What are payment startups?

Payment startups are bringing innovative solutions to the traditional payment market, using tech to transform how payments happen – making them faster, easier, cheaper, and more secure.

Top payment startups

Complete list of the most innovative payment startups that are worth knowing:

Flutterwave

Founded in 2016, Flutterwave is a financial technology company that offers payment services, helping businesses accept a wide variety of payment methods from customers globally. Their goal is to provide seamless payment experiences, especially in Africa where online payments have traditionally been difficult.

The Flutterwave platform enables companies to process credit cards, local African payment modes like mobile money, and global methods through one integration. Their API accepts payments from over 150 currencies which are converted to secure payouts in African currencies.

FamPay

FamPay provides a mobile-first financial platform for teenagers to gain real-world money management skills with family oversight. Recognizing financial literacy is lacking in education, FamPay created app-based banking services specifically for youth 13+ with parental controls. Features like peer-to-peer payments, digital allowances tied to chores, goal savings, spending insights, and FamCard virtual/physical debit give teenagers practical experience budgeting, earning and responsibly handling finances within guardrails customizable per family.

By turning parental teaching moments digital alongside pocket money independence, FamPay invests in the financial confidence of future generations. Their services assure both transparency and mentorship on personalized paths towards money maturity.

Libeo

Founded in 2021, Libeo provides automation technology for AP workflows along with integrated payment capabilities. Their solution helps SMEs digitize, track, and pay all invoices from across a business. Features include bill capture, approvals, reporting, and FAST payment settlement directly to vendor accounts.

Libeo condenses cumbersome AP tasks for busy SMEs. By streamlining often-manual financial operations down to one seamless platform, Libeo saves clients time and hassle. Their integration of processing and payment avoids data breaks and accelerates transactions.

Rapyd

Founded in 2016, Rapyd built an API-driven platform that handles cross-border commerce complexities behind the scenes, so companies can embed customized financial utilities into apps and back-end systems without regulatory hurdles.

By abstracting away fintech complications, Rapyd makes it easy for platforms to create tailored financial experiences. Companies incorporate fintech faster while focusing resources on core offerings.

Above Lending

Founded in 2017, Above Lending provides fixed rate loan decisions in minutes via an easy online application requiring basic personal/employment details. Applicants receive funds in as soon as 1 business day after approval.

By simplifying qualifying and disbursement, Above Lending delivers needed loan accessibility without common pain points. Emphasis on great service builds trust. For any borrower valuing speed and customer care, Above Lending provides a refreshing approach to personal lending.

MANTL

Founded in 2016, MANTL developed tools to help financial institutions simplify and enhance critical digital workflows like account opening, loan origination, and customer onboarding.

By improving online conversion funnels, MANTL enables providers to grow customers and better compete in the digital era. Their solutions also integrate services from other best-of-breed fintech vendors.

TrueAccord

Founded in 2013, TrueAccord leverages data, automation, and machine learning to tailor outreach, predict outcomes, reduce complaints, and improve debtor experiences throughout resolution. Creditors gain higher returns on debts.

By humanizing a historically dehumanizing process, TrueAccord taps into emerging focus on compassionate business practices that lift all sides. Their model balances care for the debtor with creditor obligations.

NowPayments

Founded in 2019, NowPayments lets merchants accept crypto coins and tokens with minimal setup. They handle exchange rate volatility and payouts in desired currencies. Integrations simplify crypto acceptance alongside legacy payment rails.

By lowering crypto commerce barriers, NowPayments unlocks new digital revenue streams while catering to growing crypto holder spending power. Cryptocurrency gains mainstream transaction utility through their streamlined adoption tools.

Brex

Founded in 2017, Brex provides qualified firms with corporate cards that earn points on subscriptions and enable higher limits. Their dashboard centralizes accounting, approvals, integrations with popular software platforms.

By designing financial products around emerging company priorities, Brex has carved out strong product-market fit and rapid growth. Their model has resonated widely with founders seeking purpose-built fintech.

Sila Money

Founded in 2018, Sila built regulated infrastructure bridging crypto innovations with foundational US banking requirements. Their API abstractions spare developers from navigating complex compliance.

This allows rapid creation of compliant fintech apps. By handling regulatory complexities, Sila powers the next generation of legally compliant DeFi, crypto banking, and identity verification apps.

Ledger

Founded in 2014, Ledger develops market-leading hardware wallets giving retail crypto owners foolproof private key protection and access convenience. Their enterprise custody and trading solutions secure institutional crypto adoption.

By solving crypto’s core security challenges, Ledger empowers mainstream decentralized finance participation for Regular users to major institutions. Their mission provides consumers and enterprises tools to control crypto safely from first wallet to market maturity.

TerraPay

Founded in 2014, TerraPay built a versatile interoperability engine and partner ecosystem facilitating transparent cross-border transactions via mobile wallets, bank accounts, and cash networks.

Partners benefit from access to an integrated, scalable platform with global reach and compliance embedded. By promoting financial inclusion, TerraPay aims to cultivate efficient digital payment infrastructure in developing regions.

Form3

Founded in 2016, Form3’s scalable APIs handle payment messaging, credit transfers, card acquiring and other key financial rails to power versatile payment and banking apps.

By providing modular infrastructure compliant across regions, Form3 simplifies creating nimble fintech apps and services. Clients speed time-to-market while reducing regulatory and system overhead.

Klarna

Founded in 2005, Klarna pioneered user-friendly alternative installment plans at checkout that minimize buying friction, increase customer conversion, and enable responsible spending on terms that work for everyone.

By rethinking rigid legacy payment models, Klarna has caught on rapidly with consumers and businesses worldwide seeking flexibility and simplicity that optimizes buying power. Klarna unlocks growth and possibility through financial products designed for evolving needs.

Tink

Founded in 2012, Tink handles secure open banking APIs, financial data aggregation, payments, risk insights and more in one developer-friendly portal. The company handles regulatory licensing across regions.

By centralizing complex infrastructure, Tink makes it faster for developers to build the next generation of data-powered financial apps. New services integrate with bank APIs instead of reinventing backbone tech.

WeGift

Founded in 2016, WeGift developed an extensive API-connected marketplace containing gift card and experience options from top national and local brands. These are integrated into recognition, loyalty, and sales programs.

By digitizing incentives, WeGift modernizes motivation and appreciation programs to be more personalized, on-demand, and analytics-driven. Digital rewards provide engagement, convenience, choice, and measurability.

Fabrick

Founded in 2018, Fabrick provides secure API access to bank accounts, payments, lending, investments, data insights, and other financial services. Firms leverage shared infrastructure to create new models.

By building a tech ecosystem for open finance, Fabrick aims to cultivate new digital experiences, capabilities and value across the industry. Participants co-create instead of compete to progress together.

Acheel

Founded in 2021, Acheel sells conveniently bundled property and casualty policies online covering needs from renters to small business. Customers obtain quotes and manage policies via web and app.

By optimizing digitally for speed and ease, Acheel aims to remove common pain points of legacy insurance processes. Their model caters to modern preferences for anytime, anywhere self-service management.

Banked

Founded in 2018, Banked handles integrating with bank APIs and payment rails across regions to enable business accounts to instantly send and receive funds from customer accounts anywhere using just phone numbers or emails.

By abstracting the complexity, Banked makes collecting or distributing payments as easy as sharing personal contacts. Development is simplified for diverse payment-reliant apps. Banked delivers the connectivity supporting endless financial use cases.

BondAval

Founded in 2019, BondAval streamlines applying for online surety bonds that guarantee funds in case of payment default on trade credit or contractual obligations. Customers get fast, affordable credit security without locking up capital.

By providing modern surety solutions, BondAval empowers capital efficiency and flexibility for companies transacting business. Their reimagined systems upgrade rigid legacy options requiring upfront collateral.

Pockit

Founded in 2014, Pockit provides banking apps, prepaid cards, remittance, and other basic capabilities to consumers not well catered to by mainstream institutions. Customers gain digital financial access.

By focusing explicitly on financially vulnerable populations, Pockit delivers needed products where they’re most lacking. Their products free the underbanked from dependence on costly alternative services.

Satispay

Founded in 2013, Satispay developed an intuitive app built around user-friendly money transfers to friends and family along with merchant payments in stores or online. Senders only need a phone number.

By optimizing for ease-of-use, Satispay aims to accelerate consumer adoption of digital payments. Their model caters to convenience-driven preferences for instant, contactless transactions without cards.

TreeCard

Launched in 2021, TreeCard lets members opt into carbon offsetting that allocates a portion of purchase amounts toward tree planting efforts they help direct. Companies can also gift eco-friendly cards to employees.

By integrating environmental impact into personal finance, TreeCard links daily behaviors with moving sustainability goals forward. Making purchases becomes a small but meaningful way to cultivate climate stewardship.

Conclusion

Consumers and businesses alike can look forward to faster, more convenient, and more affordable payment experiences thanks to the transformative power of these payment startups. As the digital payment market is continuing to grow rapidly, we will be on the lookout for new ground-breaking startups.

Top banking startups

Complete list of banking startups that are worth knowing:

Plaid

Founded in 2013, Plaid provides technology that helps people easily connect their financial accounts to mobile apps and services. Their goal is to make personal finance management tools more accessible. In the past, apps like budgeting assistants and loan providers had limited views of a user’s full financial data. Plaid built a secure infrastructure that links bank accounts and systems together.

Now fintech apps can sync comprehensive transaction data, balances, and more with user consent. This gives consumers a complete picture of their finances across institutions in one place. Developers can build more useful money apps without each user having to manually export and upload statements.

Autobooks

Autobooks provides small businesses integrated financial management tools directly within online banking interfaces. As the first fully featured accounting solution native to bank platforms, Autobooks offers payment processing, invoicing, expense tracking, accounting, cash flow insights and tax preparations in a unified hub linked to company bank accounts. The seamless connection of accounting activities to banking data gives business owners and financial controllers unmatched visibility and control.

By developing robust accounting capabilities deliberately designed for user-friendly alignment with online banking systems, Autobooks allows modern businesses to automatically centralize key money movement workflows with their core depository accounts for efficient, synchronized financial oversight.

Novo

Founded in 2020, Novo creates tailored financial products for non-employer firms who often get overlooked by big banks. Beyond bank accounts, they offer solutions like instant access business credit lines to manage cash flow swings. Features simplify expenses, invoicing, and payments as well.

Novo builds on the premise that banking should remove friction, not create it. By catering specifically to microbusiness needs often lost in the shuffle, Novo spotlights a underserved group powering much enterprise.

Nubank

Founded in 2013, Nubank provides an easy, transparent alternative to traditional banking. Their app handles accounts, cards, loans and payments.

Nubank serves millions of customers across Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. Users enjoy zero fees, rewards and control through the intuitive mobile interface. The app aims to deliver hassle-free digital banking.

Mambu

Founded in 2011, Mambu offers a modern alternative to traditional core banking systems. Their software centralizes lending and deposit capabilities.

Mambu serves financial institutions globally. Clients use their composable banking services to accelerate product launches and digital initiatives. The platform aims to deliver agile, cloud-native financial services.

Vivid Money

Founded in 2020, Vivid Money makes managing money convenient and engaging through technology. Their app combines banking, budgeting, investing and more.

Vivid Money serves customers across Europe. Users enjoy an easy-to-use finance hub with insights and automation. The app aims to deliver an integrated banking and wealth management experience.

iBanFirst

Founded in 2013, iBanFirst simplifies overseas payments for businesses. Their platform exchanges currencies at low cost and sends funds quickly.

iBanFirst serves SMEs and larger corporations globally. Customers benefit from favorable foreign exchange rates and fast transfers. The platform aims to make international payments seamless.

StudentFinance

Founded in 2016, StudentFinance provides affordable, flexible financing for vocational skills training. Their platform funds courses aligned to jobs.

StudentFinance serves learners and training providers in the UK. Students access funding for valuable skills aligned to in-demand jobs. Providers benefit from StudentFinance’s financing and reach. The platform aims to create new education access.

Finoa

Founded in 2018, Finoa aimed to bridge institutions with the emerging DeFi ecosystem compliantly. Their platform offers compliant custody, staking, lending and more.

Finoa serves asset managers, banks and other institutional investors globally. Clients access DeFi opportunities while maintaining security, liquidity and compliance. The platform provides a regulated gateway to decentralized finance.

Judo Bank

Founded in 2016, Judo Bank delivers a modern alternative to banks for SME lending. Their platform provides tailored loans with a relationship-based approach.

Judo Bank serves small and medium businesses across Australia. Customers benefit from its streamlined, customer-centric lending model. The platform aims to make borrowing effortless for SMEs.

VNpay

Founded in 2019, VNpay provides a modern digital payment platform tailored for Vietnam. Their system handles online and offline payments along with remittances.

VNpay serves merchants, partners and consumers across Vietnam. Users benefit from seamless payments online and in stores along with money transfers. The platform aims to enable cashless experiences localized for Vietnam.

NymCard

Founded in 2019, NymCard is focused on equipping banks with flexible card issuing capabilities. Their software centralizes issuing and processing functions.

NymCard serves financial institutions globally. Clients leverage the software to launch card products with control and ease. The platform aims to deliver card management agility.

Mitigram

Founded in 2014, Mitigram provides an online platform connecting trade financiers and businesses globally. Their marketplace enables trade finance bidding and funding.

Mitigram serves exporters, importers and trade finance providers worldwide. Participants access an efficient marketplace to secure and offer trade financing online. The platform aims to enhance trade finance access and competition.

Ohpen

Founded in 2013, Ohpen offers a modern alternative to traditional banking systems. Their software centralizes core functions for savings and loans.

Ohpen serves challenger and traditional banks globally. Clients leverage the cloud platform to enable agility in deploying products. The software aims to deliver banking flexibility and speed.

FinCompare

Founded in 2019, FinCompare created an online platform enabling easy discovery and comparison of financing alternatives. Their marketplace aggregates lending options.

FinCompare serves finance advisors and SMEs in Germany. Users access a centralized platform to efficiently find and contrast financing providers and products. The marketplace aims to enhance business financing transparency.

Moneytree

Founded in 2012, Moneytree enables individuals and businesses to manage finances seamlessly across platforms. Their technology connects financial accounts and services.

Moneytree serves consumers and SMBs in Japan. Users aggregate financial data for money management, accounting and business insights. Their platform synthesizes siloed information into unified visibility for money management and planning.

Tomorrow

Founded in 2018, Tomorrow delivers a bank promoting positive environmental action through investments. Their offerings fund climate solutions.

Tomorrow serves individuals across Germany. Customers benefit from competitive savings products that invest deposits in eco-friendly projects. The bank aims to offer environmental banking options.

Salt Edge

Founded in 2011, Salt Edge focused on equipping organizations with banking integrations through Open Banking technology. Their APIs enable account connections.

Salt Edge serves clients worldwide, including banks, lenders and fintech firms. Customers integrate the APIs to securely access third-party financial data with user permission. The platform aims to power financial innovation and inclusion.

CAARY Capital

Founded in 2021, CAARY Capital optimizes business spending, payments and financing in one platform. Their software integrates expense management, cards, loans and more.

CAARY Capital serves SMBs and enterprises across North America. Customers benefit from managing business spend, payments and financing conveniently in one place. The platform aims to optimize B2B payments and finance.

Griffin

Founded in 2020, Griffin provides an alternative to traditional core banking through composable services. Their APIs handle essential banking functions.

Griffin serves fintechs, challenger banks and other developers globally. Customers integrate modular banking APIs to quickly build and iterate. The platform aims to deliver agile embedded financial services.

Astra

Founded in 2019, Astra optimizes money movement between accounts with intelligence. Their software automates transfers using triggers, limits and requirements.

Astra serves banks, fintechs and businesses in the US and Canada. Customers integrate the no-code platform to easily build automated transfer functionality. This enables streamlined movement of funds.

Mitek

Founded in 1986, Mitek developed innovative capture and verification technology. Their software supports automated mobile check and ID processing.

Mitek serves financial institutions and businesses globally. Customers integrate their SDKs to deposit checks and validate identities from mobile devices. The solutions aim to enhance user experience and security. Their technology enables clients to validate identities and deposit checks conveniently via mobile.

Current

Founded in 2015, Current provides tech-driven financial services that empower middle income Americans. Their offerings include banking, investment and cashflow tools.

Current serves working-class consumers across the US. Users benefit from budgeting automatically, earning high yields and getting paid early. The platform aims to deliver financial health and optimism.

Conclusion

Banking startups are using digital platforms, data analytics, AI, and modern tech stacks to challenge traditional banks and transform how we manage and use our money. Without a doubt, we are entering a “new normal” with the way we manage our money so number of these banking startups will be growing rapidly.