FinTech Futures: Top five news stories of the week – 28 February 2025
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of fintech this week, featuring Worldline, Stripe, Flywire and more.
Monument Bank reportedly eyeing £200m Series C ahead of 2027 Nasdaq listing
Monument Bank reportedly plots £200m Series C
UK challenger Monument Bank is said to be gearing up for a £200 million capital raise ahead of plans for a 2027 initial public listing on New York’s Nasdaq exchange, according to Sky News, which cites undisclosed sources familiar with the matter.
Monument Bank has informed investors of its planned Series C round, with a reported £30 million already secured. Building on £135 million in previous funding, the round could value the bank at approximately £1 billion.
The funds will support a Nasdaq listing “by the end of 2027”, with a potential secondary listing in the Middle East or India in 2028.
In a statement sent to FinTech Futures, the challenger said it was “grateful for the interest in our Series C fundraise”, while affirming the “strong future” expected for its business.
UK government reportedly considering plans to scrap the Payment Systems Regulator
The UK government is reportedly mulling plans to scrap the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and merge its functions into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), according to a report by Sky News, citing sources with knowledge of the discussions.
While no final details have been confirmed, the report states that ministers and officials are set to reach a preliminary decision within weeks.
In a statement sent to FinTech Futures, the PSR says: “It’s well known the government is auditing the role of regulators, and decisions on the regulatory structure are rightly for them and parliament.
“We are focused on working with the FCA and the Bank of England to deliver safe, competitive and innovative payment systems.”
Flywire expands travel payments business with $330m Sertifi deal
Flywire snaps up Sertifi for $330m
US-based paytech Flywire has acquired hospitality and travel-focused software and payments platform Sertifi in a $330 million deal funded by a combination of cash and debt.
Founded in 2008, Sertifi digitises hospitality workflows and payments through its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. Flywire CEO Mike Massaro calls it a “software solution early in its payments monetisation journey”, serving 20,000 hospitality locations.
Flywire, which processes payments in 140+ currencies across 240 countries, sees the acquisition as expanding its travel payments business, particularly among brands like Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt. The company plans to scale Sertifi globally through partnerships and investment.
Worldline names former Groupe BPCE exec Pierre-Antoine Vacheron as new CEO
Paris-based payments firm Worldline has appointed industry veteran Pierre-Antoine Vacheron as its new CEO, effective 1 March 2025.
Vacheron will replace Marc-Henri Desportes, who has served as interim CEO since October 2024 and deputy CEO since 2018.
According to a company statement, Worldline’s board sought a “new external profile” to lead the firm, with Vacheron’s initial priorities being to strengthen its “talent pool and the company’s culture” and enhance its “client experience”.
With 30+ years of experience in payments, retail and banking, Vacheron previously led Groupe BPCE’s payments division and held senior roles at Ingenico Group, Alstom, Airbus and the French Treasury.
Stripe achieves $91.5bn valuation with employee share sale
Stripe announces employee share sale at $91.5bn valuation
US fintech giant Stripe has announced it has “signed agreements with investors to provide liquidity to current and former Stripe employees” through a tender offer that will boost the company’s valuation to $91.5 billion (€87.3 billion).
Stripe says that, along with external investors, it will repurchase an undisclosed amount of shares as part of the deal.
The news marks a jump from the company’s former $70 billion valuation after a similar secondary sale last year, and a significant rise from its $50 billion valuation following a $6.5 billion investment round in 2023.
The company attributes the move to a strong 2024 performance, having processed $1.4 trillion in payments – a 38% increase from the previous year – and now serving “half of the Fortune 100″.
