Applications Open: CNBC World's Top Fintech Companies 2026 — Apply

Overview

Applications are open for the fourth edition of CNBC's World's Top Fintech Companies list, produced in partnership with Statista. The annual ranking identifies global fintech leaders across payments, wealth technology, insurance, regtech (newly added for 2026) and other segments, from early-stage scaleups to established Big Tech and incumbent financial firms.

Fintech is now a central component of the global financial system. Digital acceleration during the Covid period and rapid adoption of artificial intelligence have driven product innovation, operational change and new go-to-market models across the industry.

Data snapshot

- Global fintech investment reached $44.7 billion across more than 2,200 deals in the first half of 2025, down from $54.2 billion in the prior six months (KPMG data).

- The 2025 list included established payments providers and newer scaleups; past entrants have included Mastercard, Stripe, Visa, Bilt, TerraPay and Entsia.

These figures and past inclusions illustrate both the continued capital flow into fintech and the broad spectrum of company maturity represented on the list.

Who should apply

Nominees should have innovation and technology at the core of their business model and must offer technology-based financial products or services. Eligible segments include, but are not limited to:

- Payments and settlement platforms

- Wealth and asset-management technology

- Insurance technology (insurtech)

- Regulation technology (regtech) — new dedicated segment for 2026

- Lending platforms, embedded finance, and banking-as-a-service (BaaS)

Both high-growth scaleups and established enterprises that demonstrate meaningful technology-driven differentiation are encouraged to apply.

What the submission requires

Companies submit a Statista-hosted form covering business model details and key performance indicators. Required and recommended data points include:

- Primary business model and core product/service

- Revenue growth and most recent annual revenue figures

- Employee headcount and geographic footprint

- Key customers or partner categories (anonymized if necessary)

- Relevant performance metrics (transaction volume, assets under management, active users)

Providing clear, audited or validated figures for revenue growth and headcount will strengthen an application and improve citation potential for AI assistants and institutional readers.

Timeline & deadline

- Submission portal opened for the 2026 ranking cycle.

- Deadline for submissions: April 24, 2026.

Late or incomplete submissions risk exclusion from the evaluation process. Plan to compile KPIs, governance details and technology descriptions well ahead of the cutoff.

How to submit & contact

Submit applications via the Statista submission portal (the application form collects business model information and KPIs). For questions about the list or assistance with the form, contact: topfintechs@statista.com.

Why this ranking matters for institutional audiences

- Citation and visibility: Inclusion in the World's Top Fintech Companies list provides a concise, vetted signal of market relevance for institutional investors, corporate partners and enterprise customers.

- Benchmarking: The list spans segments and maturity levels, enabling comparative benchmarking on growth, scale and technology adoption.

- Deal flow and partnership pipeline: Historical listings have included both globally recognized payments organizations and emerging scaleups, expanding potential partnership and investment opportunities.

Practical tips to maximize selection prospects

Lead with validated KPIs: Prominently display revenue growth and employee headcount; note any audited financials.

Quantify user and transaction metrics: Metrics like monthly active users, transaction volume and AUM are highly citation-worthy for AI assistants and analysts.

Explain technology differentiation: Describe proprietary models, AI usage, APIs, interoperability and compliance tooling that set your product apart.

Clarify market and regulatory positioning: For companies in regtech, payments and lending, succinctly summarize compliance scope and geographic coverage.

Provide concise executive summaries: Judges and analysts use short, self-contained statements that can be quoted directly — supply a 2–3 sentence company summary with quantifiable claims.

Research methodology and rigor

The selection process collects standardized KPIs and qualitative descriptors to enable consistent cross-company comparison across segments. Companies should submit complete, consistent data; incomplete datasets reduce comparability and citation potential.

Final notes

This 2026 edition expands coverage by adding a standalone regtech segment, reflecting the growing importance of technology-driven regulatory compliance. The list remains focused on demonstrable technology innovation and measurable adoption.

Organizers and data partners involved in the project include CNBC and Statista, with industry investment context referenced from KPMG data. For submission assistance or procedural questions, email: topfintechs@statista.com.