Annually, CB Insights employs a synergistic blend of big data algorithms and tools to curate a list of the top 250 standout private fintech companies globally. CB Insights operates a business analytics platform, a global database, and its proprietary Mosaic scoring tool, enabling in-depth market analysis, company information scrutiny, and investment attractiveness evaluation. In 2022, over 12,500 enterprises were examined, assessing their financial health, market impact, technological prowess, founder profiles, and overall team readiness.
Fintech emerged as the most represented category, accounting for over 47% of the total participants. Payment processing and networks (13%) maintained their high-ranking positions for the second consecutive year, exemplified by POS system pioneers such as SumUp and CloudWalk.
Insurance captured 10% of the winning spots, led by India-focused Digit Insurance. Another 10% was allocated to the cryptocurrency sector, featuring entities like Binance, Web3 infrastructure providers ConsenSys, Fireblocks, among others.
The list also included 159 unicorn companies, each valued at over $1 billion. These industry-leading enterprises are headquartered in 33 countries, with 53% based in the United States. The United Kingdom followed with 12%, then India with 6%, Brazil with 4%, and Germany with 3%.
Companies from emerging markets like India, South America, and Africa focused on expanding services in their local regions and also made it into the top 250. Approximately 64% of fintech firms deemed most promising in 2021 retained this prestigious status in 2022. For instance, some of the largest B2B fintech organizations include Stripe, valued at $74 billion, Checkout.com at $40 billion, Plaid at $13.5 billion, and Brex at $12.3 billion.
The Fintech 250 winners boasted an impressive capital influx, attracting approximately $20 billion through equity financing in over 150 transactions from October 2021 to September 2022.