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The State of Fintech 2026

European fintech is not one market moving in one direction. Some segments are growing with real conviction. Others are contracting quietly behind numbers that look healthier than they are. And the decisions companies made about hiring, culture, and structure over the past few years are now showing up clearly in the data.

Produced by PCN in partnership with Money20/20, this report covers the most significant companies across six segments of European fintech, payments processing, open banking, embedded finance, neobanks, cross-border & FX, and BNPL. For each segment, it maps workforce growth and contraction, attrition and retention, the functions companies are building, the skills they’re chasing, and the cities where the talent is actually concentrating.

Beyond the talent data, the report covers the full market context, where investment went, how valuations shifted, which M&A deals reshaped the landscape, and what the rise of AI is doing to how fintech companies hire and build their teams.

What comes out of it is a clear, honest picture of which parts of European fintech have real momentum, which are under more pressure than their headlines suggest, and what the market is likely to look like in the years ahead.

If you work in fintech, hire for it, invest in it, or are thinking about joining it, this is the most complete view of where the European market stands right now.

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