FinTech Newsletter

Innovation

Why the next wave of global fintech innovation may come from the Middle East

Have you ever stopped to think about where the next big shift in financial technology might actually come from?

Most people point to Silicon Valley or London. Some say Singapore. But there's a strong case building that the Middle East, a region often associated with oil and tradition, is quietly positioning itself as one of the most exciting fintech frontiers on the planet.

And the numbers back it up.

AI

BNP Paribas and Mistral AI extend partnership agreement

The two companies will work more closely together to design and develop generative AI solutions for the bank's CIB and CPBS divisions.

AI Orchestration in Fintech - Using Agents at Scale

If your fintech tools feel like a bunch of brilliant specialists working in separate rooms, AI orchestration is the manager who finally gets them collaborating, coordinating fraud checks, compliance, and customer insights into one seamless flow. And with platforms like Intuit Intelligence pairing that AI muscle with real human expertise, you get the speed of automation without losing the trust and judgment your customers actually count on.

Venture Capital

Meet The Fintech Founders And Investors Of The 30 Under 30 Asia 2026 List

The young VCs and entrepreneurs on this year’s list are helping fuel startup growth by providing access to capital.

Indian travel card fintech Scapia raises $63m

Scapia has now raised around $126 million in funding over the last three years, including a $40 million Series B round closed in April last year.

Digital Finance

Are We On The Precipice Of A Fintech IPO Bonanza?

After a years-long ice age, the fintech IPO window has reopened. The question worth asking is whether this is a sustained revival or a brief and fragile thaw.

The numbers tell an encouraging story. After a frenzy in 2021 where 59 fintechs went public around the world, the market froze solid. Global fintech IPOs fell to just four in 2022 and three in 2023. The thaw began in 2024, when 14 fintechs made their public debuts and accelerated through 2025, when the number climbed to 31.

That rebound was fueled by a cohort of mature, profitable businesses and some of the sector’s most anticipated listings including exciting names like Chime, Circle, Etoro and Klarna. Many of these listings demonstrated continued investor appetite for fintech IPOs.

Research

3 Reasons This Brazilian Fintech Disruptor Could Be a Multibagger by 2030

Investors are still underrating this banking stock.

Policy

LendingClub CEO expects ‘skinned knees’ amid fintech charter rush

Fintechs that want to become banks should brace for “a learning curve” as they ramp up governance, risk and compliance infrastructure, said LendingClub CEO Scott Sanborn.