Scaling fintechs across Europe: tech, rules and partnerships

Finextra and Visa Direct will host a webinar tied to Finextra’s upcoming 2026 State of Fintech in Europe report to examine how neobanks and fintechs in payments, wealth and lending can scale across European markets. The session will review market dynamics and practical barriers to regional expansion.

Speakers include Olga Ovchinnikova, VP and Head of Visa Direct Europe. Scott Hamilton, global payments and liquidity expert, will moderate the discussion. The webinar will draw on the report’s research and the operational experience of payments and liquidity specialists.

Finch Capital projects the European fintech market to grow from $85.52 billion in 2025 to $94.14 billion in 2026. Despite that projected growth, firms face a patchwork of national rules, different licensing regimes and uneven payments and banking infrastructure that affect launch timelines and operating costs.

Barriers vary by subsector. Neobanks often need deposit-taking licenses or local banking partners to offer full retail services. Payments firms require access to local clearing and instant payment rails and must manage cross-border liquidity. Wealth platforms must meet diverse investment rules and tax regimes. Lenders encounter different credit-reporting systems and local underwriting standards.

Each business model demands specific technical integrations and compliance work. Local KYC requirements, consumer protection rules and data standards often force firms to develop country-specific modules, which can lengthen rollout schedules and raise costs.

New technologies are changing how companies build and run products. Upgrades to payments infrastructure, broader use of artificial intelligence for risk scoring, customer onboarding and personalization, and growing work on digital assets are influencing product design and operations. Panelists will consider whether these technologies can be implemented consistently across multiple jurisdictions.

Partnerships are a common route for market entry. Fintechs can work with card networks, payment processors, local banks and regulated service providers to gain access to licenses, rails and compliance support. Such arrangements can lower up-front capital needs and shorten time to market, but they typically require negotiations over data access, routing and service levels.

Regulatory alignment and infrastructure investment remain constraints. Slower adoption of open banking standards in some markets and limited availability of instant payment systems in others add operational complexity for cross-border services.

The webinar will explore playbooks for scaling: direct expansion, obtaining local licenses, white-label partnerships and localized product adaptations. The report and panel discussions will identify where firms should invest in technology and where partnering may be more efficient.

Registration details and session timing are available through Finextra’s event listings.