Now that the nominations for the 2026 Finovate Awards are open and the judging teams are being assembled, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the winners of last year’s competition.

The 2025 Finovate Awards featured a wide variety of companies from around the world, all competing for top industry honors in more than 25 different categories. Here, we present a seven-member sampling of that year’s category-winning companies, from Best Anti-Fraud Platform to Best Wealth Management Solution.

The 2026 Finovate Awards will be announced September 10 during FinovateFall 2026 in New York. The nominations window remains open until May 22. To learn more and to nominate your favorite fintech company, bank, solution, or financial services professional, visit our Finovate Awards hub today!

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Best Anti-Fraud/AML Solution – Oscilar

For its technology that powers real-time risk decisioning across fraud, credit, and compliance with a single unified solution. The company’s no-code AI Risk Decisioning platform leverages agentic AI and advanced signal processing to analyze complex data, detect anomalies, and automate decisions quickly and accurately. Learn more about Oscilar.

Best Banking-as-a-Service Provider – Zindigi-JS Bank

For its platform that empowers users to take control of their finances, providing them with an all-in-one finance app that enables them to securely move money, purchase mobile credit for any number, pay bills, invest in mutual funds, and more. Users can access an enhanced experience with Zindigi Ultra, which provides increased transaction limits and seamless international transactions. Learn more about JS Bank’s Zindigi.

Best Consumer Lending Solution – Wisetack

For its platform that provides embedded pay-over-time options for in-person services such as HVAC repair, plumbing, electrical, fencing and flooring, pest management, and more. Via APIs, Wisetack can be embedded into any software or user experience, putting the technology directly into the software tools that businesses are already using. Learn more about Wisetack.

Best Consumer-Facing Payments Solution – Engage People

For its Access Plus platform that serves more than 80 million active members who can use points to pay at a range of major retailers including Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, and PayPal. Engage People leverages agentic loyalty to transform traditional loyalty programs into AI-powered shopping experiences in which members engage with a personal agent that knows their balance and their preferences. Learn more about Engage People.

Best Digital Bank – Nubank

For serving more than 100 million customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia with one of the largest digital banking platforms in the world. The company, known as Nu, leverages proprietary technologies and innovative business strategies to offer individuals and small businesses simple, intuitive, low-cost, empowering financial solutions. Learn more about Nu.

Best Financial Mobile App – DBS Bank

For its DBS digibank app that enables users to manage a range of banking tasks with just a few taps on their smartphone. Users can enjoy up to 5% interest per annum on their savings, conduct free 24×7 fund transfers via UPI, IMPS, NEFT, and RTGS, make fee-free mutual fund investments, quickly access loans, and more. DBS is a leading financial services group headquartered in Singapore with a presence in 19 markets. Learn more about DBS Bank.

Best Wealth Management Solution – Flourish: Enabling Wealth 3.0

For its Flourish Platform that supports more than $8 billion in assets under management and is used by more than 1,100 wealth management firms representing more than $2.6 trillion in assets under management. The company’s technology empowers RIAs to implement the holistic financial plans that they create for their clients, helping advisors move beyond the traditional stocks-and-bonds portfolio to offer comprehensive financial services that address clients’ entire financial lives. Learn more about Flourish.

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Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

The 2026 Finovate Awards are here! Celebrating the best and brightest in fintech and financial services, this year’s awards will crown more than 30 winners in fields such as payments, lending, alternative investing, financial inclusion, and more! Nominations are now open, so check out this year’s Finovate Awards categories and submit your nomination. Submit before April 24 and save $100 on the nomination fee.

This year’s competition will be judged by a team of experts from the banking, fintech, and financial services industries. “An award is only worth something if the people giving it know their stuff, and our amazing lineup of judges this year should be exciting for everyone involved,” Finovate VP of Strategy Greg Palmer said, “It’s great to see so much talent on the roster!”

Take a look for yourself at this year’s selection committee. Also joining this year’s judging team will be Finovate VPs Greg Palmer and Heather Stowell, along with Finovate Research Analysts Julie Muhn and David Penn.

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Mary Wisniewski, Editor-at-Large, Cornerstone Advisors

Wisniewski is editor-at-large at Cornerstone Advisors where she helps shape content strategy and hosts Money Isn’t Everything, a biweekly podcast that explores early-stage fintech ideas. She also writes a monthly editor’s note, Finteching with Mary, on LinkedIn.

A frequent speaker at leading digital banking events, Wisniewski has covered fintech and digital banking for more than 12 years, with bylines in GonzoBanker, American Banker, Bankrate, the Associated Press, and more.

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Kilian Thalhammer, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank AG

With more than 20 years in payments, fintech, e-commerce, and loyalty, Thalhammer is an expert in managing critical product, strategy and business development issues. After being Director Solutions for the Swiss Post, he joined RatePay (Otto Group) as CPO and was global CPO of PAYMILL (Rocket Internet) until 2014.

Kilian is now responsible for the business unit merchant solutions at Deutsche Bank. This covers Deutsche Bank’s global issuing and acceptance business and the business with fintech, platform & technology clients.

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Noel Stave, Chief Technology Officer, RBC Clearing & Custody

Stave serves as Chief Technology Officer of RBC Clearing & Custody, where he has built a 25-year career spanning leadership roles across technology, finance, and operations—most recently as Chief Operating Officer before assuming his current position in 2021.

As CTO, Stave oversees technology product management, technology strategy, data management, engineering, fintech partnerships, service & support, technology training, and consulting for the firm.

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Lisa Gold Schier, Advisor, Reading Cooperative Bank

Schier is a trusted C-Suite adviser specializing in fintech evaluation and go-to-market strategy within the banking and technology sectors. She brings deep expertise in assessing financial technology solutions and guiding their successful market entry and adoption by financial institutions. 

Schier is recognized for building and leading strategic partnerships from ideation through contract negotiation to financial institution adoption and ongoing business development. 

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Glen Sarvady, Founder, 154 Advisors

Sarvady is a 25 year veteran of the payments and fintech industries. His firm 154 Advisors provides actionable insights, data-driven analysis and strategy formulation to help FIs navigate the rapidly evolving payments landscape.

Sarvady is a former Federal Reserve Bank examiner and part of the startup team that launched the University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit Union. He also managed Deluxe’s financial services check and payments programs for two years.

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Carey Ransom, Managing Director, BankTech Ventures

Ransom is an SaaS entrepreneur, executive, investor, and advisor. He has started, grown, and/or led eight B2B and consumer SaaS companies during startup and growth phases.

He is currently the Managing Director of BankTech Ventures, a strategic investment fund focused on empowering disruptive technologies for community banks. Founded and funded by leaders in the community banking world and endorsed by the ICBA (Independent Community Bankers of America) and The Venture Center, the fund won Finovate’s 2020 Accelerator of the Year.

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Jim Perry, Senior Strategist, Market Insights

As Senior Strategist at Market Insights, Perry helps financial institutions across the country make smarter decisions and unlock new paths to growth through custom research and data-driven strategy. A trusted advisor to banks and credit unions across the US, Perry brings clarity to complex challenges and a fresh perspective to conversations about growth, innovation, and relevance in a rapidly changing landscape.

Co-founder of the Fintech Book Club and named one of the “Top 100 Fintech Influencers” by Onalytics, Perry is a regular on the speaker circuit at industry events from local associations to global conferences.

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Lohith Paripati, Product Leader, Walmart

Paripati is a seasoned product leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling fintech and commerce platforms. He currently leads AI-driven initiatives for Walmart Marketplace sellers, focusing on applying generative AI to payments and financial workflows to drive growth and efficiency at scale.

Paripati brings deep expertise in payments, monetization, and platform strategy, with a strong focus on aligning customer value with business outcomes. 

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Tiffani Montez, Principal Analyst, EMARKETER

Montez is Principal Analyst leading the Analyst Access Program for Financial Services at EMARKETER formerly Insider Intelligence. She oversees the content across Banking, which provides actionable insights on advancements in how value is stored, managed, transferred, and spent, for an audience of top banks and neobanks. 

Her unique blend of experience as a practitioner, analyst, and vendor solution provider gives her the foundation to be able to provide thought leadership to clients through all lenses of the financial services ecosystem.

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William Mills III, Chief Executive Officer, William Mills Agency

Mills joined the firm in 1983 and founded their public relations services in 1989 which now accounts for more than 90% of their billings. He serves as lead consultant for the agency’s clients and has personally advised more than 500 C-level executives on marketing strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, company branding and public relations.

Mills’ other responsibilities include agency financial management, client consulting and leading business development and marketing services for the agency.

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Eric McCabe, Head of Embedded Finance, Citizens

McCabe serves as Head of Embedded Finance at Citizens. In this capacity he guides the bank’s effort to embed Citizens financial products in third-party platforms used by Citizens customers, and to enable platforms, brands, and fintechs to provide financial services to their customers, backed by Citizens.

Prior to joining Citizens, McCabe held roles in Embedded Payments, Fintech Strategy, Product and Operations at SVB and Citi. 

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Suraj Manjunath, Executive Director, Investment Banking Technology, JP Morgan

Manjunath is a senior product leader shaping the future of investment banking through AI-driven innovation. He is experienced in leading large, cross-functional teams to drive strategic change and unlock growth, efficiency, and competitive advantage across the global investment banking ecosystem.

Manjunath specializes in applying artificial intelligence, automation, and data-led insight to reimagine how financial institutions operate, make decisions, and deliver value. 

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Luther Liang, SVP, Head of Product, Grasshopper Bank

Liang leads the strategy and execution behind fintech products that empower small businesses, consumers, commercial enterprises, and fintech (Banking-as-a-Service) partners.

Grasshopper’s product roadmap to delivered the bank a premium exit at ~2.5x tangible book value $369M acquisition by Enova International in December 2025 that significantly outperformed the 1.5x industry median.

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Sam Kilmer, Managing Director, Cornerstone Advisors

Kilmer leads Cornerstone Advisors’ fintech advisory practice working with industry providers, fintechs, and investors. He also leads selective strategy engagements with banks and credit unions. Sam’s prior experience includes leadership at two financial tech firms and two midsize banks including digital banking, marketing, analytics, implementations, partnerships, and strategy.

Kilmer is a nationally sought-after speaker, industry research author, host of Fintech Hustle podcast, and a contributor to GonzoBanker and the industry press.

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Bruno Jivan, Head of Innovation and Research, Novobanco

Jivan is Director of Innovation & Research at novobanco. He has broad and diversified experience across the financial sector, including credit analysis, risk, project finance, M&A, product, marketing, transformation and innovation.

In his current role, he focuses on fostering innovation culture and mindset, strengthening connections with the fintech ecosystem, and leading the large‑scale adoption of AI across the organization to deliver practical, customer‑centric impact.

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Nicolai Farcas, Chief Technology Officer, Consumer, Small & Business Banking Digital, Wells Fargo Bank

Farcas is a senior executive leader with over 25 years of experience driving enterprise strategy, transformation, and execution across global financial services organizations. He specializes in Consumer and Small Business Banking, including the Move Money portfolio, enterprise PMO leadership, and large-scale business and technology transformation initiatives.

During his tenure at Wells Fargo, Nicolai has held senior leadership roles including Global C-Suite Executive, Chief Technology Officer, and Head of the Project Management Office (PMO). 

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Sam Das, Managing Director, TruStage Ventures

Das is Managing Director of TruStage Ventures, the venture capital arm of TruStage. Since joining, Das has focused on sourcing, investing and advising early-stage fintech and insurtech startups. He is also the Vice President of Corporate Development at TruStage, evaluating and executing a broad range of strategic transactions for the organization. Das joined TruStage in 2017.

Prior to joining TruStage, Das was the founder and CEO of a fintech startup and served as an investment banker at firms including Houlihan Lokey and Fox-Pitt, Kelton. 

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Sushma Daggubati, Manager of Product Management, Mastercard

Since 2016, and over her eight years at Mastercard, Daggubati has consistently progressed to more challenging positions every two years from release management to software engineering, leading to her current position, denoting an exceptional ability to transition from pure technical roles to more commercial ones.

She has also contributed to the industry by developing several patents which have been cited by some of the world’s largest and most prestigious firms including Shopify, Walmart, and Worldpay.

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Soner Canko, Founder, SC Management Advisory

Canko graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences at Istanbul University, where he also earned his Master’s and PhD degrees. He began his career in multinational corporations, holding various roles at Procter & Gamble, Citibank, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and First Data.

Recognized for his work in financial technologies, Canko currently serves as a management consultant and independent board member. He is also actively involved in the following platforms: Turkish Enterprise Institutions, FinTech Istanbul, Blockchain Türkiye.

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Tanya Andreasyan, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, FinTech Futures

Andreasyan is MD and Editor-in-Chief of FinTech Futures, the definitive source of intelligence for the global fintech sector. An experienced journalist and a long-term resident of the fintech ecosystem, she has extensive understanding and knowledge of the industry and its participants.

With in-depth coverage of fintech issues on a worldwide scale, FinTech Futures is a leading resource for technology buyers, sellers, developers, integrators and other specialists across the sector.

The Finovate Awards are back, which means nominations for 2026 are officially open! Each year, the Finovate Awards recognize the companies, financial institutions, and individuals pushing the boundaries of financial services. The program highlights the newest tools, solutions, and ideas shaping how money moves, grows, and is managed.

Today, we’re unveiling the full list of 31 award categories for 2026, including several new additions.

Whether you’re building, partnering, or leading in fintech, there’s a category designed to recognize your impact. Check out the full list below:

Awards for Banks and Financial Institutions

These categories spotlight banks and financial institutions delivering standout innovation and customer value:

• Best Anti-Fraud/AML Solution
• Best Banking as a Service Provider
• Best Consumer Lending Solution
• Best Customer Experience Solution
• Best Digital Bank
• Best Financial Mobile App
• Best Marketing/Customer Acquisition Solution
• Best Wealth Management Solution
• Excellence in Open Banking/Open Finance
• Top Fintech VC

Why it matters:
In today’s era of increasing competition and elevated customer expectations, banks must now compete on experience, infrastructure, and ecosystem participation. These categories recognize institutions that are evolving beyond traditional models to meet modern expectations.

Awards for Banks, FIs, and Fintechs

These categories highlight collaboration, infrastructure, and breakthrough innovation across the ecosystem:

• Best Consumer-Facing Payments Solution
• Best Corporate Payments Solution
• Best Cryptocurrency Application for FIs
• Best Enterprise Payments Solution
• Best Fintech Partnership
• Best Generative AI Solution
• Best ID Management/KYC Solution
• Best Insurtech Solution
• Best RegTech Solution
• Best SMB/SME Banking Solution
• Excellence in Financial Inclusion
• Excellence in Sustainability
• Most Impactful AI-Based Solution
• Excellence in Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits, or Tokenized Assets
• Excellence in Risk Management

Why it matters:
AI is moving from pilot and into production, tokenization is altering infrastructure, and partnerships are becoming the default path to innovation. These categories show the industry’s shift from standalone tools to a more connected financial ecosystem.

Awards for Fintechs and Technology Firms

These categories focus on the builders powering the next generation of financial services:

• Best Alternative Investments Solution
• Best Back-Office/Core Services Solution
• Best Embedded Finance Solution
• Top Emerging Fintech Company

Why it matters:
The most important fintech innovations today are often invisible to the end user because they are embedded into workflows, infrastructure, and platforms. These awards recognize the companies building the infrastructure behind modern finance.

Awards for Individuals

These categories celebrate the people driving the industry forward:

• Executive of the Year
• Innovator of the Year

Why it matters:
Behind every breakthrough product or platform is leadership and vision. These awards recognize the individuals shaping the direction of fintech.

Submit Your Nomination

If you’re building, scaling, or leading in fintech, now is the time to put your work forward. Submit your nomination today and save when you apply before the early-bird deadline of April 24, 2026.

The Finovate Awards are designed to spotlight what’s new and what’s working. And in 2026, when the industry is moving from experimentation to execution using a range of new technologies, we’re excited to help differentiate between the solutions that show promise and the ones delivering real, measurable impact.

Once again, Finovate celebrates fintech’s best and brightest with the 2026 Finovate Awards!

Every year, the Finovate Awards showcase the banks, credit unions, financial service providers, and fintechs that are driving innovation in our industry. With award categories recognizing achievement in consumer lending, digital banking, fintech partnerships, and more, the 2026 Finovate Awards will crown winners in more than 30 different categories!

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION

Now in its eighth year, the Finovate Awards recognize both individuals and organizations who are creating meaningful advances in financial technology. From making payments faster, safer, and easier, to helping small businesses secure the financing they need to grow, to promoting greater financial inclusion and wellness, Finovate Award winners are leaders in their respective fields, setting the pace for innovation in financial services today.

Why apply?

• Showcase your innovation! Highlight your innovations to the broader banking and fintech community.
• Gain recognition from industry experts! Boost confidence with customers, partners, and investors as an acknowledged industry leader.
• Position yourself as a pioneer! Establish your firm as a key driver of innovation in financial services.

Here’s a look at last year’s Finovate Award winners.

Submit your nomination today! Entry criteria and instructions are available at our Finovate Awards hub. Winners will be announced during FinovateFall 2026 in September.

Don’t delay! The Finovate Awards nomination window will run through May 22. Submit your nomination before April 24 and save $100.

Questions? Email us at [email protected]!

We are thrilled to unveil the winners of the 2025 Finovate Awards! This is our opportunity to recognize companies driving fintech innovation forward and individuals bringing new ideas to life across 26 categories.

The finalists

This year’s Finovate Awards brought together leading banks, fintech firms, and individuals across 26 categories. After reviewing hundreds of applications, we first announced our finalists last month. Now, after weeks of deliberation, our expert judging panel has selected the winners.

The judges

Our awards are meaningful because they are decided by a panel of industry experts, representing a diverse range of perspectives across banking, fintech, investing, and technology. This group of fintech experts has had the difficult task of selecting the final winners, and their work is now complete.

The winners

Without further ado, here are the 26 winning companies of the 2025 Finovate Awards. Congratulations to all! These companies and leaders represent the best of fintech innovation today. Which winner are you most excited about? Join the conversation and share your thoughts on social.

Best Alternative Investment Solution	InvestiFi
Best Anti-Fraud/AML Solution	Oscilar
Best Back-Office/Core Services Solution	SAP Fioneer
Best Banking as a Service Provider	Zindigi
Best Consumer Lending Solution	Wisetack
Best Consumer-Facing Payments Solution	Engage People
Best Corporate Payments Solution	TransferMate
Best Customer Experience Solution	Millennium bcp
Best Digital Bank	Nubank
Best Embedded Finance Solution	Union Credit
Best Enterprise Payments Solution	Checkout.com
Best Financial Mobile App	DBS Bank
Best Fintech Partnership	Engine by Starling, GFT Technologies & Salt
Best Generative AI Solution	DataVisor
Best ID Management/KYC Solution	Incode Technologies
Best Insurtech Solution	Clearwater Analytics
Best Marketing/Customer Acquisition Solution	BMO
Best RegTech Solution	FinScan
Best SMB/SME Banking Solution	Apiture
Best Wealth Management Solution	Flourish
Excellence in Financial Inclusion	PayJoy
Excellence in Sustainability	VyStar
Executive of the Year	Raj Seshadri
Innovator of the Year	Chandini Jain
Most Impactful AI-Based Solution	Talkdesk
Top Emerging Fintech Company	Winnow

Photo by Designecologist

The finalists are in! We have just announced the finalists of our 2025 Finovate Awards! Now in its seventh year, the Finovate Awards celebrate the best in fintech across a wide range of categories—from digital banking and payments to sustainability, AI, and consumer lending. The awards aim to spotlight the companies and individuals driving the future of financial services.

This year’s finalists represent a diverse mix of startups, established players, and forward-thinking financial institutions and individuals. There are 30 categories in this year’s awards, including Best Embedded Finance Solution, Executive of the Year, Most Impactful AI-Based Solution, Best Banking-as-a-Service Provider, plus many more.

The bar to become a finalist has never been higher. We saw a huge number of high-quality nominations, and that’s reflected in the quality of the finalists. Check out the list of organizations and individuals who made the cut. Congratulations to this year’s finalists!

What’s next?

Winners will be chosen by a panel of esteemed industry judges who will spend the next month deliberating. The winners will be unveiled on September 9 at FinovateFall in New York City. If you’re attending FinovateFall, you won’t want to miss it!

If you have any questions about the awards, please let us know [email protected].

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Photo by Ivan Samkov

Today is the day! We are unveiling the 24 winners of the 2024 Finovate Awards. Each winning company, organization, or individual has proved their worth through a rigerous application process, competing with dozens of other highly qualified candidates.

The Finovate Awards honor both established institutions and rising stars that have made significant strides in delivering cutting-edge products and services to the financial sector. Each winner was selected from the a group of finalists that have each demonstrated exceptional contributions to society and developed groundbreaking solutions that have reshaped the fintech landscape.

Without further ado, let’s celebrate the visionaries and innovators who have earned their place in the spotlight as this year’s Finovate Award winners!

Best Alternative Investment Solution	Frec
Best Anti-Fraud/AML Solution	JP Morgan AWM
Best Back-Office/Core Services Solution	MasterCard Cybersecurity
Best Banking as a Service Provider	Pathward, N.A.
Best Consumer Lending Solution	Prosper
Best Consumer-Facing Payments Solution	Transact Campus
Best Corporate Payments Solution	BILL
Best Customer Experience Solution	Millennium BCP
Best Digital Bank	RCBC
Best Embedded Finance Solution	QuickFi
Best Enterprise Payments Solution	APEXX Global
Best Financial Mobile App	Industrial Bank of Korea
Best Fintech Partnership	American Heritage CU and Datava
Best Generative AI Solution	Socure
Best Insurtech Solution	Kakaopay Insurance
Best RegTech Solution	Winnow Solutions
Best SMB/SME Banking Solution	TD Bank
Best Wealth Management Solution	JP Morgan AWM
Excellence in Financial Inclusion	Omniscient
Excellence in Sustainability	MPOWER Financing
Executive of the Year	Roben Dunkin, PGIM
Innovator of the Year	Ken Moore, MasterCard
Most Impactful AI-Based Solution	Brex
Top Emerging Fintech	Lettuce Financial

Photo by Quan Nguyen on Unsplash

We’re excited to announce that the shortlist for the Finovate Awards 2023 has just been announced.

This is the fifth annual Finovate Awards, and the bar to become a finalist has never been higher. We saw a huge number of high-quality nominations, and that’s reflected in the quality of the finalists.

Congratulations to this year’s finalists!

View finalists

There are 25 categories in this year’s awards including Best Embedded Finance Solution, Executive of the Year, Best Digital Bank, Best Fintech Partnership, plus many more.

Winners will be chosen by a panel of esteemed industry judges. Take a look at the full judges’ lineup here.

This year we won’t be having a physical awards ceremony, but winners will be announced through digital channels and at the second day of FinovateFall in September.

If you have any questions about the awards, please let us know [email protected].

Due to the number of extension requests we’ve received, Finovate has decided to extend the Finovate Awards nomination deadline to June 16. Our aim is to celebrate the best and brightest the fintech industry has to offer, and we want to make sure everyone is able to get their entries into the mix.

The 2023 Finovate Awards winners will be announced during FinovateFall in New York, and we’ll be crowning winners in fields like alternative investing, payments, UX/CX, DeFi, and more. Here’s a complete list of categories, including two that are brand new for this year, Best Use of Robotic Process Automation, and Best Banking as a Service Provider. 

Once all the nominations are in, we’ll be announcing the finalists in mid-July. Given the increasingly competitive nature of the awards, making it to the final stage is already an strong mark of distinction. 

Don’t miss out on your chance to celebrate your team’s success. Submit your nomination today!