Fintech Investments: More Capital, Fewer Deals

• Global fintech investments rose by 43 percent compared to the second half of 2025, from $72.2 billion to $103.1 billion. The number of deals fell by 16 percent, from 2,501 to 2,100.
• In EMEA, fintech investments fell by 37 percent compared to the second half of 2025, from $18.0 billion to $11.3 billion. Germany reached $1.6 billion across 36 deals, marking the second-highest investment volume in the region.
• Payment services accounted for $44.2 billion, AI-focused fintechs for $21.4 billion, and digital assets for $11.1 billion.

Berlin, October 7, 2026
 

The global fintech market is increasingly dominated by a few large transactions. Compared to the second half of 2025, global fintech investments rose by 43 percent, from $72.2 billion to $103.1 billion. At the same time, the number of deals fell by 16 percent, from 2,501 to 2,100. The ten largest transactions totaled $64 billion and accounted for 62 percent of global fintech investments. Investors are thus acting more selectively and increasingly focusing their capital on established providers with robust business models. The U.S. accounted for $80.8 billion, or about 78 percent of the global investment volume. This is shown in the KPMG study “Pulse of Fintech H1’26”.

In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), fintech investments fell by 37 percent compared to the second half of 2025, from $18.0 billion to $11.3 billion. Geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties, as well as concerns about inflation and interest rates, contributed to a more cautious investment climate. Germany bucked the regional trend, with investment volume totaling 1.6 billion U.S. dollars. This made Germany the region’s second-highest in terms of investment volume. Only the United Kingdom surpassed it, with $2.5 billion. The number of deals, however, declined in both the EMEA region and Germany, falling from 753 to 626 and from 49 to 36, respectively. 

With an investment volume of $44.2 billion, payments was the strongest fintech segment. This volume was significantly influenced by Global Payments’ $24.3 billion acquisition of Worldpay. With 800 AI-related deals, the investment volume totaled 21.4 billion U.S. dollars, already approaching the full-year 2025 level of 23.6 billion U.S. dollars. An additional $11.1 billion flowed into digital assets.

In the second half of the year, AI and payment infrastructure are likely to continue gaining importance for fintech investors. The focus will be on scalable applications that increase efficiency, address risks, and create demonstrable economic value. At the same time, consolidation is likely to continue as financial service providers, established fintech companies, and financial investors increasingly seek out acquisition and growth opportunities. In EMEA, geopolitical uncertainties as well as concerns about inflation and interest rates remain significant headwinds.

Additional information and the full reports are available for download at the following link: Pulse of Fintech H1 2026 — Global insights