Portugal asserts itself as a new fintech hub in Europe

The Portuguese fintech sector entered 2025 with an unprecedented maturity and a dynamism that is beginning to put it on the radar of the main international markets. The Fintech Report 2025 shows an increasingly robust, more collaborative and innovation-oriented ecosystem, with Portugal consolidating itself as one of the European countries where technology and financial services evolve the fastest.
One of the most expressive indicators of this vitality is the constant rejuvenation of the ecosystem. Almost a third of the fintechs analysed were founded in 2024 and 2025 alone, a clear sign that Portugal has become a fertile ground for new entrepreneurs and new business models. The fastest growing areas, such as regtech, financial infrastructure, APIs, cybersecurity and financial management, are precisely those that benefit the most from the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence.
AI is now the main driver of transformation in the sector. Portuguese startups are moving from simple automation to truly autonomous solutions, incorporating intelligent agents in scoring, risk, fraud detection, onboarding, compliance and personalization. This new generation of companies is already born integrated in an "AI-native" context, which reinforces its competitiveness in a European market aligned with advanced regulations such as the AI Act, DORA and MiCA. The combination of technological innovation and regulatory clarity has become a competitive advantage for Portugal.
In investment, despite a challenging international context, Portugal continues to attract foreign capital. According to the Fintech Report 2025, 58 percent of fintechs that raised funding received international investment. Investors highlight the technical excellence of Portuguese talent, competitive costs, quality of life that facilitates the attraction of professionals and the strategic advantage of operating within the European Union. Limitations are still present, such as the small size of the domestic market and the difficulty in securing follow-on rounds, but the growing interest of foreign investors shows that the country's potential is recognized.
Talent is one of the strongest pillars of the ecosystem. Half of the international fintechs installed in Portugal already employ Portuguese professionals, reflecting the country's positioning as an important center of technological talent. The most difficult area to recruit continues to be engineering, but training platforms such as the Santander Open Academy, which has exceeded 410 thousand users, show that the preparation of human capital is following the evolution of the industry.
Another sign of maturity is the increase in collaboration between incumbents and startups. By 2025, more than half of the partnerships were established in less than six months, which indicates greater agility on the part of banks, insurance companies, and large companies. Joint projects are accelerating the digitalization of processes such as mortgage credit, embedded insurance, payment management and automation of operations, with a direct impact on the end customer.
The next major transformation is expected to come with the implementation of IFAD, which will open a new phase of Open Finance and Open Insurance. Easier access to financial data will allow for more personalized products, greater competition, and new opportunities for startups and incumbents alike.
Portugal is not just a promise in the European fintech scene. By 2025, it is already a rising reality and one of the most interesting ecosystems to watch in the coming years.