How PayTabs built a billion-dollar fintech without VC funding

Small businesses are the backbone of our economies — yet still face a massive $400B funding gap. We’re excited to kick off the first interview in a series created to share the insights and contributions of our portfolio companies. Thank you to Startup Kitchen for bringing it to life. In this conversation, William Jalloul from FLOWPAY shared:   •  Why SMEs struggle to access capital   •  How real-time data and embedded finance can change the game   •  Why CEE is an overlooked but powerful launchpad for fintech innovation We’re proud to support founders tackling these challenges head-on and shaping more inclusive access to financing. 🙌 Special thanks to Katerina Syslova and Tomas Cironis for hosting this insightful conversation.

From Startup to $75B Fintech Powerhouse: Revolut’s Rise Revolut has reached a $75 billion valuation after a secondary share sale, up from $45B, becoming one of Europe’s most valuable private fintechs. From a currency-exchange app, it now offers savings, trading, crypto, and business banking to millions globally. Lessons for Founders and Investors 1. Solve Real Problems: Disruption drives growth 2. Leverage Compliance: Regulatory milestones unlock opportunities 3. Strategic Expansion: Diversify products and markets for long-term resilience Scaling sustainably while innovating can turn a startup into a market leader. Revolut proves bold vision plus execution creates real value. #FounderUplift #Fintech #Revolut #StartupGrowth #DigitalBanking #Investment #Innovation

Revolut’s secondary share sale pegs the company at $75B (~SEK 708B), with at least 239 current and former employees now paper millionaires; over 20 hold stakes above $10M, and sellers can offload up to 20%. This rare European liquidity event strengthens equity culture, aids retention, and could reset fintech valuations. Source: https://lnkd.in/dwB6PqT4 Follow us for daily insights on Nordic and global business. Revolut #Fintech #Startups #Europe #SecondaryMarkets #Compensation #VentureCapital #Tech #Investing

One of the most underrated growth hacks for African startups? Borderless payouts. Traditional banks make paying global contractors a nightmare: delays, paperwork, hidden fees. It slows innovation. That’s why we built Cashwyre’s Payout APIs. • Send instant payouts in USDT/USDC/BTC • Convert to local fiat on the fly • Scale teams globally without banking barriers If you’re building for scale, your payment system should already be global. Cashwyre makes it simple. Get started [https://lnkd.in/ggsidncX]

Day 4 of My #100DaysOfChallenge 🚀 💭 I was wondering — why are traditional large financial institutions allowing new fintech players into the business and even sharing profits with them, instead of just developing their own technological setup? Here’s what I found 👇 🔹 Fintech emerging due to: 1️⃣ Agility & Speed ⚡ – Fintech startups are not weighed down by outdated technology and complex organizational hierarchies. 2️⃣ Customer-Centric Approach 🎯 – Fintech startups mainly focus on customer requirements and fulfill them using modern technology that improves efficiency. 3️⃣ Addressing Underserved Markets 🌍 – Fintechs often target segments of the population that traditional banks have historically ignored, such as the unbanked, underbanked, or small businesses with limited credit history. 4️⃣ Lower Operational Costs 💸 – Without a vast network of physical branches and legacy IT infrastructure, fintechs have a much lower cost base. 🔹 Why Traditional Banks Allow Fintech Players: 1️⃣ Access to new technology and innovation 💡 2️⃣ Expertise in technicalities 🛠 3️⃣ Relatively new fields 🌱 The result? A growing partnership where banks bring trust and scale, while fintechs bring speed and innovation — together reshaping the financial ecosystem. 🌟 #fintech #equity #100DaysChallenge The Valuation School Parth Verma

💸 Revolut ’s #crowd is richer than you think Back in 2016, 433 retail investors backed Revolut through its first crowdfunding round on Crowdcube , entering at a £42M valuation. At the time, it was just another bold #fintech experiment. Fast forward to today, and Revolut is now reportedly valued at $75 billion (Sifted). That’s an increase of over 178,000% compared to the original entry point. Put another way: A £1,000 investment in 2016 could now be worth up to £1.78M on paper. A max ticket of £5,000? Potentially £9M, in theory. ❗Of course, these returns don’t account for dilution over multiple funding rounds. But even factoring that in, the upside remains enormous. 🧠 What does this teach us? – Community capital isn’t just symbolic it can generate real, outsized returns. – Retail investors can (and should) participate in early growth rounds, alongside VCs. – Regulation like ECSPR is helping enable this model across Europe not just in the UK. Revolut’s rise isn’t just a fintech unicorn story. It’s a case study in the power of community capital and a strong reminder of what’s possible when everyday investors are invited in early. Want to read more? Find #TheSnowballEffect on Substack.. link in the first comment

For the last five years, the "unicorn" has been the ultimate symbol of success in African tech. But is it still the right goal? I argue that it's time to look beyond the $1B valuation. The new ambition should be the Decacorn ($10B+). Why does this shift matter? A Decacorn isn't just a big startup. It's a mature institution that impacts entire economies, creates massive employment, and nurtures a whole ecosystem of opportunity. It signifies a company with rock-solid fundamentals, not one riding on valuation hype. Achieving this status means African fintech has truly come of age, producing companies that compete on a global level. We need to shift our thinking from celebrating potential to building enduring, economic powerhouses. What are your thoughts on this new benchmark? 📩 Read the full article via the link in the comments and subscribe to Frontier Fintech while you're there. Thousands of fintech leaders and investors rely on it for in-depth analysis on how technology is shaping finance in Africa and beyond. This week's edition is in partnership with Moment. Moment provides a modern payment solution that helps African businesses get paid faster across all methods, from cash to mobile money and cards. Their platform streamlines the back office with unified reconciliation and uses unique buyer insights to help merchants unlock growth.

The Global Spotlight By 2020, the world could no longer ignore Nigerian fintech. 🌍 🔥 Stripe acquired Paystack (rumored at $200M+) 🔥 Flutterwave hit unicorn status in 2021, later valued at $3B+ 🔥 Venture capital began pouring in at record levels, What began as a local fight against slow transfers and cash dependency had become a global fintech story. But success also brought structure: ⚖️ Regulatory sandboxes to test innovations safely 🔑 Open Banking guidelines to improve interoperability 🏦 Payment Service Bank (PSB) frameworks to expand access This was the moment fintech moved from “startups fighting the system” → to becoming an integrated part of the financial system. Nigeria had gone from standing in line at a bank counter… to building unicorns that power payments across Africa and beyond. 👉 But here’s the real question: if fintech broke the walls of banking… which industry is about to be disrupted next in the same way? Stay tuned for the final post. 👀 However, you can guess the industry in the comment section as well … #Fintech #Nigeria #Innovation #DigitalEconomy #Banking #Global

ICYMI: A Look at Africa’s Most Valuable Fintech Unicorns of 2025: Africa’s digital financial services ecosystem has grown significantly over the past years, expanding from about 450 companies in 2022 to more than 1,000 companies by 2024, according to a 2024 report by the European Investment Bank. This expansion has been accompanied by increasing diversification across the sector, ranging from key services like payments, lending and [...] The post A Look at Africa’s Most Valuable Fintech Unicorns of 2025 appeared first on Fintech News Africa. #Fintech #Africa

A Look at Africa’s Most Valuable Fintech Unicorns of 2025: Africa’s digital financial services ecosystem has grown significantly over the past years, expanding from about 450 companies in 2022 to more than 1,000 companies by 2024, according to a 2024 report by the European Investment Bank. This expansion has been accompanied by increasing diversification across the sector, ranging from key services like payments, lending and [...] The post A Look at Africa’s Most Valuable Fintech Unicorns of 2025 appeared first on Fintech News Africa. #Fintech #Africa