FinTech Australia has named 160 finalists across 22 categories for the 2026 Finnies Awards.
What’s happening: FinTech Australia has announced 160 finalists across 22 categories for the 2026 Finnies Awards, with winners to be announced at a gala event in Sydney on 18 June.
When the Finnies launched a decade ago, Australian fintech was still finding its footing. Today the sector contributes $13.8 billion in direct value to the Australian economy and supports more than 50,200 jobs directly within fintech businesses, according to FinTech Australia.
The 2026 awards reflect how far the industry has come, with 312 entries across 22 categories representing the breadth of innovation now operating across payments, lending, insurance, wealth management, regtech and beyond.
FinTech Australia CEO Rehan D’Almeida said the quality of this year’s entries demonstrated the sector’s resilience. “Behind each of these 160 finalists is a business that is measurably changing how Australians access finance, move money, insure their assets or protect their data,” he said. Deloitte Access Economics has forecast the sector will add $37 billion to GDP by 2035, according to FinTech Australia, contingent on the right infrastructure and policy settings.
The government is currently progressing reforms to payments licensing, scams prevention and the Consumer Data Right, areas D’Almeida noted are directly relevant to fintech innovation and consumer outcomes.
The finalists most relevant to small business
Several categories in the 2026 Finnies are directly relevant to SME owners and the financial tools they use.
In the Excellence in Business Lending category, finalists include Prospa, one of Australia’s most widely used non-bank SME lenders, alongside Banjo Loans, Lumi, Moneytech, MyGigsters and Kashcade. The category reflects the continued growth of alternative lending options for small businesses that fall outside traditional bank criteria or need faster access to capital.
In the Most Innovative Application of AI in Finance category, finalists include CreditorWatch, which helps businesses assess the credit risk of customers and suppliers, LoanOptions.ai, RedOwl and Otivo. For small business owners navigating cash flow risk and supplier relationships, tools in this category are increasingly relevant to day-to-day financial decisions.
In the Best Innovation in Payments category, finalists include MyGigsters, Remitly Australia, Sniip and RedOwl, reflecting continued innovation in how businesses send, receive and manage money across domestic and international transactions.
The Excellence in Industry Collaborations category includes Zepto and Employment Hero, a partnership connecting payroll and payments infrastructure that is directly relevant to SMEs managing employee payments. OwnHome and Aussie Home Loans also feature, relevant to business owners navigating property as part of their financial planning.
In the Emerging Fintech Organisation of the Year category, names to watch include Zeroo Home Loans, Instantia and TermPlus, newer entrants building products that may become relevant to SME owners in the coming years.
What the shortlist reveals
The breadth of the 2026 shortlist reflects a sector that has moved well beyond basic digital banking. AI is now embedded across lending, insurance, compliance and wealth management categories. Open banking finalists are building tools that help individuals and businesses access and act on their own financial data more effectively. And the business lending category continues to grow, with more options available to SME owners than at any previous point in the awards’ ten-year history.
Winners will be announced at ILUMINA on Elizabeth Street, Sydney, on 18 June 2026. Tickets are available at thefinnies.com.au.
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