Top 10 FinTech Accelerators And Incubators In Europe

Simon Pearson
4 min readFeb 26, 2020

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Top 10 FinTech Accelerators And Incubators In Europe

As it was pointed out by Deloitte in a recent report, the thinking of many financial institutions has evolved, and they are now seeking more to team with these emerging technology fintech companies to gain access to new markets and products, greater efficiencies, or just the “secret sauce” that makes innovation go. At the same time, many fintechs themselves have sought to join with large financial institutions to expand into markets, gain industry and regulatory knowledge, and even simply cash out.

Accelerators and incubators are the the perfect meeting point where these two players can share their ideas and solutions. Accelerators look for new companies that are further along in the process. Their services focus on connecting startups with investors and influencers. On the other hand, incubators offer new players seed funding, help to develop a business model, provide connections with development expertise, and often a place to work.

Top 10 Fintech Accelerators and Incubators in Europe

Level39

Level39 is probably Europe’s largest technology accelerator specialized in finance, retail, cyber-security and futures cities technology companies. Some of the biggest fintech players have started from there, like Revolut or eToro. Owned wholly by the Canary Wharf Group, Level39 launched in March 2013.

Kickstart Accelerator

Kickstart Accelerator claims to be Europe’s largest multi-corporate and equity-free accelerator program welcoming some 60 founders from around the world every year. The accelerator program, which is a 11-week long program, is an initiative of Impact Hub Zurich in partnership with digitalswitzerland and is open to early-stage startups with a promising prototype within six verticals: fintech, smart cities, robotics and smart systems, healthcare, edtech and food.

Startupbootcamp Fintech

Denmark based Startupbootcamp is another case of success. The accelerator program started in 2010 and it has become now a global network of industry-focused startup accelerators with 17 accelerator programs across 11 cities. In Europe, Startupbootcamp runs annual programs in locations such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin and Haifa. Each program of Startupbootcamp focuses on a specific industry.

Global Fintech funding tops $24.6B in 2019. Source: CB Insights

Fintech Innovation Lab

Fintech Innovation Lab is a 12-week program by Accenture that helps early-to growth-stage startup companies refine and test their value proposition with the support of the world’s leading financial service firms. The mentorship program runs in London, Dublin, Hong Kong and New York.

F10 Incubator and Accelerator

F10 Incubator and Accelerator is the innovation center of SIX, a financial services provider that operates the infrastructure of Switzerland’s financial center. The Zurich-based incubator and accelerator aims to support and guide startups in transforming their ideas into successful companies while stimulating worldwide collaboration with international finance organizations.

Barclays Accelerator

Powered by Techstars, the Barclay Accelerator is a 13-week program focused on fintech run by a full-time, dedicated Techstars team. The program runs in four locations: New York, London, Cape Town and Tel Aviv.

Top 10 Fintech Incubators and Accelerators in Europe. Source: Fintech Switzerland

Citi Ventures Fintech Accelerator

Located in Tel Aviv, Citi Ventures’ fintech accelerator program aims to accelerate innovation through comprehensive programs and partnerships for entrepreneurs. Started in 2013, the program has since supported six classes, with over 55 startups graduating from the four-month program.

ING Fintech Village

The ING Fintech Village is an initiative powered by ING Belgium in strong collaboration with ING Luxembourg, ING Netherlands, the ING Group and other key partners. Located in Diegem, Belgium, the 16-week program is targeted at technology-driven startups that offer solutions relevant for financial institutions and/or which can help the firm provide superior financial services to its customers. The program is open to startups that are close to the Proof of Concept stage.

FinLab

Established in late-2014, FinLab is a German early stage investor and incubator specializing in the fintech sector. FinLab focuses on developing German fintech startups and providing venture capital for their financial needs.

Copenhagen Fintech

Copenhagen Fintech is a joint initiative by the Danish Bankers Association, the City of Denmark and Financial Services Union Denmark, and it was established as a non-profit organization with partners from different sectors. The member-driven organization aims to connect its entrepreneurs with regulators, policy-makers, educators, researchers, policy-makers and Fintech companies both in Denmark and abroad.

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Simon Pearson

Writer and researcher in finance, asset management and investment. Thought leader in fintech, digital transformation trends, AI and blockchain