If you take a closer look at Poland’s fintech sector, you’ll find one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most dynamic ecosystems. A mix of ambitious startups, digitally fluent consumers, and a regulator that’s more open than most has helped the country carve out a strong position in Europe’s fintech scene.
There are now over 400 fintech companies in Poland, with most clustered around payments, lending, insurtech, regtech, and wealth management. The sector’s grown in lockstep with a young, tech-savvy population and high internet penetration (around 84%), not to mention a mobile-first mindset that’s made Poland one of the continent’s top adopters of digital banking.
Domestic players like BLIK, Przelewy24, and mBank lead the charge with widely used payment solutions and innovative banking platforms. Meanwhile, global challengers like Revolut have found plenty of room to grow. Add in strong EU-aligned regulations, widespread PSD2 adoption, and an increasingly active VC scene, and you get a fintech market with a clear direction: ever forward.
Regulation and Oversight in Poland’s Fintech Ecosystem
Poland’s fintech sector owes a lot to how its institutions have handled regulation over the years: firm when needed, but generally supportive of innovation. The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) has been the main regulatory force behind fintech developments, while the National Bank of Poland (NBP) plays more of a macro role.
The NBP focuses on monetary policy, currency stability, and overall financial system oversight. It’s KNF, not NBP, that directly regulates financial institutions and fintech startups. Alongside them, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) has worked to promote the local ecosystem abroad and draw foreign players into the Polish market.
KNF has taken a pretty hands-on but open approach, launching initiatives like the Innovation Hub to help fintechs navigate legal requirements, and setting up a virtual sandbox for startups to safely test open banking solutions. There’s even a blockchain sandbox, developed in partnership with KDPW, that gives tech innovators room to experiment without immediate regulatory pressure.
The rollout of PSD2 was a major inflection point. Banks were required to open their APIs to third-party providers, which opened the door for a whole wave of fintech innovation. KNF helped shape the rules, backing projects like the national Polish API standard to keep things streamlined. Around the same time, a simplified license model (the Small Payment Institution) made it easier for early-stage fintechs to operate without the burden of full licensing.
Poland also follows the usual EU regulations (GDPR, anti-money laundering directives, and upcoming frameworks like DORA and MiCA) but what makes it stand out is how it balances compliance with flexibility. Startups still have room to build.
The FinTech Poland Foundation has been another key player, organizing working groups and creating a space where regulators, startups, and banks can collaborate, rather than just coexist.
All in all, Poland’s fintech regulation is a well-established framework. It’s not frictionless, but it works. And it’s one of the reasons why the sector has kept moving forward, not just in size, but in maturity.
A Hybrid Ecosystem: Banks, Fintechs, and the Tech Behind Them
Poland’s financial ecosystem doesn’t fit neatly into one category. It’s a hybrid space where traditional institutions go all-in on digital, neobanks and fintechs compete on user experience, and tech providers quietly power it all behind the scenes.
Commercial Banks and Neobanks: Digital by Design
Poland’s banking sector is dominated by a handful of large domestic banks, which have grown steadily from 2018 to 2025. With total banking assets reaching €564 billion in 2021, the country leads the CEE region by a wide margin, nearly doubling the value held by the second-ranked Czech Republic.
Names like PKO Bank Polski, mBank, and ING Bank Śląski consistently rank among the most digitalized in Europe. By mid-2024, 25.5 million Poles were actively using mobile banking apps, with PKO’s IKO app alone boasting over 6 million users, and mBank and Pekao close behind at around 3.3 to 3.4 million users each. Mobile banking has even overtaken traditional banking in usage.
PKO Bank Polski made headlines for implementing what it claims is the largest consumer-facing blockchain application in global banking, using it to verify documents and streamline customer interactions. Meanwhile, mBank is also investing in tech other than its own. The bank set aside €50 millionto partner with and fund fintech startups, aiming to blend its institutional backbone with startup innovation.
On the other hand, neobanks like Revolut and Monzo saw Poland as a promising market early on, and they weren’t wrong. By late 2023, Revolut had nearly 3 million users in Poland, making it its second-largest EU market after Romania. It grew 48% year-over-year and recently integrated with the local BLIK payment system to better serve Polish users.
But it’s not just international players grabbing attention. Polish banks themselves have responded by ramping up their digital platforms and features to rival the user experience of these challengers. ZEN.com, sometimes dubbed “the Polish Revolut,” offers multi-currency accounts, cashback perks, and shopping protections (backed by a Lithuanian banking license).
And new players keep emerging. Aion Bank introduced a flat-fee subscription banking model, while platforms like N26, Monese, and Wise continue to appeal to Poland’s mobile-first, borderless banking generation. It’s a crowded field, but one that’s giving consumers real choice.
Fintechs and Tech Provers: A Diverse and Growing Crowd
Poland’s fintech scene has become one of the most dynamic in the region. From payments and wealthtech to insurtech and lending, it’s a mixed crowd – one that keeps growing in both number and maturity.
BLIK, the homegrown mobile payment system, is now baked into everyday life (from splitting a bill with friends to paying for groceries). Add in near-universal internet access and a population that’s deeply comfortable with digital banking, and it’s clear why fintech adoption is so high. Over 22 million people use online banking, and mobile banking apps from major players like PKO and mBank have millions of active users each.
Meanwhile, the country’s crypto ecosystem remains active, even if the rules are strict. Poland has taken a relatively cautious stance. Crypto platforms operate under heavy AML and licensing obligations, but they’re still part of the broader fintech mix.
On the technology side, Poland isn’t just producing consumer-facing fintechs. Established firms like Asseco and Comarch provide the core infrastructure used by banks and fintechs alike. But even on the bleeding edge, there’s momentum.
Blockchain is a great example. Poland became the first country where banking records were stored on blockchain at scale, thanks to an initiative led by the Polish Credit Office (BIK).
AI is also gaining traction. Polish fintechs are applying artificial intelligence in areas like fraud prevention and credit scoring, especially to serve customers who wouldn’t qualify under traditional risk models.
A Fintech Startup Scene Backed by Capital and Momentum
Poland’s fintech ecosystem has come a long way in a short time. Just a few years ago, it was mostly dominated by payment processors and a handful of digital innovators. Now, it’s home to over 400 fintech startupsspread across verticals like payments, lending, insurtech, wealthtech, and crypto (and that number keeps growing). Between 2018 and 2022 alone, the sector nearly doubled in size, going from 167 companies to 299, and momentum hasn’t slowed since.
Payments remain the strongest segment. Poland is a regional leader in mobile and contactless payments, with nearly 100% of POS terminals supporting contactless transactions and over 93% of all cards being contactless-enabled.
PayPo, for example, helped Poland become a regional leader in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)services. In 2022, Polish BNPL platforms financed over $515 million worth of purchases, with PayPo offering a 30-day deferral at no cost.
But beyond payments, the startup landscape is a lot more diverse. Platforms like Kontomatik, one of Poland’s earliest open banking players, now provide data aggregation and credit scoring APIs to both banks and fintechs. Przelewy24 and Blue Media continue to dominate as e-commerce payment gateways, integrating instant bank transfers and pay-by-link services that are widely used in Polish online shopping.
On the crypto and blockchain front, platforms like Ramp have taken things global. Based in Warsaw and London, Ramp raised $123 million across two rounds and built an API that lets users buy crypto directly inside apps (a solution that’s already gained serious traction in global markets).
There’s also Nethone, a fraud prevention startup that uses AI to detect high-risk behavior in real-time. It was acquired by French fintech MANGOPAY in 2022, marking a rare but notable Polish fintech exit.
Investment & Funding
The funding scene has caught up with the talent. Polish fintechs are now attracting attention from both domestic and global investors, with more funding going toward companies that are not only building cool tech but actually monetizing and scaling.
As mentioned, Ramp’s $123 million, PayPo’s rapid BNPL growth, and Nethone’s exit are all signs of momentum. Add to that ZEN.com’s early-stage backing and it’s clear the ecosystem is no longer just a playground, it’s a market.
Another funding channel picking up speed is equity crowdfunding. Platforms like Beesfund and Crowdway helped raise over $70 million in 2021 alone, up from just $5 million in 2018. Retail investors are showing growing interest in getting in early, especially with fintechs that already have visible traction.
Venture capital activity is also strong. Local firms like Inovo Venture Partners, Market One Capital, and Tar Heel Capital are actively backing fintech startups. PFR Ventures, a government-backed fund-of-funds, continues to channel EU and national money into early-stage rounds, while accelerators like MIT Enterprise Forum CEE and Huge Thing are still some of the best launchpads in the region.
Then there’s the public money. Between the EU’s Digital Poland program, the EFDD fund, and $149 billion unlocked in early 2024under the National Reconstruction Plan, there’s a huge push to make Poland’s digital transformation happen, with fintech playing a central role.
Accelerators, Associations & Ecosystem Builders
Poland’s fintech boom didn’t happen just because of good talent and timing. It also had the right support system behind the scenes. A handful of accelerators, think tanks and public-private partnerships have pushed the ecosystem forward over the past decade.
The FinTech Poland Foundation is one of the key players in that space. Launched back in 2015, it acts like a central nervous system for the entire ecosystem. From research and events to bridging the gap between startups, banks, and policymakers, FinTech Poland has been instrumental in shaping fintech’s trajectory. It also helped launch Fintech Hub Polska, which aligns closely with public sector efforts to make Warsaw a next-gen financial center.
On the acceleration front, MIT Enterprise Forum CEE and Huge Thing are two of the most important names. Both are known for supporting early-stage fintechs through structured programs, mentoring, and access to pilot opportunities. Huge Thing often works with corporate partners and VCs, helping startups prepare for scale, while MIT Enterprise Forum CEE connects companies with international markets and enterprise clients.
Meanwhile, banks are contributing too. Alior Bank’s RBL_Start accelerator has scouted fintechs working on things like payments, biometrics, and open banking. It offers access to test environments and real partnership potential. PKO Bank Polski, the country’s largest bank, has its own initiative called “Let’s Fintech with PKO”, where startups can co-develop and pilot their tools. This program has already led to live implementations, including a blockchain-based document verification system and streamlined mortgage processes.
Global networks have also taken notice. Polish startups have made it into cohorts of the Mastercard Start Path and Visa Innovation Program, giving them access to mentorship, exposure, and the kind of connections that matter when expanding abroad. Add to that Google for Startups Campus Warsaw, which provides workspace, workshops, and networking events, and you’ve got a pretty healthy startup launchpad.
There’s also Startup Poland, a founder-focused non-profit that works more on the advocacy side. It publishes detailed reports on startup trends, regulatory bottlenecks, and funding gaps, and acts as a voice for early-stage companies when it comes to shaping policy.
Support also exists at the city level. The City of Warsawhas actively collaborated with fintech firms to modernize services, like enabling contactless payments across public transport. Warsaw actually ranks 10th in the European Fintech Occupier Index, in front of bigger cities specialized in the sector, such as Munich and Milan.
In short, the fintech ecosystem in Poland hasn’t grown in a vacuum. It’s been carefully nurtured by a mix of local champions, global programs, and open-door collaboration with both public and private institutions. That support is a big reason why Polish fintechs stick around and scale.
Poland’s Ecosystem: Still Growing, Still Shifting
Poland’s fintech ecosystem has created a unique identity for itself, one shaped by collaboration, not just disruption. Traditional banks have embraced digital with surprising speed. Local startups have built successful products, not just MVPs. And foreign players haven’t taken over but simply added to the competition.
But the momentum doesn’t come without friction. Regulatory caution, especially around crypto and blockchain, can slow things down. And the competition between banks and fintechs (once complementary) is getting tighter as both sides fight for the same user base.
Still, the outlook remains strong. Digital payments are only going to get faster. Neobanking and embedded finance are warming up and with open banking and AI-powered services on the rise, the lines between bank, app, and infrastructure will keep blurring. Even blockchain, which has been more cautiously explored here than in some other markets, could see deeper integration.
In short, Poland isn’t just keeping pace with the rest of the CEE ecosystem. In more ways than one, it’s an important player in the race. And the fintech story here is far from over.
UNCHAIN CEE Fintech Tour – Poland, Wed, 16th of April
Next stop: Poland. On April 16th, the UNCHAIN CEE Fintech Tour turns its focus to one of the region’s most resilient markets. Join fintech experts, investors, banks, and policymakers as we unpack Poland’s financial transformation.Register now to be part of the conversation. And if you can’t attend, no worries—subscribe to our newsletter for the post-event recap.
