UK fintech investment falls 56% to $17.39 billion in 2022, with a tale of two halves

• 593 UK M&A, PE and VC fintech deals completed, down from 724 in 2021
• UK remains a global leader in the fintech space
• Global fintech market attracts U$164.1 billion across 6,006 deals in 2022 – a strong showing despite falling from the high of US$238.9 billion seen in 2021

Total UK fintech investment hit $17.39billion in 2022, down from $39.14 in 2021, according to the Pulse of Fintech H2’22 – a bi-annual report highlighting global investment trends published by KPMG today.

The sharp drop-off in fintech investment between H1’22 and H2’22 highlights the rapidly shifting market conditions much more clearly, as a combination of higher interest rates and inflation alongside downward pressure on valuations dampen investor appetite.

A total of 593 UK M&A, PE and VC fintech deals were completed in the UK in 2022, down from 724 in 2021. Despite the fall in the total number of UK deals, the country remains the centre of European fintech investment with British fintechs attracting more funding than their counterparts in the rest of EMEA combined.

The majority of deals (312) were Venture Capital (VC) deals. Payment deals attracted the most funding among fintech subsectors in the UK, accounting for $3.6 billion investment in 2022, while cryptocurrency remains a significant driver of activity, despite the recent turbulence in the market, including large VC raises by UK-based Blockchain.com ($490 million).

Karim Haji, UK and EMA head of financial services at KPMG, said: “Despite the drop in both value and volume, it was a strong year for the UK fintech industry. The UK is a major global player, with investment in UK fintech only behind that of the US and Australia. 

“It’s a tale of two halves however, and H1’22 saw significantly more investment and deals than H2’22. The variance highlights the shift in investor sentiment in the face of increasing geopolictical challenges leading to the lack of IPO exits, the downward pressure on valuations, and market turbulence.”

Total global fintech investment across M&A, PE, and VC fell to US$164.1 billion across 6,006 deals in 2022, after reaching a record US$238.9 billion across 7,321 deals in 2021. Regtech, in particular, saw significant investment in 2022, while seed-stage deals received excellent attention from investors after years of late-stage deals getting priority.

While results were substantially lower compared to 2021’s peak highs, 2022 was the second best year for deal volume. The first half of the year saw a stronger performance, with $11.8 billion investment and 365 deals in H1, compared with $5.6 billion investment and 228 deals in the second half of 2022.

The investment total was strengthened by the size of many of the deals, which included the $1.8 billion Interactive Investor deal. Five out of the ten largest fintech deals in the EMEA region were completed in the UK.

Anton Ruddenklau, Global Fintech Leader, KPMG International, added: “We’re seeing an incredible amount of interest in all manner of fintech companies, with record funding in areas like blockchain and crypto, cybersecurity, and wealthtech. While payments remains a significant driver of fintech activity globally, the sector is broadening every day.”