2021 saw record levels of FinTech investment, with over £7.56bn raised by UK-based FinTech companies. It’s the UK’s strongest start-up sector, with 17 unicorns and over 1600 high-growth companies according to Beauhurst.
Here are the top 10 UK-based FinTech companies:
Revolut
One of the most popular digital banks in the UK, Revolut was founded by Nikolay Storonsky and Vlad Yatensko in 2015. An $800million Series E round led by Softbank’s Vision Fund and Tiger Global valued the firm at $33bn.
Monzo
Perhaps the most recognisable banking brand in the UK, Monzo was founded by Tom Blomfield, Jason Bates, Jonas Huckestein, Gary Dolman and Paul Rippon in 2015. A $500million Series H, led by the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund, valued the firm at $4.5bn.
Oaknorth Bank
Designed for entrepreneurs, Oaknorth Bank was founded by Rishi Khosla in 2013 and is a digital-first business bank. A secondary market funding round of $34million valued the company at just over $5bn.
Checkout.com
Checkout.com provides online payment solutions to businesses and was founded by Guillaume Pousaz in 2012. It recently announced a new whopping $1bn Series D funding round that valued the firm at $40bn, making it the UK’s most valuable start-up.
Starling Bank
Winner of the Best British Bank award every year from 2018 to 2021, Starling Bank was founded by Anne Boden in 2014. The firm raised an additional £130.5million from existing investors to boost its valuation to £2.5bn in 2022.
Zopa
Founded in 2005 by Richard Duvall, James Alexander, Giles Andrews, David Nicholson and Tim Parlett, Zopa offers deposit accounts and credit cards to consumers here in the UK. The firm raised $300million in a round led by SoftBank (of WeWork fame) to be valued at $1bn.
Zepz
Formerly WorldRemit, Zepz enables migrants and expats to send money abroad. Founded in 2009 by Ismail Ahmed, the firm raised $292million in Series E funding achieving a valuation of $5bn.
Atom Bank
Atom was the UK’s first app-based bank and was founded in 2013 by Anthony Thomson. A £75million financing round led by BBVA, Toscafund and Infinity currently values the challenger bank at $589million.
Saltpay
Saltpay is a Software as a Service (SaaS) FinTech company that offers payment processing and point of sale solutions for SME’s. Founded in 2019 by Eduardo Pontes, Andre Street and Ali Mazzanderani, the firm has raised over $700million and is currently valued at just north of $1bn.
Blockchain.com
Blockchain.com has developed a range of products for users to exchange cryptocurrencies. Founded in 2011 by Ben Reeves, the firm raised $300million in March last year, followed by a new undisclosed round in 2022 that values the firm at just over $14bn.
Referment is a specialist FinTech recruitment firm that rewards people when they refer people they know to new, career-defining roles. If you know someone looking to jump into FinTech, refer them using the link below and earn up to £500 when they complete a first-round interview!