By Vriti Gothi
Today
- AI
- Awards
- Digital Banking
Recognising the world’s most transformative and impact-driven innovations in Banking & Financial Technology
Mumbai, India | London, UK: IBS Intelligence today announced the winners of the Global FinTech Innovation Awards (GFIA) 2025, marking the seventh edition of one of the industry’s most respected and comprehensive global recognition programmes. These awards honour banks, financial institutions, and technology providers who are reshaping the future of financial services through cutting-edge technology implementations, digital excellence, and breakthrough innovation models.
GFIA 2025 recorded its highest-ever participation, with more than 600 submissions from 150+ financial institutions and technology providers across 50+ countries, reflecting the programme’s growing global relevance and reputation as a benchmark of excellence in banking and FinTech innovation.
Participation remained dominant in APAC (250+) and in EMEA (170+), supported by strong representation from Europe and the Americas. The awards attracted entries from over 110 technology vendors and 135 banks, further solidifying GFIA’s position as one of the most credible and comprehensive platforms recognising innovation in BFSI technology.
The most competitive categories this year included Core Banking, Digital Banking Channels, Digital Lending, Customer Experience Platforms, and AI & Automation in Banking, each attracting dozens of high-calibre entries. With a 59% CAGR in nominations since 2022, GFIA has evolved into a truly global benchmark of excellence; deepening collaboration and innovation momentum between banks and FinTechs worldwide.
Awards Structure: 15 Categories Showcasing Global Innovation Leadership
The 2025 awards evaluated projects across a comprehensive set of categories representing all major domains of financial technology, including:
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Core Banking Implementation
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Digital Banking Channels Implementation
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Customer Experience Platforms
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Lending Platform Implementation
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Payments, Card & Wallet Solutions Implementation
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Corporate & Wholesale Banking
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Wealth, Private & Investment Technology Implementation
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Islamic Banking Implementation
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Testing & Quality Assurance Implementation
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Risk, Compliance & Cybersecurity Implementation
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AI & Automation in Banking
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Data & Identity Technologies
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APIs, Open Banking, Marketplace & BaaS Innovations
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System Integrator / Implementation Partner
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Special Awards & Innovation Highlights
A Year Defined by AI, Digital Excellence & Next-Gen Financial Infrastructure
AI-powered innovation dominated this year’s submissions, reflecting the industry’s rapid adoption of intelligent automation, predictive risk models, and AI-driven customer engagement. Digital-only and next-generation banks also contributed significantly more entries than previous years, signalling a global shift towards agile, tech-centric financial ecosystems.
Meanwhile, WealthTech and Digital Investment Platforms emerged among the fastest-growing segments, mirroring global trends in wealth management digitisation. The awards also featured a surge in Islamic Banking initiatives, underscoring the expanding demand for specialised, Sharia-compliant digital solutions.
“GFIA 2025 reflects how rapidly financial institutions are embracing new technologies to deliver intelligent, resilient, and customer-first banking experiences.” Nikhil Gokhale, Director – Research and Digital Properties at IBS Intelligence, continued, “The calibre of submissions this year was exceptional, representing the strongest wave of innovation we have seen in the programme’s history. Congratulations to all the winners for setting new global standards in financial technology.”
Every entry underwent a rigorous evaluation by the jury team, leveraging IBS Intelligence’s deep expertise across global financial technology systems, implementation trends, and emerging innovation models.
About IBS Intelligence
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the UK, IBS Intelligence is the world’s leading pure-play Financial Technology research, news, analysis, and advisory firm. IBS Intelligence’s annual Sales League Table (SLT) is widely regarded as the global banking technology industry benchmark. Its research portfolio spans all major banking and financial technology domains and is consumed worldwide, including through channels such as Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, and S&P Capital IQ.
Cedar-IBSi FinTech Labs serves as a global innovation hub supporting FinTechs seeking accelerated access to India and MENA. Since 2018, it has supported technology companies of all sizes through structured ecosystem engagement.
IBS Intelligence group company, Cedar, is a global management consulting firm specialising in business strategy, digital transformation, and technology modernisation for financial institutions.
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