5 fastest growing FinTech companies in Boston

By Pavithra R

As Boston continues to grow its reputation as a hub for tech and innovation, it has also become an emerging hub in the FinTech space. Below is a list of 5 fast-growing FinTech companies changing the fintech landscape in the region.

Algorand

Founded in 2017 by Silvio Micali, Algorand is a provider of open-source, permissionless, pure proof-of-stake blockchain protocol that enables the development of scalable blockchain solutions for real-world use cases. The FinTech is powering the DeFi evolution by enabling the creation and exchange of value, building financial tools and services, bringing assets on-chain and providing privacy models.

Algorand is building the technology to power the Future of Finance (FutureFi), the convergence of traditional and decentralized models into a unified system that is inclusive, frictionless, and secure. Beyond the elementary requirement of an open, public network, Algorand’s technology enables a set of high performing Layer-1 blockchains that provide security, scalability, complete transaction finality, built in privacy, Co-Chains, and advanced smart contracts that are essential in a FutureFi world.

Flywire

Founded in 2011 by former international student Iker Marcaide as PeerTransfer, Flywire removes the boundaries in the transaction through its solutions that enable the global payment and receivables process. It is proven to solve high-stakes vertical-specific payment and receivables problems for organizations that deliver high-value services. The FinTech has vertical-specific insight and technology that allows organisations to optimise the payment experience for their customers while eliminating operational challenges.

Flywire makes it easy for institutions to receive and reconcile payments from students across the globe. The company has partnerships with universities including Boston University, Tuition Management Systems, Carnegie Mellon, and Cornell and companies like Nelnet, Billtrust, Cashnet and more. Its solutions enable institutions to create custom payment plans to provide students and families with greater flexibility. Flywire has raised over $260mn in venture funding and counts Goldman Sachs, Temasek, Bain Capital Ventures, Spark Capital, F-Prime, Whale Rock Capital Management, Marshall Wace LLP, and Sunley House Capital, Advent International among its investors.

Own Up

Founded in 2016, Own Up brings radical transparency to the mortgage industry, leveling the playing field for consumers and empowering them to make the best financial decisions for their specific situations. The FinTech has experienced rapid growth in 2020 with many American reevaluating their budgets and lifestyles. The firm helped individuals and families across the country navigate their home buying and refinancing journeys.

Own Up through its managed marketplace provides consumers with customized market data and verified loan offers while allowing them to maintain confidentiality. Its customers can easily bypass the costly mortgage salesperson and go directly to vetted lenders that match to their needs. The firm’s free digital platform also includes access to expert Home Advisors that provide unbiased advice and ongoing support. This year the company is planning to expand to 15 new states, including California. The brand already serves borrowers in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas.

Lendbuzz

Lendbuzz uses Big Data analytics to significantly improve access to credit for international students and professionals living in the U.S. The firm beyond a simple credit score and focus on customers’​ background information such as employment, educational, financial or personal history to assess their creditworthiness and grant the customer a loan.

The FinTech offers equal financial opportunity and car loans to all international students, foreign professionals and expats looking to purchase a car in the US. Its financing model powered by machine learning and proprietary algorithms allows it to better assess the creditworthiness of consumers with limited U.S. credit history, who are overlooked and underserved by the traditional credit system.

Numerated

Founded in 2017, Numerated is a fast-growing, venture-backed financial technology company powering digital transformation at banks. The Firm makes it faster, simpler, and more efficient for businesses to purchase financial products from banks and credit unions.

Numerated makes business lending easy for financial institutions and their business clients by using data. Its digital lending solution pulls in data at each stage of loan origination, including pre-filling applications for borrowers, aggregating data to speed reviews and offers, and creating execution-ready document packages for fully digital closings.

In 2020, Numerated’s innovation took center stage as lenders embraced digitization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the launch of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Numerated has grown into a strategic partner for institutions of all sizes, working to distribute more than $40 billion in relief funds into the hands of small businesses. Unlike other fintech companies that compete with banks, Numerated was developed for bankers, by bankers, inside a bank and its investors include banks, bank technology companies, and bank investors.

Also read: US Financial Services Technology Market Overview