The UK’s leading FinTech organisations came together last night to celebrate innovation in the sector at the 11th annual Emerging Payments Awards.

The FinTech industry was worth an incredible £6.6 billion to the UK economy last year, thanks not just to an attractive business environment in the country, but to a commitment to excellence and creativity within the sector. The awards ceremony at The Hilton, Park Lane, London on Wednesday 10^th October celebrated this ingenuity, recognising both big names and innovative start-ups for their ongoing work.

Among the companies honoured at the event was Caffè Nero, which took home the gong for Most Innovative Retailer Implementation of Emerging Payments for its loyalty app powered by Yoyo.

Prepaid card specialist, PrePay Solutions, won the Best Banking Initiative category for its work with Tide. Challenger bank, Monzo, took home the silver award in the Best Customer Facing Experience category for its Jumio-powered ID verification system. Best Professional Service Organisation supporting Emerging Payments, one of multiple new categories for 2018, went to SkyParlour.

Speaking about the winners this year, the Chair of the Judging Panel, John Chaplin, remarked: “The entries this year were truly awe-inspiring – in every category we had some spectacular examples of the inventiveness and resourcefulness that have made the FinTech sector a leading light of the UK economy.  All the shortlisted entrants, as well as the winners, should be proud of their hard work over the last 12 months.”

Reflecting the growing number of exciting start-ups entering the UK FinTech space, a host of disruptors and new names came away with awards this year. Digital payment account provider Modulr is a prime example of a high-performing newcomer, being honoured in a clutch of categories, winning the gold award for the Best B2B Payments Programme and Best Technical Service Organisation. Payment app, Curve, was another, taking home the hotly contested title of Leading Payments Start-Up. 

Director General of the Emerging Payments Association, Tony Craddock, added: “After 11 years of hosting these awards, I can honestly say that the calibre of the entrants is higher than ever. It is truly exciting to see how far the UK FinTech sector has come over the past decade. 

“The ingenuity shown by our winners is testament to the creativity and dedication of everyone in the industry, developing solutions that transform the way consumers thinks about money and payments. I look forward to seeing what we will achieve in the future.”

The full list of winners for 2018 is as follows:

Best International Payments, Remittance or use of FX – Banking Circle 

Best Consumer Funded Payments Programme – Lyk by Thomas Cook Money

Best Financial Inclusion Payments Programme – EcoCash powered by mobiquity Money, Mahindra Comviva and Econet Wireless (Cassava Fintech)

Silver – Vocalink, a Mastercard company for Vocalink PromptPay – Thailand

Best Corporate/Government Funded Payments Programme for consumers – IDEMIA – Aadhar Programme in India

Best B2B Payments Programme – Modulr

Silver – Banking Circle

Best Banking Initiative – PrePay Solutions – Tide

Best Collaboration Initiative – i-movo & PayPoint,  Payment Exception Service

Silver – Balance Plus by Veon in partnership with Prepay Nation

Best Use of Payments Data – Cybertonica

Most Innovative Mobile or Proximity Payment Solution – Vocalink, a Mastercard company for

Vocalink PromptPay – Thailand

Silver – Judopay

Most Innovative Retailer Implementation of Emerging Payments – The Yoyo-powered Caffè Nero payments and loyalty app

Best PSP or Acquiring Solution Provider – Paysafe Group

Best Professional Service Organisation supporting Emerging Payments – SkyParlour

Best Back Office Innovation – Banking Circle

Silver – The Chargeback Company – Targeting the source: data-driven chargebacks

Best Customer Facing Experience – Klarna Pay Later

Silver – Jumio and Monzo

Marketing Campaign of the Year – Monese and PrePay Solutions – Free movement of money

Best Technical Service Organisation supporting Emerging Payments – Modulr

Silver – Payworks

Leading Payments Start-Up – Curve with Wirecard

Silver – Modulr

Leading Emerging Payments Organisation – PrePay Solutions

Silver – PPRO

Best CSR or Charity Initiative – B4B Payments Charity Solutions, with Wirecard

Silver – Semafone

Emerging Payments Industry Contributor of the Year – David Birch