Fintech Highlights from 4YFN 2025

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🚀 5 Great FinTechs at 4YFN/MWC 2025 - by Clemens Rychlik

The fintech ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and this year’s 4YFN/MWC was the perfect place to experience some of the most promising innovations firsthand. There, over the past few days, I - Clemens Rychlik from BCN FinTech - had the chance to meet and speak with several exciting fintech startups from all across the world.

Some impressed me with their unique approach to solving industry pain points, others stood out due to their brilliant teams and execution, and a few simply show immense potential to shape the future of finance in a good way.

From wealth management to blockchain security and financial integrations, here are the fintechs that caught my attention and why I believe they’re worth keeping an eye on:

💰 Portfolio Doc (Hamburg, Germany) – Personalized Investment Advice for All

Who I spoke with: co-founders Adnan Bilgin and Markus Sun & other awesome team members

Portfolio Doc is bringing professional-grade portfolio optimization to retail investors. Their platform helps users balance risk, discover new investment opportunities, and make data-driven decisions effortlessly - all while keeping full control over their investments. A strong move towards democratizing wealth management and making expert-level portfolio strategies accessible to more people.

Why I liked it: I’ve always been a fan of fintech solutions that make high-quality financial services more accessible. Portfolio Doc bridges the gap between private banking and retail investors, offering data and expert-backed recommendations without forcing decisions on the user. While still in early stages, they’ve made impressive progress already, and their upcoming tech developments will greatly enhance user experience.

🔗 Chift (Brussels, Belgium) – The "Stripe" of Financial Integrations

Who I spoke with: Marine Poincot, Founding Customer Service

Think of Chift API as the “Stripe for financial integrations” - but instead of focusing only on payments, they offer a much broader scope. Their platform enables SaaS companies to seamlessly connect to various financial tools such as accounting, invoicing, payments, POS systems, and more - all with a single integration.

Why I liked it: With so many fintech solutions available, businesses often struggle to connect them efficiently. Chift simplifies this process, allowing SaaS vendors to integrate major financial software players with ease. It’s a much-needed solution in a market where connectivity is often a barrier to growth. An added plus is that we have a soft spot for and great ties with FINTECH BELGIUM, and also that we may potentially welcome Chift in our Barcelona/Spain fintech ecosystem soon as part of their expansion plans.

🔐 SOOHO.IO (Seoul, South Korea) – Blockchain Security for Financial Institutions

Who I spoke with: Jisu Park (CEO) & Amy Jooyeong Kim (Global Brand & Partnerships Lead)

South Korea is not just about K-Pop, it has one of the most advanced blockchain ecosystems (as Laura Valls Alvarez (김라우라) 🚢 can verify). 수호아이오 (SOOHO.IO) is a prime example of its innovation. The company provides cutting-edge blockchain security and cross-chain solutions, ensuring the safety and interoperability of digital assets. With over $2.4 billion in assets protected, they are a trusted partner for banks, corporations, and government agencies.

Why I liked it: What's not to like about a K-Baby Unicorn? That aside, blockchain adoption in financial services is growing fast, but it is still a space where it's hard to identify genuine, proven use cases. SOOHO focuses on real-world applications of blockchain security, particularly for regulated financial institutions, and they’ve already proven their value with major clients.

🏢 fiskaltrust (Salzburg, Austria) – Making Compliance Hassle-Free for Merchants

Who I spoke with: Wolfgang Wolf, Channel Sales Director

Fiscal and tax compliance can be a nightmare for merchants, but fiskaltrust makes it - well, perhaps not a dream, but at least much easier and less dreadful. Their solution ensures that transaction data is securely recorded and fully compliant with local regulations, helping businesses avoid fines and streamline operations. Trusted by over 100,000 merchants across Europe, they provide a simple API integration that takes the burden off business owners.

Why I liked it: While compliance isn’t the most glamorous fintech topic, it’s absolutely essential. fiskaltrust offers a practical, proven solution that removes a major pain point for merchants, ensuring transparency and seamless tax reporting.

📚 Beta Integral (Tokyo, Japan) – Gamified Financial Education

Who I spoke with: Co-founder & CEO Yasuhiro Kawakami

Beta Integral (US) is tackling financial literacy with a fun and engaging approach. Their Beta Investors app combines education with a simulation-based investment experience, allowing users to make realistic investment decisions and see how they would have played out over time. This hands-on method helps users improve financial confidence and make better long-term financial choices.

Why I liked it: Everyone loves Hiro! Apart from that, financial education is one of the biggest gaps in most countries - and something I'm particularly passionate about in the fintech space - especially when it comes to investing. Beta Integral makes learning engaging and practical, bridging the gap between theory and real-world decision-making. It’s an approach that could help many people build better financial habits.

💡 Bonus Mention: Rozz Advisors (Barcelona, Spain) – M&A Advisory for Founder-Led Companies

Who I spoke with: Founder Clemens Rossberg

While not a fintech itself, Rozz Advisors plays a crucial role in the ecosystem. This Barcelona-based M&A boutique specializes in founder-led companies, helping them navigate acquisitions, investments, and exits. Given the increasing M&A activity in fintech, having the right advisory team can make all the difference. Clemens brings all this expertise, having successfully executed and advised on the above a ton of times for both - his previous company fonYou as well as other companies.

Why I liked it: Besides the amazing first name of the founder, Fintech is more than just technology - it’s also about smart strategic moves. Rozz Advisors brings deep expertise in both investment banking and entrepreneurship, making them an invaluable partner for fintech founders looking to scale, exit, or raise capital strategically. Plus, I have known Clemens for a long time and there certainly isn't anyone I'd trust more for M&A advisory for founder-led firms.

🚀 Final Thoughts

These fintech companies are driving real change across different areas of finance - whether it’s investment optimization, blockchain security, compliance, financial education, or integrations. And while they all come from completely different parts of the world, they all solve genuine challenges that people and organisations face anywhere on the globe.

It was a pleasure and very inspiring meeting these teams and learning more about their vision.

I’m looking forward to seeing how they evolve and scale in the coming months, and of course helping them with what I can via BCN FinTech and the fintech marketing agency Hello Operator.