Primary Job Title Co-founder and CEO Primary Organization Upgrade
Location San Francisco, California, United States Regions San Francisco Bay Area, West Coast, Western US Gender Male
Investor Type Investor Stage
Website www.renaudlaplanche.com Facebook View on Facebook LinkedIn View on LinkedIn X (Twitter) View on X
Renaud Laplanche is a French-born entrepreneur based in San Francisco. Originally educated in France, he earned an MBA from HEC and London Business School and a law degree from Montpellier University before moving into the world of tech and finance in the United States. He first rose to prominence as the founder and CEO of LendingClub in 2006, one
of the pioneers of peer-to-peer lending. LendingClub went public in 2014 in one of the largest tech IPOs of that year. Laplanche departed LendingClub in 2016, and founded Upgrade Inc. in 2017. With Upgrade, Laplanche shifted how consumers interact with credit, positioning the company as a bridge between traditional banking and modern fintech, with a focus on transparency and responsible borrowing tools. Laplanche holds the Newport-Bermuda sailing record, with the only crossing ever achieved under 24 hours.
