For the past eight years, we’ve published our annual Fintech 50 list, covering the top private companies that are transforming finance through technology. (Here’s last year’s Fintech 50.) From digital banks and payments startups to fraud prevention firms and cryptocurrency businesses trying to build a new financial system, these companies are improving the cost, efficiency and access of financial services.
We’re updating the list for the ninth year, a months-long process that involves a team of 10 reporters and editors. We divide the work into fintech subcategories, speak with industry investors, analysts, entrepreneurs and executives, evaluate hundreds of businesses and ultimately choose 50.
Please note: Our 2024 list is happening earlier in the year than it typically does to align with our print magazine schedule. It will likely be published in February 2024.
Please read our methodology below before applying. The more you can share about your company’s growth, including revenue over the past two years, the more likely you’ll stand out among your peers.
Fintech 50 Methodology
We look for companies making a deep impact on consumers and businesses through innovation. This typically means they’re growing faster than competitors, regularly releasing new products or making major strategic improvements—not simply offering services that have looked the same for years.
We don’t base the list solely on quantitative metrics or require a minimum amount of revenue or number of customers. We also don’t have a cap for business size. The companies we select tend to be venture-backed startups, since they’re often best equipped to drive industry change, but we’re happy to consider bootstrapped startups, too. Public companies or their subsidiaries are not eligible for the Fintech 50.
Other important criteria we consider for each candidate:
- How much it has grown in sales and/or customers over the past year and how that compares with the growth of competitors.
- Whether it has a live product available to the public, or one that will soon be available.
- Novelty of the product and business model.
- Whether it has significant operations or headquarters in the U.S.
- Diversity of the leadership team.
- We define fintech companies as those that apply technology to the categories of business-to-business banking (including banking-as-a-service and corporate cards), insurance, investing (both consumer-facing and business-to-business), payments, personal finance (consumer-facing businesses in areas such as digital banking, consumer lending, budgeting, etc.), real estate, Wall Street and enterprise (also includes fraud prevention) and other business-to-business financial software. We consider blockchain and cryptocurrency companies for this list.
Fintech 50 Application Form
To apply, please complete the Fintech 50 application form by EOD Wednesday, 12/6/23.
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