Fintech deals see record numbers in Q1 2018 – with emerging markets leading the way

Thursday, April 26, 2018

By Lea Nonninger

Global VC-backed fintech funding saw a record-breaking number of deals in Q1 2018, with 323 fintechs securing funding, up from 286 in Q4 2017, according to CB Insights. This amounted to overall funding of $5.4 billion, up nearly 30% from $4.2 billion in Q4, and only about 2% lower than its all-time high of $5.5 billion in Q3 2015. Additionally, there were some interesting new trends across continents.

Here are some key trends that we saw in Q1:

  • Funding in developing markets surged forward. Fintech funding in Asia saw the biggest gain of any continent, advancing 188% from $701 million in Q4 to $2.2 billion in Q1. This increase was largely driven by OneConnect securing a $650 million funding round in March. The second-highest gain was seen in South America, where funding grew 164% from $103 million in Q4 to $271 million last quarter. This marked a new funding record for South America, and shows that fintech is continuing to pick up in the region, much like we predicted at the end of 2017.

Photo courtesy of truk.

Source: Business Insider (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Finance
Tags
fintech, venture capital