal at Parrett, Porto, Parese, & Colwell, P.C.

Christine A. Chivily· Executive Vice President & Chief Credit Officer

EVP and Chief Credit Officer with over 35 years of banking and real estate finance experience, including roles as Risk Manager at People's United Bank and Director of Freddie Mac's New England region. Joined Bankwell in 2014; holds a BA from Mt. Holyoke College.

Christopher Gruseke· Chief Executive Officer

CEO of Bankwell Financial Group with over 25 years of finance experience; previously a Managing Director at CRT Capital and Co-COO at Greenwich Capital Markets. Joined Bankwell in 2015; holds a B.A. from Williams College and an M.S. from NYU Stern.

Courtney E. Sacchetti· Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

EVP and CFO who began her career in GE Capital's Financial Management Program and brings over 18 years of finance and regulatory experience. Joined Bankwell in 2017 and was promoted to CFO in 2023; holds a B.A. and MBA from Union College.

Darryl Demos· Director· Duxbury, MA

Board member; banking consultant.

Eric J. Dale· Director· Westport, CT

Board member; General Counsel and Head of Real Estate Transactions at RealTruck, Inc.

Jeffrey R. Dunne· Vice Chairman· Southport, CT

Vice Chairman of the board; associated with CBRE.

Kevin D. Leitão· Director· New Canaan, CT

Board member associated with Leitão Law.

Lawrence Seidman· Director· Parsippany, NJ

Board member; Manager at Seidman and Associates, LLC.

Matthew McNeill· President & Chief Banking Officer

President and Chief Banking Officer with over 20 years of commercial banking experience, with prior roles at HSBC, Santander and Metropolitan Commercial Bank. Joined Bankwell in 2020.

Ryan Hildebrand· Executive Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer

EVP and Chief Innovation Officer with experience in financial innovation; co-founded business banking startup Seed (acquired by Cross River Bank in 2019) and held roles at Lincoln Savings Bank and Simple. Joined Bankwell in 2023; holds a B.A. from Oregon State University.

Steven Brunner· Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer

EVP and Chief Risk Officer with extensive compliance and risk management experience; previously Global Head of Financial Crimes at Wex, Inc. and held roles at Sterling National Bank. Joined Bankwell in 2022; holds a B.S. from Utica University.

Todd Lampert· Director· New Canaan, CT

Board member; Managing Member at Lampert, Toohey & Rucci, LLC.

Brian Merritt· CTO· San Franciscoin 𝕏

Brian Merritt is CTO of Bankwell Financial Group and is involved with Cross River Digital Ventures, the investment arm of fintech banking leader Cross River, where he helps portfolio founders access the firm's network and build strategic relationships.

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Bankwell Financial Group invest at?: Bankwell Financial Group invests at the Seed stage.

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