According to the latest Crunchbase data, venture funding to fintech companies has been up on a year-over-year basis, so far in 2026, but concentrated into significantly fewer companies.
Global venture funding to fintech startups totalled USD 12 billion across 751 deals in 2026 as of April 6, registering a 5% increase, compared to the USD 11.4 billion raised across 1,097 (or 31.5% fewer) deals during the same time period in 2025. Deal sizes, on the other hand, have been bigger this time around, with late-stage or growth funding in the Q1 totalling USD 6.9 billion, up 8% compared to USD 6.4 billion raised at those stages in the same period in 2025.
“However, sequentially, the USD 12 billion raised is down 33% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, when fintech startups raised USD 17.8 billion globally. The USD 6.9 billion raised in late-stage or growth funding is also down markedly — by 43% — compared to the USD 12.1 billion raised by fintech startups in Q4 2025. The trend in the first quarter also mirrors what we saw in 2025 as a whole, with global venture funding to fintech startups climbing to its highest level in several quarters, boosted by later-stage deals,” Crunchbase reported.
Total global funding to VC-backed financial technology startups totalled USD 53.8 billion in 2025, a 29.3% increase from 2024’s total of USD 41.6 billion raised. American startups, when it comes to beating their peers in the other parts of the world, in terms of raising more funding, continued the trend in the Q1 2026 as well, as out of the USD 12 billion raised globally, just over half (or USD 6.3 billion) flowed to the fintech sector based in the world’s largest economy.
It was a spectacular 47% increase compared to the USD 4.3 billion raised by US fintech startups in Q1 2025. However, it was down 50% from the USD 12.6 billion that the sector raised in Q4 2025.
The United Kingdom was the second-largest recipient of venture capital, with startups in the European country raising a total of USD 1.2 billion. With USD 900 million, India took the third position.
“Several fintech startups raised nine-figure rounds in the first quarter, with some doubling their valuations since their last venture financings. Predictions marketplace Kalshi was the largest recipient of capital in the first quarter. In March, the company doubled its valuation to USD 22 billion in just three months with a $1 billion raise led by Coatue. The New York-based startup had just raised USD 1 billion in Series E funding at an USD 11 billion valuation in December,” the Crunchbase report remarked.
In February, digital savings platform Vestwell raised USD 385 million in a Series E funding round co-led by Blue Owl Capital and Sixth Street Growth. This took the New York-based startup’s valuation to USD 2 billion, double the USD 1 billion valuation it achieved in December 2023. Rain, which is building infrastructure for payments with stablecoins, raised USD 250 million in a Series C funding round led by Iconiq Capital. Its post-money valuation was USD 1.95 billion, up by 17 times from March 2025.