Fintech Pulse Weekly
Date: Saturday, 17 January 2026
1. Top Headlines
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Singapore’s Atome Secures $345M Debt Facility FinTech Futures: Singapore-based digital consumer financing platform Atome expanded its syndicated debt facility from $200M to $345M, validating capital markets’ appetite for BNPL and consumer tech financing in SEA. The additional capital supports product growth and regional expansion. (FinTech Futures)
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Klarna Launches Instant P2P Payments Across Europe FinTech Futures: Klarna rolled out instant peer-to-peer payments in 13 European markets, accelerating its push from BNPL into broader digital banking services and aiming to deepen user engagement via frictionless money movement. (FinTech Futures)
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UK Fintech Lendscape Appoints New CEO FinTech Futures: Lendscape named Brett Promisel as CEO, concluding a year-long search and signaling strategic renewal for the invoice and asset-based lending platform that serves over 120 global finance providers. (FinTech Futures)
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Global Fintech Funding Hits $53B in 2025 Finextra: Data from Innovate Finance shows global fintech investment rebounded 21% in 2025, totaling $53B across nearly 6,000 deals, marking a rebound from prior downturns. The UK led European fintech fundraising, with strong activity in the U.S. and growth in the Middle East and Asia. (Finextra Research)
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Singapore’s Atome Facility and Klarna P2P Payment News — Combined Industry Momentum Together, these developments highlight fintech’s continued emphasis on consumer experience, real-time payment capabilities, and capital access, particularly in Asia and Europe.
2. In-Depth Highlight
Global Fintech Funding Rebounds to $53B in 2025
According to data published this week by Finextra, global fintech investment surged by 21% in 2025, reaching approximately $53 billion across 5,918 deals, a notable rebound after several years of slower capital activity. (Finextra Research) This growth underscores strong investor confidence returning to the fintech sector, led by robust deal making in digital payments, blockchain/crypto ventures, and digitally native banks.
The United States remained the dominant market in deal value, followed by strong performances from the UK, India, UAE, and Singapore — demonstrating the increasingly decentralized geography of fintech innovation. Investors are signaling renewed appetite for scale-stage and growth fintechs, even as macroeconomic headwinds persist globally. This uptick is especially significant against a backdrop of capital tightening over the past few years, suggesting fintech’s resilience and adaptability.
Importantly, the increased funding is not just in volume but also in strategic focus — backers are doubling down on real-time payments, AI-enabled workflows, and embedded finance platforms that bridge traditional finance and digital ecosystems. For startups and incumbents alike, this funding environment may accelerate product rollouts, cross-border expansion, and regulatory engagement.
3. Market & Industry Insight
Digital Payments & Real-Time Rails Lead Fintech Innovation
This week’s headlines reinforce a clear trend that digital payments and real-time money movement are critical battlegrounds for fintechs and incumbents. Klarna’s launch of instant P2P payments across 13 European countries reflects the ongoing shift from siloed BNPL products to full-suite financial services platforms. (FinTech Futures)
Real-time payment capabilities — spanning RTP, SEPA Instant, and other region-specific rails — are increasingly table stakes, enabling not only peer payments but also embedded solutions for commerce, lending, and liquidity management.
Capital Markets & Funding Rebound Signals Strategic Confidence
The rebound in global fintech funding — surging to $53B in 2025 — suggests investors are targeting durable business models with proven unit economics, including fintechs that can deliver scalable infrastructure, data-driven lending products, and secure digital identity/payment solutions. (Finextra Research)
This shift from speculative early-stage bets to more enterprise-ready fintech offerings is consistent with industry maturation and rising regulatory scrutiny. Mature fintechs are increasingly partnering with traditional banks and adopting compliance-centric frameworks, reflecting an ecosystem where innovation and governance must go hand-in-hand.
4. Company & Startup Spotlight
Atome (Singapore)
What they do: A digital consumer financing platform focused on BNPL and point-of-sale lending. Recent development: Atome increased its syndicated debt facility to $345M, giving it significant firepower to scale product offerings and expand partnerships with merchants across Southeast Asia. (FinTech Futures) Why it matters: This funding expansion underscores robust confidence in BNPL and point-of-sale financing in emerging markets. It also highlights Asia’s maturing fintech capital market and consumer finance adoption trends.
Lendscape (UK)
What they do: A lending infrastructure provider offering invoice and asset-based lending technology to banks and finance providers. Recent development: Appointment of Brett Promisel as CEO aims to steer strategic growth and enhance product offerings. (FinTech Futures) Why it matters: Leadership changes at fintech platforms often signal strategic pivots or scaling phases — Lendscape’s new CEO could accelerate channel expansion and deepen enterprise partnerships.
5. Regulatory & Policy Watch
- Verification of Payee (VoP) Countdown: PSPs in the EU must comply with new VoP requirements under the Instant Payments Regulation from October 2025, enhancing fraud prevention in real-time payments (implementation phase continues). (iPiD)
- Global Funding Trends Reflect Regulatory Maturity: Investors are increasingly allocating capital toward compliance-aligned fintechs as global regulators tighten frameworks for digital assets and consumer protections.
- Real-Time Payment RPCs Expand Geographically: With real-time rails growing stricter, operators are aligning domestic policy frameworks to support interbank and cross-border interoperability.
6. Quote of the Day
“With this new capital, we plan to extend our product suite and regional footprint to meet the growing needs of today’s digitally native consumers.” — [Atome spokesperson on syndicated debt expansion] (FinTech Futures)
7. What’s Next
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
- VoP Implementation Monitoring: Ongoing compliance for EU payment service providers under Instant Payments Regulation. (iPiD)
- Industry Conferences (Q1-Q2 2026): Expect strategic fintech gatherings focused on AI adoption in finance, real-time rails, and digital banking transformation (dates TBD).
- Earnings Season: Watch digital banking and payments firms’ Q4 2025 earnings for renewed insights on adoption and profitability.
