{
  "slug": "eu-fintech",
  "name": "EU Retail Payments & Fintech",
  "updated": "2026-10-04",
  "page": "https://godofstartups.com/atlas/markets/eu-fintech",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "facts": [
    {
      "metric": "Companies naming risk of mistakes when giving change as a concern with cash payments",
      "value": "32",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Companies preferring debit card payments from customers at physical points of sale",
      "value": "24",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Cash-accepting companies that expect to keep accepting cash over the next five years",
      "value": "92",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Share of operating income banks invest in digital transformation projects, average",
      "value": "2.8",
      "unit": "percent of operating income",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/speeches/date/2026/html/ssm.sp260922~6d21ed7918.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Companies naming consumer preference the most important criterion when choosing which means of payment to accept",
      "value": "26",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Non-cash-accepting companies citing that cash is not used enough by customers",
      "value": "36",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "SMEs in retail trade, restaurants and hotels that accept cash",
      "value": "93",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Companies that implemented measures to encourage the use of digital payments",
      "value": "25",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Companies that deposit cash",
      "value": "59",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Companies selling at physical locations that accept cash",
      "value": "92",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Number of payment institutions recorded in the euro area",
      "value": "724",
      "unit": "institutions",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2025-H1",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/speeches/date/2026/html/ssm.sp260922~6d21ed7918.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Trade sale as main exit route for European venture divestments by value",
      "value": "42",
      "unit": "percent of venture divestment value at c",
      "geo": "EU",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.investeurope.eu/media/2icnrmzc/20260507-invest-europe-activity-data-report-2025.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Pension funds share of capital committed to European private equity funds",
      "value": "18",
      "unit": "percent of funds raised",
      "geo": "EU",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.investeurope.eu/media/2icnrmzc/20260507-invest-europe-activity-data-report-2025.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Start-up-stage venture capital invested in European companies, 2025",
      "value": "9.7",
      "unit": "EUR billion",
      "geo": "EU",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.investeurope.eu/media/2icnrmzc/20260507-invest-europe-activity-data-report-2025.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Companies receiving venture capital investment in Europe",
      "value": "4827",
      "unit": "companies",
      "geo": "EU",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.investeurope.eu/media/2icnrmzc/20260507-invest-europe-activity-data-report-2025.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Capital reaching final closing by European private equity funds",
      "value": "98",
      "unit": "EUR billion",
      "geo": "EU",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.investeurope.eu/media/2icnrmzc/20260507-invest-europe-activity-data-report-2025.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Seed-stage share of total private equity investment, Europe",
      "value": "1.3",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "EU",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.investeurope.eu/media/z3pasguu/20260623_invest-europe_cee-report-2025.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Consumers who never paid a fee when withdrawing cash from an ATM",
      "value": "57",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/space/html/ecb.space2024~19d46f0f17.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Consumers finding it fairly easy or very easy to reach an ATM or a bank",
      "value": "87",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/space/html/ecb.space2024~19d46f0f17.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Bottom-decile income ceiling (first-decile top cut-off), equivalised disposable income",
      "value": "10748",
      "unit": "PPS per year",
      "geo": "EU27",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/api/dissemination/statistics/1.0/data/ilc_di01?format=JSON&lang=EN&unit=PPS&time=2024&quant_inc=D1&quant_inc=D5&quant_inc=D9&quant_inc=D10&geo=EU27_2020&geo=DE&geo=FR&geo=IT&geo=ES&geo=NL&geo=SE&geo=PT&geo=EL&geo=IE&geo=TR&geo=RS"
    }
  ],
  "note": "status: ready = two or more independent sources or an official series; proxy = one source; context = macro background, not a validation figure."
}