8 European Fintech Entrepreneurs Who Transformed Startups into Global Giants

Fintech is advancing at a breakneck pace, leaving no room for hesitation or fear of risk. Only the boldest innovators stay ahead, redefining the rules and shaping the future of finance.

In this ranking, we spotlight eight European visionaries who transformed their startups into global powerhouses. They're not just building businesses; they're revolutionizing the way millions of people manage money. As the minds behind leading payment platforms, fintech services, and crypto exchanges, they are bringing the future within reach.

Company: Stripe

Irish brothers John and Patrick Collison founded Stripe in 2010, using funds from the sale of their previous venture. At the time, Patrick was just 22, and John was 20. A year later, they dropped out of university to fully commit to their project.

Under their leadership, the fintech startup—designed to act as an intermediary between businesses and banks—attracted investments from Elon Musk, Alphabet, and venture capital giants Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. Over the past 15 years, Stripe has grown into one of the world's largest private fintech companies, now valued at over $70 billion. Each Collison brother has amassed a net worth of $7.17 billion.

Stripe's clients range from small businesses to global giants like Airbnb, Amazon, Microsoft, Uber, and BMW. The company offers over 100 payment methods, and in 2023 alone, the total volume of processed transactions surged by 25%, exceeding $1 trillion.

Company: Wise (formerly TransferWise)

As Estonian expats in London, Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus earned their income in euros but lost 5–10% of their earnings each month to high international transfer fees. Frustrated by the inefficiencies, they launched TransferWise in 2010, creating a faster, cheaper, and more transparent way to send money across borders.

Their first service—offering pound-to-euro exchanges at the interbank rate with no markup—quickly gained traction in the UK. As the company expanded to support dozens of currencies, it evolved from a local startup into a global powerhouse, helping millions transfer money worldwide. In 2024 alone, Wise's 12.8 million customers saved up to £1.8 billion in fees.

In 2021, the company rebranded as Wise and went public on the London Stock Exchange. The IPO pushed its market capitalization to $11 billion, cementing Käärmann and Hinrikus as Estonia's first billionaires.

Company: WhiteBIT Group

WhiteBIT Group specializes in blockchain solutions and serves over 35 million users worldwide. Its flagship, the WhiteBIT crypto exchange, was founded in 2018 by a team from Kharkiv, Ukraine, led by Volodymyr Nosov. A former trader, Nosov aimed to create a simple and accessible platform for those interested in blockchain technologies.

In just six years, WhiteBIT has evolved into an international ecosystem widely recognized across Europe, Asia, and Australia. It is now Europe's largest crypto exchange by platform traffic, boasting over 8 million customers. Its estimated valuation ranges from $30 to $38 billion, and in 2024, its trading volume reached $2.7 trillion. The platform supports over 330 digital assets and offers more than 700 trading pairs for spot and futures trading.

At the beginning of 2025, the native coin WhiteBIT Coin (WBT) entered the TOP-3 altcoins that reached a new all-time high. Within 24 hours, WBT's price increased by 6.5%, surpassing $27.

Company: Klarna

A Polish immigrant to Sweden, Sebastian Siemiątkowski co-founded Klarna in 2005 with his friends, but investors initially dismissed their idea. Two years later, he found support through an entrepreneurship competition at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Though Klarna wasn't the first company to use the "buy now, pay later" model, it was the one that made it mainstream. By 2011, the company had expanded internationally and was recognized as one of Europe's most promising fintech startups, turning Siemiątkowski, a former McDonald's employee, into a billionaire.

After obtaining a banking license, Klarna introduced credit cards and banking services, offering flexible financial solutions that transformed online shopping. Today, it is one of the top players in the digital payments industry, partnering with brands like H&M, IKEA, and ASOS.

By the end of 2024, Klarna had 85 million customers worldwide. While its peak valuation hit $45.6 billion, it has since dropped to $6.7 billion.

Company: Revolut

Launched in the UK in 2015, Revolut began as a mobile currency exchange app before rapidly expanding into a full-scale financial platform. It was founded by Russian trader Nikolay Storonsky (CEO) and Ukrainian programmer Vlad Yatsenko (CTO), both with extensive experience in traditional finance.

Their goal was to build a fintech product focused on convenience and transparency. While Revolut has faced criticism for its demanding workplace culture, this intensity helped the company enter over 160 markets in under a decade, amassing more than 50 million customers and partnering with over 500,000 businesses.

Today, Revolut is valued at $45 billion. The platform supports 36 currencies, offers multi-currency accounts, and provides services ranging from cryptocurrency investments and insurance to stock trading.