Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Saudi fintech company HALA and four UAE-based startups, Huspy, Stake, CredibleX, and Smart Bricks, have been featured in CB Insights’ 2026 Fintech 100 list of the world’s most promising financial technology startups.

The annual list maps 100 startups across 21 categories and six segments of the fintech industry, covering areas ranging from payments and business financing to capital markets and connectivity.

The 100 selected companies have collectively raised $10.9 billion in equity funding, including more than $3.2 billion in 2026. The list includes 51 early-stage startups, 13 of which are at the seed stage.

The selection draws on CB Insights’ data, including deal activity, strategic partnerships, the strength of teams and investors, employee numbers, and other analytical indicators.

The report highlights a growing focus on financial infrastructure, with startups developing solutions for cross-border payments, financial data analytics, regulatory compliance, and business financing. It also identifies three trends shaping the sector: blockchain adoption across mainstream financial services, greater use of financial institutions’ internal data to develop artificial intelligence (AI) applications, and technology that simplifies regulatory compliance.