2024 gave us a fresh wave of fintechs that didn’t bother waiting in line. They launched, made noise, and started landing deals before most people even knew their names. From AI tax help to smarter SME lending, these five companies are already making a case for being the ones to watch.
We break down what each one does — and what they did right to hit the ground running.
XFOLIO – Treasury and wealth management in one
XFOLIO is a French-Lebanese startup founded in 2024 by Anis Rahal, a fintech veteran. It combines corporate treasury and wealth management into one sleek cloud platform. Family offices and financial institutions can finally see all their assets — from bank accounts to real estate — in one place.
What they did right:
- Merged two siloed workflows (treasury + portfolio management) into one dashboard.
- Smart pricing: starting at $40/month — much cheaper than legacy systems.
- Already locked in early clients and partners before launching publicly.
POS Finance – Revenue-based loans for SMEs
POS Finance (Latvia) helps small businesses access loans that flex with their income. Instead of fixed payments, repayments are tied to a percentage of the company’s actual weekly revenue — ideal for businesses with inconsistent cash flow.
“In my 20+ years in SME and consumer finance, I’ve seen how traditional lending models often fail to meet the needs of growing businesses. With our revenue‑based model, we’re offering a smarter, fairer alternative that grows with the company.”
— Inga Pinka, CEO & Co‑founder, POS Finance
What they did right:
- Tackled a real cash flow pain point with revenue-based repayment.
- Used open banking data to automate underwriting.
- Strong founding team with decades of lending and compliance experience.
Town – AI-powered tax help for small biz (USA)
Town is an AI-backed platform for small business taxes, co-founded by ex-tax experts in 2024. It automates data entry, parses forms, and helps users stay compliant — while pairing each customer with a human advisor.
What they did right:
- Nailed the hybrid model: AI + human support.
- Closed an $18M seed round before most people had heard of them.
- Partnered early with a bookkeeping network and SME-focused bank.
Bachatt – Daily savings app for India’s gig workforce
Bachatt helps India’s informal workers start saving through daily micro-investments — as little as ₹100 a day. It’s designed for people without payslips but with big goals. The app is backed by mutual fund giants and has already raised $4M.
What they did right:
- Focused on an underserved market: India’s gig and informal workforce.
- Made saving feel simple and doable with low daily SIPs.
- Brought in strong early partners and investors (like Lightspeed and Info Edge).
Cloud Capital – Fintech for cloud cost control (UK/US)
Cloud Capital lets finance teams forecast, manage, and even insure against cloud infrastructure costs. It’s positioned not as an IT tool, but as a financial platform for companies that treat cloud spend like a line item that deserves CFO-level oversight.
What they did right:
- Reframed cloud costs as a financial problem — not just an engineering one.
- Offers AI forecasting and financial guarantees on long-term cloud commitments.
- Secured dozens of beta users before going public — making their $7.7M raise a no-brainer.
Key takeaways for fintech startups
A few common threads stood out across these high-performers:
- Solve a real pain for a clear audience. From SME loans to gig worker savings, each of these startups nailed their niche.
- Pair tech with deep domain knowledge. AI alone doesn’t cut it — every team here brought subject-matter credibility.
- Keep the product simple. Especially when your user base isn’t made of tech experts.
- Start lean, get early traction. Every one of these had customers or partnerships lined up early.
- Use your network. Strong intros and relevant investors helped these teams move fast.
We help early-stage founders with strategy, storytelling, and go-to-market clarity. Get in touch with us, and let’s put your startup on the radar.
