Ecommpay recognised among CNBC's top UK fintechs list

Ecommpay has been named in the CNBC/Statista Top 150 FinTechs list, a ranking of UK fintech companies across seven market segments.

Compiled by CNBC and market data firm Statista, the list focuses on businesses operating in the UK fintech market. It comes as global fintech funding remains uneven, with investors increasingly watching hubs such as the United Arab Emirates and Singapore for new opportunities.

Even so, the UK continues to play a central role in fintech, supported by a large financial services industry and an established venture capital community. London remains a major base for payments, digital banking, wealth technology and financial infrastructure firms serving the UK and overseas markets.

Companies were selected through a combination of Statista desk research and CNBC editorial input. The Top 150 groups firms into seven segments, reflecting the breadth of activity across the UK fintech market.

Ecommpay describes itself as an inclusive payments platform. Founded in 2012, it is headquartered in London. It provides global and local acquiring services, along with payment processing and orchestration through a single API.

The platform also includes tools for open banking, recurring billing and direct debits. Ecommpay says this reduces the need for third-party systems within a payments stack.

Payments focus

Ecommpay operates in a crowded, fast-moving payments market, where providers compete on geographic coverage, acceptance rates, fraud controls and the range of payment methods supported. In the UK, payments firms have also been adapting to changing customer preferences, including the continued growth of digital wallets and bank transfer-based options alongside cards.

Ecommpay says it supports more than 100 payment methods. It also says its services let merchants accept payments in multiple countries through local acquiring arrangements, rather than relying on a single cross-border route.

Regulation remains a key factor for payments companies operating in the UK. Ecommpay UK is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 to provide payment services. The firm is also a principal member of Mastercard and Visa, and its payments platform is certified to Level 1 PCI DSS, a security standard for payment card data.

Company comments

Miranda McLean, Ecommpay's chief marketing officer, linked the company's inclusion in the list to its product and operational priorities.

"We are delighted to be included in this prestigious list. Innovation and sustainability are two of our top priorities, alongside accessibility and inclusivity. We are always working to improve our existing solutions, add new solutions and payment methods, and reduce our environmental impact. It is an honour to have our progress in both areas recognised by World Finance," McLean said.

McLean also referenced World Finance, which is not part of the CNBC/Statista ranking as described by the organisations. Ecommpay did not provide further detail on the reference.

Market backdrop

The UK fintech sector has faced a more selective investment environment than in 2020 and 2021, when valuations rose sharply and capital was abundant. Over the past two years, investors have focused more closely on revenue quality, margins and a clearer path to profitability, particularly in payments and lending.

At the same time, the UK has remained an important market for new launches in payments and financial infrastructure. It benefits from a concentration of multinational banks, card networks, payment processors and technology providers, as well as a regulatory framework that has shaped approaches to customer authentication, open banking and the safeguarding of client funds.

Ecommpay says it is continuing to build out orchestration, open banking, recurring billing and direct debits, and to add payment methods over time.

The CNBC/Statista Top 150 FinTechs list is likely to be watched by founders and investors as a snapshot of which firms are gaining visibility in the UK market. Competition among payments providers continues to centre on coverage, compliance and the ability to connect merchants with local payment options.