Welcome to The FinTech50 

A guide to 50 game-changing technologies across Europe who are transforming the future of finance.

As business top 50s go, this one is a little different. There is no outright winner. And businesses are not selected solely on the basis of recession-busting growth … however impressive the numbers.

The FinTech 50 is all about the qualities that makes FinTech a hot technology sector and, in our panel’s view, every business on the list has either the potential to become a game-changer or the competitive staying power to continue being one. It’s our small tribute to a hugely enterprising sector that is redefining financial services. And to the movers, shakers and downright disruptive technologies within it that will be the ones to watch in 2014.

View the 2014 list

What do we mean by FinTech?

Essentially, technology that engages with or delivers financial services.  We identified two distinct groups. The early innovators – FinTech businesses who provide software and services to financial services. And a newer, emerging category – the B2P pioneers. These companies are truly disrupting the market for lending and challenging traditional providers by taking financial services direct to the most powerful game-changer of all: the consumer.

What types of technology are included?

The full spectrum. We looked at every area of financial technology, from payments, mobile payments, trading and FX, Big Data, risk, compliance and business intelligence to consumer-focused currency exchanges and peer to peer lenders.

Size really didn’t matter

This isn’t just about scale, turnover or any other size-related criteria. Any business could make the list – emerging technologies, as well as more established businesses – providing that, in the panel’s view, they have the potential to become a game-changer.

The panel

The FinTech 50 2014 panel met face to face so that they could discuss, debate and if necessary fiercely advocate which 50 companies they wanted to see included.