Applications are now being accepted for the fourth edition of CNBC's World's Top Fintech Companies list, in partnership with market research firm Statista.
Each year, CNBC and Statista identify the leading fintech companies globally, ranging from innovative startups to established Big Tech giants. These companies operate across various segments such as payments, wealth technology, insurance, and more.
Last year's list featured prominent names like Mastercard, Stripe, and Visa, along with emerging scaleups. Notable newcomers included Bilt, a credit rewards company, TerraPay, a payments upstart, and Entsia, an insurance platform.
This year, the list has expanded to include regulation tech, marking companies that assist others in fulfilling financial regulatory requirements as a distinct segment.
Over time, fintech has evolved from a rapid-growth challenger category to an integral component of the global financial system, bolstered by a pandemic-driven push towards digitalization. Advances in artificial intelligence have further propelled the sector and are seen as sources of transformative change.
According to KPMG's latest report, the global fintech market secured $44.7 billion in investment across more than 2,200 deals in the first half of 2025. However, this figure represents a decline from the $54.2 billion in investments recorded over the previous six months.