LendingClub made a splashy debut Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange, pricing above the range at $15, then taking off like a rocket in early trading—at one point climbing 67 percent higher than the initial offering price.
LendingClub now has a market valuation of $9 billion, making it the 14th-biggest bank in America, and considerably larger than City National, Zions or Comerica.
Appearing Thursday on "Squawk on the Street," LendingClub CEO Renaud Laplanche spoke about the opportunities that lie ahead for the peer-to-peer platform.
"What we focus on is really building the company for the next decade. We think we have the opportunity to transform the entire banking system, making it more transparent, more cost efficient, more consumer friendly."
Thursday on CNBC's "Power Lunch," two early investors spoke about the IPO and why they believe the company is reinventing the banking system.
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Entrepreneuer Liron Petrushka was the one of the first angel investors in the company.
"I crossed paths with Laplanche back in 2007 and wanted to back him right away," Petrushka said.
"The consumer credit market has huge potential—trillions and trillions of dollars—and I wanted to ride that winner. LendingClub's model does not need bank branches on each street corner and it can turn around in minutes and hours, not days. This Is the future," he said.
Slated CEO Stephan Paternot not only co-founded LendingClub's business plan, he's both an investor and current advisor.
"The team has executed brilliantly since Day One," Paternot said. "Their revenue model is very stable and predictable and doesn't suffer from volatility and seasonality compared to most Internet business models out there. They are still scratching the surface of the loan market."
So why not stay private and avoid the hassle of being a public company? Petrushka said tapping the public markets is a no-brainer. "It helps build a brand, compete with financial players and become a dominant player in the marketplace. Sure it's a pain in the neck, but ultimately worth it"
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As for potential regulatory roadblocks, Paternot notes the entire banking sector is becoming more transparent, frictionless and cost efficient.
"LendingClub is a boringly predictable business and that is a wonderful thing. So yeah, I'm long."