www.wealthandfinance-news.com FinTech Awards 2026
AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility. About the FinTech Awards 2026 Editorial Team Sofi Parry, Senior Editor | Joshua Beardsmore, Writer | Kita Thomas, Writer Design Team Emma Hunt, Creative Team Manager | Lauren Baldwin, Graphic Designer Wealth & Finance International proudly presents the FinTech Awards 2025! Through this programme, we are dedicated to celebrating the brightest minds, groundbreaking companies, and game-changing technologies that are pushing the industry forward. As digital transformation accelerates, the FinTech industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. In 2025, the global fintech market is projected to surpass $394 billion, fuelled by increased adoption of digital payments, blockchain applications, neo-banking, and AI-powered financial solutions. The demand for secure, efficient, and customer-centric financial tools has never been greater, with both startups and established institutions racing to develop cutting-edge products. The Financial Technology sector continues to reshape the global economy, driving innovation, accessibility, and efficiency in financial services. Sofi Parry, Senior Editor
Contents 4. HODL OTC: Best Next-Gen Digital Asset FinTech Company 2026 – South Africa 6. Freedom24: Best Pan-European Retail Investment Platform 2026 & AI in Finance Innovation Award 2026 8. SecureStream Pay Solutions: Best Payment Processing Solutions 2026 – USA 10. ViewTrade: Global Financial Technology CEO of the Year 2026: Tony Petrilli 11. ViewTrade: FinTech Market Access Champion of the Year 2026 – USA 12. iCapital: Most Innovative Alternative Investment Management Solutions Provider 2026 – North America 13. Zodia Custody: Best Digital Asset Custody Technology Provider 2026 14. purepofo: Best Emerging Halal Investment Research Platform 2026 15. CFO Insights: Best CFO-as-a-Service 2026 – Europe & Innovation in AI-Enabled Financial Analytics Technology 2026 16. Umoja Coin: Best Cross-Border Payments Financial Inclusion Platform 2026 – Africa & Financial Inclusion Excellence Award 2026 17. Liquidity: Best AI-Driven Private Credit Platform 2026 18. Deep Block: Best Capital Deposit Service 2026 – Europe 19. AI Account Pte Ltd: Best AI-Driven Accounting Software Platform 2026 – South East Asia
4 | FinTech Awards 2026 Best Next-Gen Digital Asset FinTech Company 2026 – South Africa “Our focus is on making digital asset transactions simple, secure, and efficient, while giving clients direct access to experienced support when they need it.” Since its inception in 2020, HODL OTC has been on a mission to make digital asset access safer, simpler, and more professional for clients across South Africa. Its comprehensive suite of solutions includes overthe-counter digital asset trading, secure custody, real-time portfolio visibility, client onboarding, compliance-driven transaction monitoring, and digital asset wealth services. It provides clients with the ability to buy, sell, hold, and manage selected digital assets through a platform that is designed around security, transparency, and execution quality. At the core of this work is OTC execution. HODL OTC assists clients with buying and selling digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and other selected digital assets. It operates with a model designed to give clients a clear execution price upfront, with no order-book slippage, and sources liquidity across the market to help achieve competitive pricing for larger transactions. Client service is one of the most important aspects of business for HODL OTC, always delivered with responsiveness, accuracy, trust, and clear communication. Markets move quickly in digital assets, and clients need to know that when they reach out, someone will respond and help them efficiently. It is also essential that information is communicated clearly, as many clients rely on HODL OTC to simplify a space that can otherwise feel technical and intimidating. At HODL OTC, VIP clients have direct access to dedicated account managers who are available to assist them personally, including after normal business hours. Whether a client requires help with a large transaction, a withdrawal, a deposit, pricing, onboarding, custody, or simply wants to understand the process better, they can speak to a real person who understands their account and their needs. “Many of our clients are high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and corporates who want confidence when dealing with digital assets,” Jacques explained. “They do not always want to navigate complex trading screens, order books, wallet addresses, or market movements without guidance. That is where our white-glove service becomes especially important.” “At the heart of our approach is the belief that FinTech should make financial services more accessible, more efficient, and more transparent, without removing the human trust element. HODL OTC combines advanced digital asset infrastructure with personal service, giving clients a modern FinTech experience backed by real people, real support, and responsible execution.” Security is another key part of HODL OTC’s service, driven by the belief that there is more to a good client experience than speed and convenience. The company also believes that its responsibility is to make sure that clients feel safe, that their transactions are being handled carefully, and that compliance and verification processes are followed properly. It places a strong focus on institutional-grade security and Fireblocks vault infrastructure, giving clients access to highly secure digital asset custody technology. Earning and retaining its clients trust requires HODL OTC to stay at the very cutting-edge of the industry. The team continuously improves its technology stack, liquidity partnerships, compliance systems, and product offerings. The company pays close attention to developments in digital asset regulation, custody, blockchain infrastructure, market pricing, stablecoins, tokenisation, and digital wealth products. Where it sees value for clients, HODL OTC looks at how those developments can be responsibly integrated into its platform. “Operating in a constantly evolving market, we believe that standing still is one of the biggest risks in FinTech,” said Jacques. “Digital assets, compliance, custody, fraud prevention, and artificial intelligence are all moving quickly, so we make it a priority to keep learning, testing, and improving. Our goal is to keep the platform modern and innovative, while making sure that every development supports the same core principles: protecting client assets, maintaining regulatory standards, shutting out bad actors, and delivering a better experience for our clients.” At the heart of HODL OTC’s success is not its technology, however, but its people. The proudly South African company has been self-funded from its very beginnings, not built upon large institutional backing or unlimited resources. HODL OTC was instead built by a committed team who believed in the vision, worked long hours, pushed through late nights, and helped build the company from the ground up with their own hands. “HODL OTC is more than just a FinTech or digital asset platform. It is a South African business built on resilience, trust, hard work, and belief in the future of digital assets in Africa,” said Jacques. “We are building a team that believes in the work, supports each other, and is committed to delivering a premium asset service to our clients. I would like to thank Alex Winterburn, our Managing Director, for his outstanding contribution over the past few years, as well as the entire HODL OTC team who have made this journey possible.” He added: “On a personal note, I would like to give special thanks to my wife, Cindy Serfontein, who has played an incredibly important role as our Key Individual. Her competence, discipline, and commitment to compliance have been invaluable to the business.” Looking to the future, the team are pursuing growth, innovation, and the expansion of HODL OTC into a broader digital wealth platform. For the remainder of the year, HODL OTC will be focused on strengthening its core OTC trading and custody offering, while expanding into new financial services that create more value for clients. One of the key areas HODL OTC is working towards will be collateralised lending, where clients can use their digital assets as security to access liquidity without necessarily having to sell their holdings. The team Apr26081 HODL OTC is a South African digital asset over-the-counter trading and digital wealth platform built for clients seeking a safer, more personal, and more professional way to buy, sell, hold, and manage digital assets. The company works primarily with high-net-worth individuals, business owners, corporates, investors, and clients who prefer a relationship-driven service over the typical self-service exchange experience. As HODL OTC is named in the FinTech Awards 2026, we spoke with CEO Jacques Serfontein below to learn more.
Best Next-Gen Digital Asset FinTech Company 2026 – South Africa believes that this will become an important part of the digital asset ecosystem, especially for clients who want to retain long-term exposure while still unlocking capital when needed. Another area of development is the broker dashboard. HODL OTC is currently building a unique system that allows brokers, financial advisers, and professional intermediaries to onboard their clients quickly and efficiently into the HODL OTC ecosystem. This will make it easier for brokers to introduce digital asset services to their own client bases, while still ensuring proper compliance, client verification, and oversight. HODL OTC is also exploring alternative income-generating models linked to digital assets and structured opportunities. The ultimate goal of this venture is to give clients access to more than just buying and selling, establishing HODL OTC as a platform where clients can securely manage, grow, and unlock value from their digital asset portfolios in a responsible and compliant way. Another major element of HODL OTC’s future strategy is expansion beyond South Africa. The company’s long-term vision is to build a platform that can serve clients across the African continent. Africa offers significant opportunities in digital assets, cross-border value transfer, alternative wealth creation, and financial inclusion. The team believes that HODL OTC is well-positioned to play a meaningful role in that growth by combining secure technology, regulatory discipline, and personal client service. Partnerships will also be a big focus over the coming years. HODL OTC is actively exploring strategic relationships that can help improve liquidity, product depth, infrastructure, and market reach. The right partnerships will play an instrumental role in accelerating the platform’s growth, while allowing it to maintain the trust and personal service that has earned HODL OTC its status as South Africa’s Best Next-Gen Digital Asset FinTech Company 2026. “The next few years are therefore about scaling carefully, not recklessly,” Jacques concluded. “We want to grow our product range, deepen our technology, expand our client base, and position HODL OTC as one of Africa’s leading digital asset and digital wealth platforms. Our ambition is clear: to take the trusted, white-glove service model we have built in South Africa and expand it into a much larger African opportunity.” Contact: Jacques Serfontein Company: HODL OTC Web Address: www.hodlotc.com
6 | FinTech Awards 2026 Best Pan-European Retail Investment Platform 2026 & AI in Finance Innovation Award 2026 “Investments for everyone.” Freedom24 is a stockbroker connecting European clients with major capital markets worldwide. Its award-winning platform offers investors a range of stocks, ETFs, corporate and government bonds, as well as US stock options across American, European, and Asian markets. The hybrid model it operates positions Freedom24 as a neo-traditional broker, as it combines the regulatory standards and market access of a traditional institution but underpins it all with a digital-first experience, without sacrificing on a physical presence. There are a couple of things that exemplify the unique position that Freedom24 holds in the pan-European investment space, the first being how it holds itself accountable. Freedom24 itself operates under CySEC and MiFID II, whereas partner company Freedom Holding Corp. is Nasdaq-listed and audited to US standards by Deloitte. Second is the fact that its acclaimed technology is developed and built in-house. Proprietary investment platform Tradernet, AI-driven compliance framework Neo Compliance, and an integrated AI assistant operating in more than 20 languages are all examples of this, and owning these end-to-end technologies is what allows this regulated European broker to evolve at the speed now expected by its investors, without losing the human touch and regulatory distinction that set it apart in this landscape. Applying all of this to the fintech space specifically, Evgenii told us: “The right way to think about financial technology in a regulated environment is as an operated layer that solves real problems within a controlled framework, not as a showcase.” Neo Compliance, its AI-driven compliance framework, is Freedom24’s best example of this, with the technology helping financial businesses overcome the issues inherent in traditional operating models, which rely on manual reviews and incremental hiring. When a business scales across jurisdictions, compliance volume grows exponentially, making these traditional means no longer fit for purpose. What Freedom24 has done is to re-architect this function as an AI-driven system of specialised agents, meaning that it now processes source-of-funds documentation from more than 80 countries in minutes, running transaction monitoring across an entire client base in what is almost real time. Of course, recognising the importance of retaining a human-in-the-loop element to its model, AI handles around 95% of the prep work, with a compliance officer retaining the final authority over any decisions made. This is a common theme across the whole platform, not just Neo Compliance, and even applies to its client-facing AI assistant. The purpose is for the boundary between machine and human to be drawn by consequence, not capability. Jul25149 A subsidiary of global financial conglomerate Freedom Holding Corp., Freedom24 is an online broker providing EU clients with everything they need for a successful investment journey. This includes direct access to the world’s largest stock exchanges, professional securities analytics, user-friendly trading applications, and responsive support in their language. For more on the proprietary platform behind Freedom24’s success, we caught up with Evgenii Tiapkin, its executive director. “AI handles the high-volume, low-risk cognitive load; humans decide wherever outcomes meaningfully affect risk, regulation, or client capital. The question is not what AI can do, but what it should decide.” All of this is part of something much bigger, especially when it comes to a problem that is largely unique in the world of financial services. Before features or experience, the first question anyone must ask is whether or not a platform is safe for them to put their money in. This is the foundation from which everything else is built. For Freedom24, regulatory supervision at its operating level and US public-company governance at group level signifies trust. None of these layers are visible to the client, but then that is exactly the point. Equally as important for Freedom24 is local depth, as whilst it can easily serve clients all over Europe through its AI-driven compliance platform, the trust it nurturers comes from figuring out how investors in different markets think and what they look for. Physical offices with local teams close the gaps in its client base, and the team here strive not to move into a market until they have the operational and compliance infrastructure set up. This purposeful control also extends to its technology, as being in full control of it means that Freedom24 is the one who determines the ceiling of what it can build and how fast it can build it, not a third-party provider. “Relying on third-party infrastructure means inheriting its constraints, from product roadmaps to data architecture and integration limits”, said Evgenii. “Because Tradernet, Neo Compliance, and the AI layer are all developed in-house, improvements ship on our timeline, not a vendor’s.” It is thanks in no small part to this that Freedom24 enjoys a culture shaped by a deliberate combination, as this regulated broker in Cyprus sits at an unusual intersection: it is both a fully regulated financial institution but also a genuine technology company. These two environments risk pulling it in different directions, as where regulation rewards caution and process, technology rewards speed and innovation. Freedom24’s culture is defined by its ability to uphold the requirements of both simultaneously, without being swayed. Freedom24 is no stranger to managing splits like this in its work, as Europe may have one of the world’s most advanced financial markets, but it is also one of the most fragmented. Banking, investing, insurance, payments, and lifestyle services have all developed as separate industries, and all boast different frameworks, technology stacks, and customer journeys. The result has been many specialist providers, but very few integrated platforms.
Recognising the opportunity this brings, Freedom24’s aim in the longer term is to evolve into a broader financial and client ecosystem. Evgenii shared: “At group level the model already operates scale in the Freedom SuperApp, where banking, payments, investing, insurance, and everyday services connect through a single platform.” In under two years, the platform has built a customer base in the millions, success Freedom24 looks to replicate. Shaping a European version of this platform using its own regulatory context, but still mirroring the same underlying ideas, is just one of the plans the team have in the pipeline, with another including exploring a banking licence in Europe. Since banking sits at the centre of a customer’s daily finances, getting this foundation in place means a wider range of financial services can be built around it. Finally, Evgenii commented: “For 2026, we are deepening the client-side AI layer, extending Neo Compliance as the business scales, and our expansion priorities in Europe include Portugal, Romania, and the Czech Republic.” Ultimately, as European retail finance continues to be defined by the gradual dissolution of the boundary between financial services categories, with today’s increasingly digital environment meaning clients have less incentive to navigate those boundaries, the platforms that will define finance across the continent are those able to integrate across categories without compromising on regulatory integrity. It is a demanding standard, but one this European investment platform has been working towards for more than a decade. More on the full digital investment ecosystem its European clients can enjoy thanks to Freedom24 can be found at the link below. Contact: Evgenii Tiapkin Company: Freedom24 Web Address: https://freedom24.com/
Best Payment Processing Solutions 2026 – USA Opening its doors in 2006, SecureStream Pay Solutions has always sought to empower businesses of all sizes with secure, efficient, and tailored payment solutions. Spearheaded by the duo of Angela Cherry and Eugene Oliver, the company has evolved over the last two decades, growing into one of the top providers of payment processing solutions anywhere in the world. Whether its clients are looking for innovative credit card processing or simply to talk with passionate professionals, SecureStream can help. We caught up with Angela following the company’s recognition with this title. A trusted partner in payment processing, SecureStream Pay Solutions is a fintech company based in Franklin, Texas, and renowned for its tailored, transparent, and reliable payment processing services. SecureStream’s clients span a range of industries, from convenience stores and petroleum groups to restaurants and professional services, and all of them are afforded seamless payment processing solutions that help simplify transactions and support the growth of their business. These services cover everything a business could ever need from a payment processing partner, be it merchant accounts and payment gateways to point-of-sale systems, data transparency tools, or white-glove customer support. As this scope suggests, what makes SecureStream unique is that it goes a step beyond processing payments to deliver clarity, education, and trust, all in a space that often feels confusing and transactional. SecureStream’s role in shaping the world of fintech is clear, and something reflected in its full suite of secure payment solutions, from card-present/card-not-present processing to mobile integrations and advanced reporting tools, all of which have been designed to give clients the real-time insight they need into their businesses. Since this is a space that is always changing, the company strives to stay one step ahead of it, tracking recent shifts such as AI-driven fraud prevention and the evolution of contactless and digital wallet payments. Angela told us: “We align with best-in-class partners while also evaluating emerging technologies to ensure our clients have access to tools that are both leading-edge and reliable.” These partners serve as a powerful combination of industry-leading providers, with Fiserv, CardConnect, and North American Bancard (NAB) being just some of the industry giants that SecureStream has teamed up with to deliver what is a comprehensive suite of payment processing solutions. Whilst these trusted partners play a pivotal role in the secure, efficient payment solutions SecureStream delivers, which are unmatched in reliability and innovation, underpinning it all is the professional expertise of the team here. It is thanks to Angela, Eugene, and the rest of the team that SecureStream stands as the strategic partner it does today, and not just another payment processing service. Whether for a small business owner or a large enterprise, this team have the expertise to deliver tailored solutions that suit every individual need. This unrivalled level of customisation across its services is just one of the reasons why SecureStream is favoured by so many businesses across the US, and other factors in the decision to partner with this awardwinning solutions provider including it offering the best pricing (complete with no contract), the highest security standards across transactions, streamlining payment processing, and underpinning everything with stellar customer service and dedicated, in-house support. Clients can wave goodbye to those frustrating 800-number support lines with SecureStream by their side, as its commitment to great service extends to assigning a dedicated relationship manager to each client, someone who is there to provide assistance whenever help is needed or a question is worth asking. Having a real person on the other end of the phone, someone who understands their business and wants to see it succeed, sees a level of care delivered that feels increasingly rare in a world where automation is replacing human connection. Commenting on this difference, Angela explained: “For us, client service begins with listening. We take the time to understand each client’s specific needs and tailor solutions accordingly. Transparency, responsiveness, and education are the pillars of our service approach.” By ensuring that SecureStream remains accessible to clients, transparent in key areas like fees and compliance, and a long-term partner rather than a one-time provider, Angela and her team have built a sustainable future in what is a crowded market. The best part of all this is that the future of its clients’ businesses become sustainable as well, thanks in no small part to SecureStream helping them to really save money, all whilst providing the concierge-level service the business and its customers deserve. Again, this comes back to SecureStream’s status as a proud agent of Fiserv, which is one of the world’s largest processors and delivers a blend of reliable processing and a multitude of service partners under its umbrella, including aforementioned provider CardConnect. What CardConnect does is develop advanced payment solutions backed by PCI-validated point-to-point encryption and payment tokenisation. It then provides SecureStream’s clients with a statement they will understand, and lays the foundation for the trust that is so hard to come by in this industry. Given this space has long pushed salespeople from all over the US to cold call at random with the promise of saving money on credit card processing, even when they have never seen a statement, this kind of approach is very refreshing. SecureStream is immensely proud of the fact that its unique mix of a special agreement with the leader in credit card processing and streamlined overhead and profit sharing has resulted in rates being offered that were lower than every statement it has ever evaluated. The 98.7% retention rate it boasts certainly stems from this, not to mention the added bonus of Southern hospitality that comes from its specialist concierge team, who are based out of Tupelo, Mississippi. And of all this with no contracts. Simply because it does not need them. Shaking off the negative connotations of this market by being one of the few providers to offer a product that is truly needed, approximately 90% of SecureStream’s clients come from referrals. This is indicative of the stellar feedback it receives from its clients, seen through a number of testimonials on its website. As one client, Prince Oil Company, detailed: “SecureStream Pay Solutions is truly an extension of our company team!” Another, from McAlister’s Deli, added: “Trusting SecureStream to handle our merchant account processing was one of the best vendor decisions I’ve made in 25 years in the restaurant industry.” Finally, a spokesperson from Carthage Junction commented: “The processing has been great, fast, and dependable. We would recommend the processor to anyone looking for great service.”
9 | FinTech Awards 2026 The fact that so many of these testimonials come from clients who have been with Angela and co. now for a number of years (some close to ten) makes them even more special, and this has played a huge part in SecureStream Pay Solutions receiving the award for Best Payment Processing Solutions 2026 – USA as part of FinTech Awards 2026. More on its solutions, approach, and leadership can be found at the link listed below. Contact: Angela Cherry Company: SecureStream Pay Solutions Web Address: https://securestreampaysolutions.com/
10 | FinTech Awards 2026 Global Financial Technology CEO of the Year 2026: Tony Petrilli To date, ViewTrade has empowered more than 300 financial services firms in creating the investment experience their clients demand. It serves a diverse portfolio of clients, including financial institutions and platforms across multiple markets looking to expand access to cross-border investing, modernise brokerage infrastructure, and deliver more efficient digital investment solutions to their customers. To these clients, ViewTrade offers a comprehensive suite of services that includes global market access, brokerage and custody infrastructure, execution capabilities, APIs, frontend and back-office technology, operational support, and flexible models to support various business needs across jurisdictions. With each client at a different stage of their growth journey, the team works to understand their requirements and provide tailored support across technology, operations, onboarding, and implementation. “In financial technology, strong client service is not only about resolving issues quickly. It is also about understanding a client’s business model, regulatory environment, operational needs, growth plans, and the markets they serve,” Tony explained. “Some may be launching a new digital investment platform, while others may be modernising existing infrastructure or expanding into new markets. We aim to help institutions identify the right path based on their specific needs, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all model.” This is an approach informed by Tony Petrilli’s extensive expertise; holding more than four decades of experience in financial services and technology, Tony leads the ViewTrade team with a focus on helping institutions build scalable, resilient, and future-ready investing infrastructure. He boasts a robust background in business development, specialising in global markets, fintech solutions, and strategic partnerships. Tony’s professional career has been distinguished by a demonstrated history of success in scaling operations, driving innovation, and delivering value to clients around the world. He has previously worked with world-renowned firm Morgan Stanley, as well as Citibank, and draws from his time with them an unwavering commitment to driving growth and excellence across the industry. Now, he steers ViewTrade with a strategic vision and deep understanding of market dynamics. In a market where global access, speed, compliance, and operational reliability are becoming increasingly important, Tony leads ViewTrade’s focus on helping institutions build scalable, resilient, and future-ready investing infrastructure. Ultimately, his leadership represents a company-wide belief that the future of fintech will not be shaped by front-end experience alone but will instead depend on the strength of the infrastructure behind those experiences. This includes market access, compliance, operations, technology, and the ability to scale across jurisdictions. “For us, innovation is not only about the front-end experience,” Tony told us. “We believe that the next phase of fintech growth will depend on whether institutions have the right infrastructure, operational discipline, regulatory awareness, and technology foundations in place to support scale, resilience, and global access.” The remainder of 2026 and the years ahead represent an important period for ViewTrade, as financial institutions continue to modernise how they provide access to global markets. Looking ahead, the company predicts continued demand for solutions that support cross-border investing, API-led brokerage infrastructure, embedded investing, and more efficient operational models. As the financial services industry continues to evolve, the team will remain focused on areas that will add the most value for its clients, such as infrastructure, market access, operational resilience, and technology that helps clients grow responsibly. ViewTrade will continue to strengthen its infrastructure, expand its technology capabilities, support clients across regions, and help institutions build scalable investment experiences. The long-term direction of ViewTrade is centred on helping financial institutions prepare for the next stage of global investing, where access, resilience, technology, and trust will become even more important. Under the expert guidance of Tony Petrilli, named the Global Financial Technology CEO of the Year 2026, ViewTrade is well-positioned to continue building on its long-standing legacy of supporting global investing infrastructure by helping institutions respond to a more connected, digital, and cross-border financial services environment. Contact: Tony Petrilli Company: ViewTrade Web Address: www.viewtrade.com ViewTrade is a force powering fintech and cross-border investing for financial services firms around the world. It was founded amidst the emergence of online retail brokerage outside of the United States, and paved the way by providing innovative, electronic access to the all-important U.S. market. Leading this industry pioneer is Chairman and CEO Tony Petrilli, whose leadership has helped position ViewTrade as a trusted global infrastructure partner to financial institutions across markets. We heard more from Tony below, following his recent recognition in the FinTech Awards 2026.
FinTech Market Access Champion of the Year 2026 – USA Since its inception in 1998, ViewTrade has been on a mission to open up previously inaccessible markets for financial services firms operating around the world. The company provides invaluable technology, support, and brokerage services to help businesses deliver the investment access and financial solutions their clients deserve. This mission is steered by Jody Giraldo, Director of Institutional Sales for Latin America at ViewTrade. As we celebrate Jody in the FinTech Awards 2026, we caught up with the market access champion for more. Operating at the infrastructure layer of financial services, ViewTrade provides financial technology and brokerage infrastructure that helps financial institutions, fintechs, broker-dealers, banks, wealth platforms, and digital investment businesses offer access to global markets. Ultimately, it strives to support the technology, brokerage, execution, custody, operational, and backoffice capabilities that institutions need to launch, manage, and scale investing experiences. ViewTrade’s solutions are designed to help institutions launch and scale investment offerings more efficiently, while supporting the operational needs that come with crossborder investing. It works with financial institutions seeking to provide their clients with access to global markets or expand their own cross-border investing capabilities. The team supports them with the technology, operational workflows and market-access infrastructure required for cross-border investing. In this field, Jody Giraldo focuses on keeping client conversations connected to real market needs. He helps institutions understand how they can expand investment access, explore new markets, and evaluate the infrastructure required to support that growth. Jody shows clients not only what technology is available but how the right market access infrastructure can support their broader business goals. “For me, client service is consultative, not transactional,” Jody told us. “I work with institutions to understand their needs, identify the right opportunities, and help them think through the infrastructure required to support sustainable market access.” Jody is a seasoned financial services executive who boasts more than two decades of experience in institutional sales, trading, and business development. After graduating from Florida International University in 1998, he began his career in financial research with Merrill Lynch & Co. before joining American Express as a Financial Advisor and Training Manager. In 2000, Jody became a Principal and SVP at EquityStation, where he spent 13 years leading sales and trading, partner recruitment, and capital introduction for hedge funds. Following his time with EquityStation, he held senior roles at VectorGlobal and ARCA Capital Investments, where he launched and scaled institutional equity desks and negotiated key clearing and custody agreements. Since 2018, Jody has served as the Director of Institutional Sales for Latin America at ViewTrade, playing an instrumental role in empowering fintechs and financial institutions across the region to access cutting-edge trading technology and global execution services. By helping countless clients understand how to expand investment opportunities in a practical, responsible, and scalable way, Jody has earned a reputation throughout the industry as the USA’s FinTech Market Access Champion of the Year 2026. This recognition reflects the growing importance of market access in the fintech space. As investors seek broader opportunities and institutions look to modernise their platforms, the ability to provide efficient access to global markets is becoming a strategic priority. Jody’s work highlights the necessity of the clientfacing side of infrastructure-led fintech, helping institutions connect ambition with execution and supporting conversations around the systems, support, and operational foundations required to expand responsibly. Looking to the future, ViewTrade anticipates continued demand for market access solutions as more financial institutions seek to offer global investing capabilities to their customers. For the remainder of 2026 and beyond, the team will continue to support clients that are expanding their investment offerings, modernising brokerage infrastructure, and evaluating new opportunities across global markets. Areas such as API-based investing, embedded finance, cross-border access, digital wealth infrastructure, and more efficient operational models are expected to remain important priorities. As for Jody, his focus remains firmly on helping institutions understand and access the infrastructure they need to grow. His work will support clients that want to move beyond local market limitations and provide broader investment opportunities through scalable and well-supported infrastructure. He concluded, “The next few years are likely to bring continued change in how institutions think about market access. Our goal is to remain a trusted partner for clients navigating that change.” Contact: Jody Giraldo Company: ViewTrade Web Address: www.viewtrade.com
12 | FinTech Awards 2026 Most Innovative Alternative Investment Management Solutions Provider 2026 – North America iCapital was established in 2013 with the mission of making high-quality alternative investments accessible to wealth advisors and their high-net-worth investors and enabling fund managers to reach new sources of capital. Since its inception, the platform has powered the alternative investment marketplace and provided data-driven solutions to the wealth management industry. Today, iCapital partners with asset managers, banks, and wealth managers to streamline access, education, and lifecycle management for private market investments. It delivers an end-to-end platform that combines marketplace capabilities, workflow automation, and analytics. The platform simplifies the subscription, administration, and monitoring of alternative investments, reducing unnecessary operational complexity for firms and advisors. The iCapital platform integrates technology, data, and operational capabilities to help financial advisors and their clients navigate private equity, private credit, real assets, and hedge funds more efficiently. By digitising historically manual processes, iCapital supports more scalable, transparent, and informed investing across alternative asset classes. “We recognise that alternative investments introduce complexity, and therefore prioritise delivering a seamless intuitive experience, underpinned by robust operational infrastructure and a strong focus on investor education.” In 2020, iCapital launched its Canadian Business to deliver a fully compliant, endto-end digital investing experience tailored to the Canadian wealth ecosystem. Since then, iCapital has swiftly scaled its presence through market-leading technology, strong local partnerships, and a deep commitment to advisor education. It has made a meaningful impact on the Canadian alternative investment market, supporting more than 3,500 advisors and 80,000 investors and representing more than $13 billion in platform assets under management as of June 1st, 2026. Operating in a rapidly evolving environment, iCapital understands the importance of remaining at the forefront of industry innovation. Focusing on continued innovation across technology, data, and operating models, it works closely with clients and partners around the world to ensure that all solutions evolve in alignment with market needs and regulatory environments. Furthermore, iCapital closely monitors industry developments and regulatory changes, working proactively to ensure its platform adapts accordingly. It invests continuously in platform development, data capabilities, and integration, which includes leveraging automation, scalable architecture, and analytics to enhance the user experience and improve decision-making. These improvements are driven by a strong internal culture committed to sustained success. “Our culture is grounded in collaboration, innovation, and a strong client focus,” Thomas told us. “We bring together diverse expertise across technology, finance, and operations to solve complex industry challenges. This culture underpins our ability to innovate while maintaining a strong focus on execution and service.” Moving forward, the iCapital team’s focus will take a three-pronged approach: expanding platform capabilities and geographic reach; enhancing data and analytics solutions; and strengthening partnerships across the global investment ecosystem. Following the successful establishment of iCapital Network Canada Ltd., the company anticipates further success in these areas and intends to build on to its reputation as North America’s Most Innovative Alternative Investment Management Solutions Provider 2026. “Looking ahead, iCapital expects continued growth driven by increasing demand for alternative investments and the ongoing evolution of the wealth management landscape,” Thomas concluded. “We see significant opportunities in further improving access, transparency, and efficiency in private markets through technology-enabled solutions.” Contact: Thomas Johnston Company: iCapital Web Address: www.icapital.com AIM-May26263 The continued convergence of technology and private markets is reshaping how investors allocate to alternatives. iCapital is a fintech company and registered investment fund manager focused on enabling this shift—delivering infrastructure, operational capabilities, and curated exposure to institutional-quality asset managers with lower minimums and efficient pricing across the wealth management landscape. We heard more from Thomas Johnston, Managing Director and Canadian Market Head at iCapital, as iCapital is named in the FinTech Awards 2026.
13 | FinTech Awards 2026 May26070 Best Digital Asset Custody Technology Provider 2026 With global banks moving further into digital assets and integrating them within their existing financing and securities operations, the number of emerging companies specialising in digital asset custody technology has risen massively. Zodia Custody, founded in 2020, has carefully evolved over the past six years to focus on infrastructure through Zodia Solutions. Powered by deep expertise in financial services, compliance, risk, and technology, Zodia Custody is an institution-first digital asset platform backed by Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, SBI Holdings, Emirates NBD, and National Australia Bank. The platform gives institutional investors from across the world the tools they need to recognise the full potential of the future of digital assets, simply, securely, and without compromise. Operating under registration and authorisations provided by the Financial Conduct Authority, Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, and Hong Kong Companies Registry, Zodia Custody delivers an institutionalgrade technology stack for financial institutions, covering everything from key management and transaction orchestration to governance workflows. Its infrastructure-first model, the evolution of which is best seen through the development of a single integrated infrastructure layer, something Zodia Custody built to bridge complex legacy banking systems and regulated environments, enables banks to safely scale their digital offerings without having to build foundational architecture from scratch. In more detail, Zodia Custody provides institutional-grade infrastructure that powers digital asset custody, utilising cold-storage Hardware Security Modules (HSM) wallets combined with Multi-Party Computation (MPC) technology, alongside value-added capabilities like institutional staking and off-exchange settlement via its Interchange network. Behind this is the blend of traditional banking risk governance and rapid technological agility. The company has designed the infrastructure to align with evolving regulatory frameworks such as MiCAR, so institutional clients can operate within a ‘regulation-aligned’ model. This ensures they can always operate with maximum security, capital efficiency, and operational resilience. What follows is institutional trust, institutional-grade controls, and operational depth, the three pillars of Zodia Custody’s approach to client service. Working in this sector, absolute assurance is vital, and the team ensure every instruction is authenticated and risk-managed to balance security with real-time access to assets. Rigorous oversight is prioritised, guided by the company’s belief that excellent service in digital assets requires the combination of advanced technology and an experienced global team who understand regulation and risk. It is this award-winning combination that allows Zodia Custody to keep pace with a fast-moving digital asset landscape. The team continue to update their developer tools and customisable governance workflows as global regulatory frameworks evolve, leveraging their expertise and technological capabilities to support institutions in navigating these changes. Increasingly, this technology is delivered through Zodia Solutions, the company’s dedicated digital asset infrastructure business. Born inside a regulated custodian, Zodia Solutions provides the foundational infrastructure global banks need in order to scale, working with them through an end-to-end engagement model that spans initial strategy to live, revenue-generating operations. With this technology in mind, Zodia Custody remains focused on scaling its award-winning capabilities worldwide and supporting financial institutions as they bring digital asset services to market. Following the agreement for Standard Chartered to acquire the regulated custody business, the technology and infrastructure business will continue independently as Zodia Solutions. “Operating as a dedicated infrastructure and professional services business, Zodia Solutions will empower global institutions to design, deliver, and grow their own digital asset offerings.” With this exciting development on the horizon, Zodia Custody has the technology, infrastructure, and professional services financial institutions need to design, deliver, and grow digital asset services within regulated environments. More on the institutional digital asset infrastructure solutions that have led to the company featuring in our FinTech Awards 2026 can be found at the web address below. Contact: Alice Ellman-Brown Company: Zodia Custody Web Address: https://zodia-custody.com/
14 | FinTech Awards 2026 Best Emerging Halal Investment Research Platform 2026 Unlike many businesses in this space, which began simply from the founder’s ambition to introduce yet another financial app to the market, purepofo began with a practical question: “Can business quality, ethical discipline, and long-term investing be held together in one framework that remains useful over time?” This search paved the way for Shariah-compliant wealth management tools and a platform focused on forward-looking halal equity research and investment decision support. By combining AAOIFI-based Shariah screening with proprietary stock-quality assessment, business lifecycle analysis, machine-learningsupported signals, and portfolio workflow tools, purepofo can support investors across halal stock research, market screening, and portfolio monitoring. Building on its investor platform, purepofo is also developing an offering for advisors: “purepofo advisor” - a professional workflow environment for wealth managers that integrates features like strategic asset allocation and client reporting into a halalconscious ecosystem. “The platform is designed for investors and advisers who want both principled investing and serious equity research within the growing market for responsible and halal-conscious investing.” Simply put, purepofo utilises technology to make complex investment discipline more accessible, explainable, and forward-looking. There are many halal-focused investing tools already, but these often focus on current-state compliance screening. What sets purepofo apart is that it combines structured screening logic, proprietary stock-quality scoring, and machine-learning-supported pattern recognition to help investors assess how compliance status and underlying business quality may evolve over time. Hazem himself explained: “The platform’s approach is based on the observation that changes in compliance are often linked to broader financing and operating decisions that leave recurring financial patterns. Machine learning is then used to help identify these patterns earlier across large groups of companies and long historical periods.” This is especially beneficial as it helps to solve one of the most long-standing challenges in halal investing, which is that many existing workflows separate compliance screening from deeper investment analysis. Bridging the gap by combining compliance discipline with more structured business and valuation interpretation, purepofo helps people to understand and act on complex investment decisions, regardless of whether they are a first-time investor or a more advanced user in search of deeper insights and better portfolio discipline. The wider impact of the platform is reflected through elements of its methodology having been independently examined and published in the European Journal of Islamic Finance, which supports the emphasis purepofo places on methodical transparency and researchdriven development across its operation. This is something that starts with its culture, which is closely aligned with the principles that the platform itself promotes. Built on integrity, responsibility, transparency, and long-term thinking, guiding purepofo is the core belief that ethical and responsible investing should not mean compromising on analytical quality or investment discipline. A shared mindset, this influences the development of the platform and the culture, and is continuing to shape the business as it expands its research capabilities, investor tools, and strategic partnerships within the fintech, wealth management, and Islamic finance spaces. Looking ahead, Hazem outlined the next stage of development for purepofo: “A major focus will be improving accessibility to forward-looking halal investment research while continuing to develop the platform’s integration of compliance analysis, businessquality interpretation, portfolio monitoring, and investment workflow support.” He continued: “We also see strong long-term potential in collaborating with wealth managers, financial platforms, educational initiatives, and responsible investing communities.” Ultimately, purepofo has been recognised as the Best Emerging Halal Investment Research Platform 2026 in this year’s FinTech Awards on the back of its predictive halal compliance monitoring, business lifecycle analysis, and integrated investor workflows. It is well on the way to achieving its broader aim of helping halal-conscious investors move away from static screening and towards more informed, explainable, and durable investment decision making. More on this can be found at the web address linked below. Contact: Dr. Hazem Hamoudia Platform: purepofo Web Address: www.purepofo.com Empowering halal-conscious investing, purepofo is a fintech platform focused on forward-looking halal equity research and investment decision support. By combining the integrity of halal with a blend of advanced analytics and AI-supported foresight for stocks, the platform stands as a gateway to halal stock research, screening, and portfolio discipline. We are delighted to recognise the momentum of this platform here in our FinTech Awards 2026, and were honoured to catch up with purepofo’s own Dr. Hazem Hamoudia for more on this halal portfolio management software.
wealthandfinance.digitalRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==