After a relatively calm summer, September reignited the fintech sector with remarkable energy. As the year heads into its final quarter, financing activity, innovation, and major tech announcements have all signaled a strong finish for 2025.
Record-Breaking Fintech Activity
September was a strong month for fintech financing. A total of 208 equity and debt transactions were completed, the highest monthly figure since June 2023.
Equity financing dominated the field with 143 deals, making it the strongest month of the year for capital raising. That’s 39% more than in September 2024 and 11% above the 12-month moving average.
Debt financing also reached new heights, with 65 loan transactions closed – 76% more than last year’s figure and 35% higher than the annual average. In short: both investors and lenders returned to the market in full force.
The momentum was reflected in the numbers. September saw $21.9 billion in total fintech financing, a 48% increase over the 12-month average and more than four times the total from September last year.
Google and OpenAI: Shaping the Future of Agentic Finance
Beyond financing numbers, September brought groundbreaking developments in the intersection of AI and payments.
Google unveiled the Agent Payments Protocol, an open standard designed to make AI-driven payments safer and more transparent. Backed by over 60 industry partners, the protocol introduces robust safeguards like user intent verification, transaction transparency, and accountability. It supports both traditional payment systems and emerging assets like stablecoins, paving the way for seamless human–AI financial interactions.
Meanwhile, OpenAI and Stripe rolled out Checkout in ChatGPT — a feature that allows users to make purchases directly within ChatGPT. Built on the secure Agentic Commerce Protocol and Stripe’s Shared Payment Token system, the integration signals a major step toward frictionless AI commerce.
SEON’s $80 Million Boost: Hungarian Fintech Goes Global
A major regional highlight came from Budapest-based SEON Technologies, which secured $80 million in new funding led by international investors.
SEON’s cutting-edge AI platform provides modular, real-time fraud prevention for clients including Revolut, Air France, and Afterpay. The fresh capital will fuel global expansion, product development, and new strategic partnerships, reinforcing SEON’s position as one of Europe’s most influential anti-fraud fintechs.
The Rising Threat of Online Fraud
At the same time, cybersecurity remains a pressing challenge. Online fraudsters are stealing an estimated 50,000 forints per minute from Hungarian banking customers — a staggering figure that highlights the urgency of innovation in digital security. Hungarian banks are pursuing three distinct approaches to fight back:
- Technological innovation, using advanced analytics and AI tools;
- Police partnership models, which focus on coordinated response and prevention;
- Balanced platform strategies, integrating fraud detection seamlessly into everyday banking operations.
A Strong Finish Ahead
With record deal numbers, rising debt volumes, and accelerating AI innovation, September 2025 marked one of the most dynamic months in recent fintech history.As the year draws to a close, all signs point to continued momentum — driven by global capital flows, smarter fraud defenses, and the dawn of agentic finance, where AI doesn’t just assist in transactions but safely executes them.
Don’t forget to check out our brand new video in which we examine the fintech sector’s performance. (Disclaimer: the below video was made using artificial intelligence.)
(Cover photo: Depositphotos)
