HomeGermany-StartupsThe 15 hottest European fintech startups in 2015

The 15 hottest European fintech startups in 2015

In the last decade, there were a bunch of really successful fintech companies that started in Europe. Companies like Klarna, Adyen and Transferwise (to name just a few) have changed the way we do payments or the way we transfer money overseas.

By pursuing radical new concepts, these fintech startups have become some of Europe’s most valuable companies in just a few years.

The financial technology sector is hot right now (and the summer heat is also on), so let’s take a look at Europe’s hottest fintech startups in 2015. In order to present you the ‘next wave’ of Europe’s fintech disruptors, we scanned the market for the most promising startups out there that are no older than 3-4 years.

So without further ado, here is our list of Europe’s hottest fintech startups in 2015:

Short update before we start: We just published a report about Europe’s hottest fintech startups in 2016, which can be purchased/downloaded now!

Azimo-logoAzimo: Founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, Azimo was created out of the founders’ frustration with the money transfer industry (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). They experienced so much waste, cost and poor customer service that they decided to create a better way to send money overseas. The Azimo founders could have used Transferwise, which was founded two years before – but they chose to compete with them, along with older money transfer providers like traditional banks. In total, the ambitious team behind Azimo has already raised $31.6 million in venture capital.

Bitbond-logo-2015Bitbond: This peer-to-peer bitcoin lending platform is on a mission to make lending and borrowing globally accessible. Small businesses like eBay sellers who need to finance working capital can submit their loan request on Bitbond after going through a credit check. The loans get funded by individual and institutional lenders who earn interest with their bitcoins. By leveraging bitcoin as a technology and payment network, Bitbond sees itself as the first global marketplace lender for small business loans. So far, the Berlin-based startup, which was founded in 2013, has raised about $940K in seed funding.

cashcloud-logoCashcloud: Started in 2012, Cashcloud aims to become the leading provider of e-wallet solutions for community payments, cards (e.g credit and debit), couponing for deals, and special localised offers via mobile smartphones (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). Cashcloud’s mobile e-wallet solution enables its users to exchange payments safely/easily and works with iOS and Android devices. The Luxembourg-based company has raised about $3.3 million in venture capital so far.

Centralway-logoCentralway Numbrs: One App. Every Bank. Numbrs brings all of your bank accounts together in one easy-to-use app (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). The app analyses your spending behaviour and existing transactions to calculate your future income and expenses. It enables mobile bank transfers the easy way. Numbrs saves all your financial transaction details for you so that sending money is just one click away. Launched in 2012 and headquartered in Zurich, Centralway Numbrs has secured venture capital totalling of $11.5 million.

Ensygnia-logoEnsygnia: This London-based mobile interaction company is behind the Onescan omni-channel app (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). Onescan enables mobile payments online, in-store and on-the-go and has applications for log-in, authentication and mobile identity. Onescan allows customers and prospects to progress from looking to buying in under 10 seconds. Ensygnia was founded in 2012 and has secured roughly $6.6 million in venture capital so far.

Judo-payments-logojudo: Founded in 2012, judo provides mobile payment solutions to businesses of all size to ensure they never lose a sale. From integrated card payments for mobile apps to providing the tools to build a custom mobile payment system for third parties, judo makes mobile credit and debit card acceptance simple and affordable. So far, the London-based company raised about $14.3 million in venture capital.

Kreditech-logo-standaloneKreditech: This company provides easy and fast access to loans for customers worldwide through its web and mobile services. The Hamburg-based startup is also a real-time scoring technology provider that applies big data analysis to thousands of data points in credit applications over individuals. Kreditech was founded in 2012 and has so far secured over $8 million in venture capital from very prominent investors and over $250 million in debt financing.

Lendico-logoLendico: Founded in 2013, Lendico is a transparent marketplace for loans (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). By connecting borrowers and investors online, the startup avoids the excessive costs of traditional banking. And the savings are passed right through to their customers; Lendico does a strict quality control of all borrower projects and coordinates all payment transactions on top. Earlier this year, the Berlin-based startup raised €20 million from investors like Rocket Internet, Access Industries and HV Holtzbrinck Ventures.

Monese-logoMonese: This branchless and digital banking service offers instant account opening via their mobile app, regardless of the customer’s missing utility bill. Helping expats, the company offers easy account opening, cheap payments and a debit card. Monese’s modern technology based on secure cloud technologies removes many of the barriers that traditional banking systems impose. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in London, Monese has raised about $1.8 million in venture capital so far.

Number26-logoNUMBER26: A Berlin-based fintech startup that aims to revolutionise the traditional banking industry and how people spend, save and send money (Update – July 2023: The startup is now under business as N26, and we therefore updated the link). Started in 2013, NUMBER26 claims to be Europe’s most modern way of banking; the current bank account is reinvented and combined with an intuitive mobile AND online banking experience. So far, NUMBER26 has secured about $12.7 million in venture capital.

Osper-logoOsper: Launched in 2012, Osper is a pre-paid debit card and mobile banking service empowering young people to manage their money responsibly by instilling good financial habits from an early age. It offers a safe MasterCard pre-paid debit card and a simple mobile banking app with separate logins for young people and parents. All money on Osper is safely managed by a European regulated bank. Its application runs on Android and iOS devices. Headquartered in London, Osper so far raised about $11.2 million in venture capital funding.

Setpay-logoSetpay: This payment solution is aimed at SMEs and freelancers that can carry out any type of economic activity and charge for their products or services in person (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). The objective of SetPay is to provide the tools that enable their users to facilitate payments, foster customer loyalty, publicize offers and products. Launched in 2012 and headquartered in Santiago De Compostela (Spain), Setpay is currently in the process of raising $500K with a valuation of $2 million.

Spotcap-logoSpotcap: Founded in 2014, Spotcap is the first startup to offer online credit lines to small companies in Spain (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). Spotcap is headquartered in Berlin, with local offices in Madrid, Amsterdam, and London, and also operates in The Netherlands and Australia. Supported by Rocket Internet, Spotcap has so far raised over €13 million in venture capital and about €5 million in debt financing.

TraxpayTraxpay: This Frankfurt-based startup aims to transform the way that businesses pay and get paid with the world’s first B2B Dynamic Payments platform. Traxpay’s patent pending platform is cloud-based and combines secure, flexible, real-time electronic payments (24/7) with all structured and unstructured data related to the transaction. Traxpay was founded in late 2009, but was in stealth mode until 2012. The company raised about $19 million in venture capital and its main shareholder is as of September 2014 the corporate incubator of Commerzbank and Software AG.

Yoyo-Wallet-logoYoyo Wallet: This young London-based app enables mobile payments and automated loyalty (Update – July 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link). The team created it in 2012 with a laser-like focus on what is important to their customers and retailers. With fast payments, loyalty and high security standards, Yoyo customers are secure and empowered. For Yoyo retailers, the startup provides the integrated marketing tools they need to reach targeted customer segments, drive sales, increase revenue, and offer an elevated customer experience. So far, Yoyo has secured about $15 million in venture capital.

By the way: If you’re a corporate or investor looking for exciting startups in a specific market for a potential investment or acquisition, check out our Startup Sourcing Service!

Thomas Ohr
Thomas Ohr
Thomas Ohr is the "Editor in Chief" of EU-Startups.com and started the blog in October 2010. He is excited about Europe's future, passionate about new business ideas and lives in Barcelona (Spain).
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8 COMMENTS

  1. Interesting selection, assuming ‘hot’ means dead in 5 years time.
    This space is sloshing with VC money. Azimo will need to burn tens of millions a year in marketing dollars to compete with Transferwise which is yet to make a profit.
    The other selections are no more viable

  2. You forgot rebuildingsociety.com, this fintech for P2Plending is growing fast managed by a group of young & visionaries.

  3. Maybe Slimpay should be considered as well? Sure being profitable is not a winning criteria, yet they bring innovation to subscription payment like your electricity bill?
    By the way’ they just raised 15m€ to go global…

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