Scaling European Fintechs: Barriers and Expansion Playbooks

Finextra, in association with Visa Direct, will host a webinar examining how fintechs scale across European markets. Olga Ovchinnikova, vice president and head of Visa Direct Europe, will join a panel moderated by Finextra contributor Scott Hamilton. The session is organised around Finextra’s 2026 State of Fintech in Europe report.

Panelists will examine barriers that firms encounter when expanding across the continent, including market fragmentation, differing national regulatory regimes and uneven payments and banking infrastructure. The discussion will separate the challenges facing neobanks from those faced by firms operating in payments, wealth management and lending, noting different licensing, compliance and technical integration requirements for each segment.

Speakers will present recent market data and forecasts. Finch Capital projects the European fintech market to grow from $85.52 billion in 2025 to $94.14 billion in 2026. Organisers cite ongoing investor interest and product demand as context for the growth projections.

The session will cover technological and infrastructure trends that affect scaling decisions. Topics listed for discussion include advances in payments rails, the growing use of digital assets and applications of artificial intelligence for product design and customer service. Panelists will identify which technology investments relate to product roadmaps and go-to-market plans and which require regulatory alignment or additional risk controls.

Panelists will also address the role of commercial and technical partnerships in expansion strategies. Partnerships with card networks, payment processors, incumbent banks and local service providers are expected to be discussed as ways to shorten time to market, support compliance and manage cross-border liquidity. The webinar will offer practical examples of how such partnerships have been used to enter new European markets.

The event is aimed at fintech founders, product and strategy leaders, and investors evaluating expansion plans. The session is presented by Finextra with support from Visa Direct and is part of Finextra’s research into the state of fintech in Europe for 2026. Registration details and the event schedule are available from the organisers.