Last night, some of the most influential fintech companies gathered at the InterContinental Hotel – The O2 to celebrate this year’s movers and shakers at the 12th annual Emerging Payments Awards.

This year alone, the UK’s fintech sector attracted an impressive total of 123 deals, worth a record $2.9 billion – London even topped New York, coming out $200 million ahead on total deal value. This success is not just due to a buoyant market, but a commitment to ingenuity within the sector which the EPA shines a spotlight on.

Among the companies honoured at the event was Banking Circle, which bagged the prize for Best B2B Payments Programme, closely followed by runner up, Starling Bank. Konsentus also won big on the night, scooping three awards for its paytech solution.

The list goes on, honouring the key fintech achievements of 2019. From the best collaboration (presented to Modulr for its work with Sage Salary and Supplier Payments), and the year’s greatest newcomers (Kani Payments), to the finest customer experience offerings that we’ve seen so far (awarded to Travel Welfare with Omnio Group, issued by Wirecard).

Speaking about the winners this year, the Chair of the Judging Panel, John Chaplin, commented: “There was an incredibly high calibre of entries this year. Each category had a wealth of applicants showing real ingenuity and innovation – it’s easy to see why the UK’s fintech sector is going from strength to strength.

“I want to take this opportunity to say that all shortlisted entrants, as well as the winners, should be immensely proud of their hard work and dedication to the industry over the last 12 months.”

Director General of the Emerging Payments Association, Tony Craddock, added: “We’ve hosted these awards for 12 years, and it’s inspiring to see the quality of entries grow on a yearly basis. There’s never been a more exciting time to work within the UK fintech sector, and I’m hugely pleased about how far it has come over the years.

“It is testament to the creativity, collaboration and drive we all have within the payment industry, and it’s a delight to honour companies at the awards. I look forward to seeing how the industry continues to strengthen and innovate new ways to handle money in 2020.”