World’s Top 10 FinTech Capitals Driving Global Financial Innovation

I still remember those days of my childhood. When I used to go to the bank with my dad at the beginning of the
month, there would be long queues. That old bank passbook, that ‘gharrr… gharrr…’ sound of the printer, and that
tedious process of waiting for hours because of the bank employee’s lunch break. We have all seen those times.
But just think today, our entire banking has come in the palm of our hands!

Do you want to send money to someone? Just a click. Do you want to take a loan? A few minutes on an app. This
is not magic, this is the revolution of ‘FinTech’ (FinTech – Finance and Technology). This revolution has
reduced the stress from our lives and given us back our precious time. But have you ever wondered where this
magic comes from? There are some cities in the world that are the birthplace of this revolution.

Let’s go on a very interesting journey today and talk about the World’s Top 10 FinTech
Capitals. This is not just a list of big cities or billion-dollar companies; this is the story of
people and their dreams who understand the problems of ordinary people and make their lives easier.

Source: Fintech magazine

10. Sydney

• Company: Afterpay
• CEO: Nick Molnar

The beautiful city of Sydney in Australia is not only known for its beaches or the Opera House. It is here that
an idea was born that changed the way we shop. Have you ever given up on your favorite item because it was too
expensive? Nick Molnar understood this feeling of the youth. He introduced the ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ feature
through ‘Afterpay’. This gave the middle class people the freedom to fulfill their small and big dreams without
getting trapped in the heavy interest of credit cards. This gift from Sydney is truly amazing.

9. Dubai

• Company: Tabby
• CEO: Hosam Arab

A glittering, futuristic city in the middle of the desert is Dubai. Dubai has always been known for its
grandeur, but now it has also become a hub of technology. Hosam Arab’s company ‘Tabby’ has revolutionized the
world of online shopping in the Middle Eastern countries. Where people used to deal with cash, today people are
easily making purchases on installments with the help of Tabby. This fintech model from Dubai shows how
modernity and tradition can go hand in hand.

8. Tel Aviv

• Company: Rapyd
• CEO: Arik Shtilman

This small city in Israel is known worldwide as the ‘startup nation’. The people here have a unique
spirit of struggle and progress. When Eric Shtilman started ‘Rapyd’, his goal was clear: to make money
transactions around the world as easy as giving money to your neighbor. Rapid has solved the
complexities of currencies and laws of different countries so easily that Tel Aviv has become the
backbone of global trade today.

7. Bangalore

• Company: PhonePe
• CEO: Sameer Nigam

My heart fills with pride when I hear this name! Our own India. When I see a QR code on a vegetable
vendor or a tea truck on the road and as soon as the payment is made, that little speaker says, “Money
received on PhonePe”, then I feel very proud of Bangalore. Sameer Nigam and his ‘PhonePe’ team have
brought digital payments to the remote villages of India. This idea, born in the streets of Bangalore,
has today become an integral part of the lives of 140 crore Indians.

6. São Paulo

• Company: Nubank
• CEO: David Vélez

This city in Brazil is full of excitement, but the old banking system there was a torture for the
common man. It took months to open a bank account. A young man named David Vélez felt this pain of the
people. He dreamed of creating a bank that would not rob people. Born in São Paulo, ‘Nubank’ is today
one of the largest digital banks in the world. David has brought respect to the common man in
banking.

5. Hong Kong

• Company: Airwallex
• CEO: Jack Zhang

Hong Kong has always been a bridge connecting the East and the West. The bustling streets here exude a
different energy of commerce. Jack Zhang realized that banks charged exorbitant fees to small business
owners to send money internationally. He started ‘Airwallex’ to fight this injustice. Today, millions of
small business owners can sell their goods worldwide without any fear or excessive costs because of this
company.

4. San Francisco

• Company: Stripe
• CEO: Patrick Collison

San Francisco’s Silicon Valley is a city of dreams. Here a company called ‘Stripe’ was born. Opening a
shop on the internet was easy, but taking money from customers online was very difficult. Patrick
Collison made this complex coding so easy that today anyone can easily take payments in their online
business. This air of San Francisco is something that makes the impossible seem possible.

3. Singapore

• Company: Grab (GrabFinancial)
• CEO: Anthony Tan

Singapore is the cleanest and most modern city in Asia. Life here is very fast-paced. Anthony Tan
created an app called ‘Grab’ for Singapore and surrounding countries, which fulfills all your needs.
From booking a taxi, to ordering food and paying for things! Grab Financial has made the lives of
millions of people in Southeast Asia extremely smooth and stress-free.

2. New York

• Company: Mastercard
• CEO: Michael Miebach

“The City That Never Sleeps” – New York! From Wall Street to Times Square, only money speaks the
language here. This city is home to a giant company like ‘Mastercard’. You might think that Mastercard
is an old company, but no. Under the leadership of CEO Michael Miebach, this company has completely
transformed itself. This giant New York company is walking shoulder to shoulder with today’s new fintech
startups and guarantees us secure payments.

1. London

• Company: Revolut
• CEO: Nik Storonsky

And finally, the world’s number 1 fintech capital is London! There is no other place where such a
wonderful confluence of history and future exists. This city, located on the banks of the Thames, has
given a super app like ‘Revolut’. Nick Storonsky, after identifying every flaw in the banking system,
created an app in which you can use money, invest in stocks and also manage your budget without any
hidden charges in the country and abroad. London has proven that when it comes to financial innovation,
there is no competition.

When I think about all these companies and cities, one thing becomes clear to me. This is not just
about hard-coded computers or machines. This is about human emotions. This is about the people who have
lost sleep over the nights for us so that we can sleep peacefully. The top 10 fintech capitals of the
world are truly the address of dreams that have taken away the struggles of our daily lives.