The past few weeks saw steady activity in the global fintech and payments space, with funding rounds focused not just on growth, but on improving strategic infrastructure, geographic expansion, and deepening localisation. From AI-driven compliance tools to B2B payment automation, investors showed confidence in both emerging and established players across the sector.
Innovating the infrastructure
One of the most consistent themes in April’s funding landscape was the reinforcement of financial infrastructure across both B2B and retail services, a trend that aligns with recent investor interest in scalable, tech-driven back-end solutions. In the B2B space, US-based FlexPoint raised USD 12 million in a Series A round to scale its partner-led payment network. The funds will support accelerated product development and platform expansion, targeting inefficiencies in vendor payments and financial reconciliation. Similarly, Alternative Payments secured USD 22 million to digitise and automate payment workflows in sectors that have traditionally lagged in fintech adoption (such as IT services and blue-collar industries) demonstrating how infrastructure innovation is beginning to penetrate more niche verticals.
Salsa, another infrastructure-focused startup, closed a USD 20 million Series A to simplify payroll systems. The company’s product is built with Embedded Finance in mind, allowing businesses to integrate banking, payment, and HR functionalities – a signal that investor appetite for embedded financial tools remains strong in 2025.
Meanwhile, in emerging markets, infrastructure development is closely linked to financial inclusion. Egyptian startup Money Fellows raised USD 13 million, bringing its total funding to over USD 60 million. The company digitises traditional ROSCA (rotating savings and credit association) models, with expansion plans targeting Morocco and broader North Africa. This approach merges culturally embedded financial practices with digital convenience.
Also focused on underserved regions, PayTic secured USD 4 million to accelerate its growth in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. The company’s core mission is to build out digital payment infrastructure in frontier markets, underlining a broader trend of capital flowing into African fintech as investors look for long-term growth opportunities beyond saturated Western ecosystems.
Another clear trend in April’s funding landscape was the strategic push for global expansion, particularly into emerging and high-growth markets, as fintechs sought to diversify revenue streams, reach untapped user segments, and localise services at scale. In the UK, Zopa raised USD 107 million in Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital. The funding is aimed at reinforcing the company’s balance sheet while avoiding shareholder dilution as Zopa prepares to roll out a current account offering, marking its entry into the everyday banking sector. This shift signals a broader ambition to evolve from a digital lender into a full-service challenger bank.
Cross-border payments also remained a hotbed of activity. Singapore-based Thunes raised USD 150 million in a Series D round to expand its US presence and sharpen its competitive edge in the global remittances market, where scale and local regulatory integration are critical. Zepz, the parent company of WorldRemit and Sendwave, raised an even larger USD 165 million, with plans to launch a digital wallet by 2025. The wallet will include savings, insurance, and microloan features, positioning Zepz as a full-stack financial hub for its 9 million users spread across 4,600 payment corridors.
Also targeting cross-border expansion is Navro, which secured USD 41 million in a Series B round to fuel its growth into Dubai, Hong Kong, India, and additional US states. The company is improving its payment orchestration platform, offering access to 30+ digital wallets and a growing suite of real-time payment options, all streamlined through a single API and contract.
In Europe, growth capital continued to flow into scale-ups aiming to deepen localisation and expand customer bases. FINOM raised USD 104.5 million in a growth round led by General Catalyst, which will be used to accelerate customer acquisition and localised service development across the continent’s fragmented SME finance landscape. Froda secured USD 22.6 million to further its SME lending operations across Europe, focusing on embedded financing via partnerships with neobanks and payment providers. Meanwhile, BKN301 Group brought in USD 24.3 million, with plans to grow its BaaS platform through a combination of organic expansion and acquisitions, targeting underserved financial ecosystems in Southern and Eastern Europe.
Asian and MENA markets also demonstrated momentum. Turkish fintech Sipay raised USD 78 million to scale into emerging markets, focusing on enabling cross-border payment solutions and Embedded Finance for ecommerce players. In MENA, Fuse raised USD 6.6 million to build out real-time cross-border payment infrastructure, catering to a growing demand for B2B financial rails across the region. Meanwhile, South African firm Stitch closed USD 55 million to improve its payment optimisation suite for businesses, addressing infrastructure gaps in high-growth African markets.
Together, these funding rounds reflect a clear investor appetite for scalable, borderless fintech models – especially those that combine strong infrastructure with localisation and a roadmap for monetising emerging-market growth.
AI and compliance on the rise
Another theme that seemed to emerge looking into this April fintech funding activity is the strategic integration of AI and compliance technologies, as startups and scale-ups respond to heightened regulatory scrutiny and the growing demand for automation across financial ecosystems. According to data from FSFFA, total funding for Q1 2025 reached USD 2.3 billion, reflecting a 63% rise from the USD 1.4 billion raised in Q4 2024, with part of the share targeting solutions that leverage AI to improve speed, accuracy, and scalability in risk and compliance functions.
In Europe, German regtech Hawk secured USD 56 million to accelerate the international rollout of its AI-powered financial crime detection tools. The company’s platform has seen growing uptake among both traditional banks and neobanks grappling with tightening regulatory expectations. The funding will also support Hawk’s product development roadmap as it expands into new markets where financial institutions are under pressure to modernise legacy compliance infrastructure.
Meanwhile, in India, Juspay raised USD 60 million in a Series D round to deepen its investment in AI-driven payment technologies. Known for its modular, API-first approach, Juspay is focusing on improving merchant-facing tools that reduce operational complexity, increase checkout conversions, and ensure compliance with India’s evolving digital payments regulations.
The trend also extended to consumer financial well-being, where firms are integrating AI with Open Banking to provide more personalised and automated services. Australia’s WeMoney raised USD 12 million to grow its platform of AI-powered financial health tools, aimed at helping consumers manage debt, build savings, and make informed financial decisions through insights derived from Open Banking data.
In the business verification space, Duna stood out with a USD 12.1 million seed round to enhance KYB solutions. Duna’s tools help fintechs and financial institutions simplify onboarding, monitor risk, and stay compliant with increasingly complex AML and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) laws. Its growth mirrors a wider industry push toward automated identity verification, as firms seek to reduce onboarding friction without compromising compliance.
Conclusion
From Embedded Finance and payment orchestration to AI-driven compliance and cross-border expansion, investors are clearly backing companies that offer not only innovation but resilience.
The shift towards infrastructure, localisation, and automation highlights a growing recognition that long-term success in fintech hinges on mastering complexity, which means navigating regional regulatory environments, integrating real-time financial tools, or embedding financial services into broader business ecosystems. This month’s funding rounds suggest that capital is flowing toward businesses that combine technical agility with strategic depth.As 2025 progresses, we can expect continued investor focus on companies solving operational bottlenecks, driving financial inclusion, and bridging digital infrastructure gaps.
About Claudia Pincovski
Claudia is a News Lead Editor at The Paypers. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, she is very passionate about exploring the latest news on financial inclusion, financial literacy, digital banking, and Open Finance. Claudia is a diligent researcher, a meticulous editor, and an active advocate for diversity and inclusion.
