15 FinTech Startup Ideas to Build and Launch in 2023

Over the past few years, the FinTech market has shown rapid development. Its main segment – digital payments – barely passed the $4.1 billion mark in 2018, and already in 2022, it doubled, exceeding $8.3 billion. According to forecasts, by 2027, this figure will reach $14.8 billion.

This trend is also related to the growing popularity of digital solutions that serve this industry. According to recent research by the consulting company Ernst & Young, 75% of respondents use at least one FinTech product.

To create a competitive business in this area, I recommend that you regularly monitor trends in the current financial market. This will allow you to market exactly the app that will be in demand by your target audience. 

For this article, I have selected a list of trending FinTech startup ideas that are in demand in the market. I suggest you get inspired by them to build and launch a new valuable FinTech product for your future users.

Idea #1. Buy Now Pay Later App

BNPL apps allow consumers to buy products in installments, similar to what is possible with credit cards. Many stores are already working with such apps because they can increase customer loyalty and expand the target audience of the business.

The maximum popularity of such software products is seen in Europe. According to statistics, the number of installations in this region over the past three years has grown by 339%.

The demand for Buy Now Pay Later apps in European countries is confirmed by their share in domestic e-commerce payments. Sweden, Germany, and Norway are the leading countries in this ranking.

The U.S. is not left out of this trend either. At the end of March 2023, Apple announced the launch of its Apple Pay Later product, which allows users to pay for purchases in four equal payments without interest or fees.

Fig. 2. Share of BNPL apps in domestic e-commerce payments worldwide, 2016-2022. Source: Statista

Examples of BNPL digital solutions:

• Tabby. The app allows users to split the cost of a purchase into four equal parts without additional costs like interest or commissions. Another platform function is to notify customers about good deals from partner stores.
• Klarna. This app is the undisputed industry leader in Europe. It also makes it possible to pay the right amount in four interest-free payments. It also offers payment reminders, price comparisons between stores, a choice of payment methods, and much more. You can read more about the development of such software in the article “How much does it cost to develop BNPL apps like Klarna?” from RNDpoint experts.

RNDpoint has experience in creating such apps. The company has developed a comprehensive solution for a European bank, which is currently its main income source.

The team was tasked with developing an online portal, a web resource, and a mobile solution. The set tasks were accomplished thanks to an integrated approach to work: the company’s specialists not only dealt with the development but also undertook UI/UX design, testing, integration, and database restructuring.

An App has 6 million users, more than 30,000 business partners, and ranks among similar digital solutions in the client’s region. You can learn more about RNDpoint’s experience creating BNPL solutions in the company’s case.

Idea #2. Micro-investment platform

The micro-investment platform is software that allows people to accumulate finances and invest them in various objects for profit. Their main difference from classic investment models is that users do not need special financial education and experience. It is very easy to work in such programs.

Another benefit is that you can save money discreetly, in small amounts. I recommend adding the option of linking a bank card to the app. This would allow users to save the difference between the purchase price and the amount rounded to the nearest whole number into an investment fund.

You don’t have to save a lot of money to invest. Platforms buy back shares of companies and offer their clients to buy them in installments.

Analysts predict that the micro-investment market will develop most rapidly in some countries of the Asia-Pacific region: India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia. Its volume is expected to grow annually by 22.5%.

The global micro-investing platform market is also growing rapidly. While in 2022, its size was $486.6 million, by 2032, it is expected to increase to $3,187.2 million, showing an average annual growth rate of 21.1%.

Fig. 4. The global micro-investing platform market growth, 2022-2032. Source: Future Market Insights, Inc.

Examples of micro-investment platforms:

• Trading212. The platform offers to instantly buy shares of any company without commissions and allows you to choose the investment amount.
• eToro. The resource provides an opportunity to diversify risks by investing in several of the thousands of assets available, from stocks to digital currencies.

This trend, in my opinion, is worth your attention. Such apps foster the habit of saving and help improve one’s financial situation, which means their popularity will gain momentum.

Idea #3. Automated investment platform

Automated investment platforms are another opportunity for users without special knowledge or skills to join the investment market. 

In contrast to the previous type of apps, these platforms use trading bots. They are computer algorithms that make recommendations regarding forming an investment portfolio for each client. Modern solutions are increasingly based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies.

Robo-advisors are most popular in the United States. This is where the largest number of assets under their management is observed: $1,172,000.00 M.

Examples of automated investment apps:

• Betterment. The platform allows automation of the management of the user’s investment portfolio. Here clients will receive recommendations on deposit diversification and taxation and will also be able to place funds and reinvest dividends with minimal involvement.
• Fidelity. The application offers consultations on placing financial assets. Users will be able to receive comprehensive assistance in increasing their capital, up to forming a financial cushion for retirement.

In Brokerage, Stock Trading and Investment App, you can learn about RNDpoint’s experience creating such digital solutions. This brokerage platform was developed for a large commercial bank specializing in lending and investing. Within three months after its launch, the app helped attract more than 5,000 new clients and increase the loyalty of existing users.

Idea #4. Digital Estate Planning App

Digital Estate Planning App is an indispensable assistant in digital estate management, including creating wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.

You can organize your personal digital information. These are passwords for online access to accounts, wallets, photos, videos, and other media files from cloud storage, a local server, or the memory of any device. 

You can also store important contact information, locate legal documents, create emails, and more.

Such apps are becoming increasingly popular all over the world. Their popularity is influenced by the level of technology adoption and the awareness among residents of the importance of managing digital assets. Countries, where these apps are most widespread, include the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Among the popular Digital Estate Planning Apps are:

• Zenplans. The app allows you to store all important digital information in one place and selectively share it with third parties. Users are guaranteed data security through innovative encryption and multifactor authentication technologies.
• The Postage. This digital solution securely stores documents and other users’ digital information. The site also has a built-in will constructor that helps you create a legal document in minutes. 

I’ve studied recent research in Digital Estate Planning and found that nearly 70 percent of professionals in this industry implement digital products to help their clients.

I recommend taking advantage of such a broad perspective and ordering the development of a specialized FinTech program.

Idea #5. Real Estate Crowdfunding App 

Another promising FinTech startup idea is creating a Real Estate Crowdfunding Application. Thanks to the possibility of minimal investments, such apps allow anyone interested to join real estate investing and receive income from rent or capital growth. 

Of course, this type of activity is associated with certain risks, but it allows diversifying the portfolio, so it is popular among retail investors.

Crowdfunding research shows that the countries with the highest market share are China (70.73%), the United States (20.07%), and the United Kingdom (3.40%). It makes sense that Real Estate Crowdfunding Apps are most in demand in these regions.

Fig. 7. Top 10 countries with the largest market share in the crowdfunding industry. Source: P2PMarketData.

Examples of Real Estate Crowdfunding Applications:

• Crowdstreet. It is the largest Real Estate Crowdfunding platform, which allows accredited investors to choose objects for investment and easily track information about invested funds. The average annual income of the platform’s users is about 20%. The resource has a significant drawback; the minimum investment amount must be at least $25,000.
• Fundrise. I think this app is an ideal option for those new to real estate investing. Anyone can use the service. Unlike the previous option, accreditation is not required. In addition, the minimum investment amount on the platform is only $10.

Developing a real estate crowdfunding platform is a promising idea for businesses. The main thing is to entrust the creation of such a Fintech solution to professionals.

Idea #6. Wealth Inheritance App

Wealth Inheritance Applications are software products that help users plan and manage their wealth inheritance, including estate planning and asset distribution.

The biggest market for such apps is in the U.S. and the U.K. These are the countries where many wealthy citizens are interested in digitizing their asset management.

According to studies, the maximum number of assets that will be inherited in the coming years is accumulated in the United States.

Below, you will find an example of such software:

• Abbove. The platform opens up many possibilities for its users. Among them are creating a scalable customer wealth database, 24/7 access to information, wealth planning, and even Wealth Inheritance change forecasting. 

Along with Digital Estate Planning Apps, Wealth Inheritance solutions are popular with estate and financial planners. Order the development of such a solution, and be in the trend.

Idea #7. Money Transfer App

Apps for money transfer are digital solutions that enable fast, cheap, and convenient funds transfer between individuals or legal entities. They allow you to do it in a few clicks on your mobile device. Adding to the convenience is linking a real bank account or payment card to a virtual wallet.

According to statistics, the greatest number of users of apps for online transfers is in China (87.3 million people), South Korea (45.6 million), and the U.S. (43.2 million).

Examples of software products for remittance:

• PayPal. The platform combines several trends in modern online finance software. In addition to the fact that it is a convenient service for sending money, it also allows you to buy goods in installments and receive cashback and additional discounts from partners. There is also a special reward program for making purchases.
• Zaincash. The application is a mobile wallet that allows you to pay your bills, book tickets, top up your mobile phone account, make money transfers, pay for purchases in online stores, and much more.

The RNDpoint team has experience in creating such apps. To learn more about the developed solutions, you can study several of the company’s successful cases:

1. Loop: eWallet and Payment Platform for a Saudi Arabian Client. It’s about the development of software for a FinTech startup. The result of RNDpoint’s work was the successful release of a secure, reliable, and functional product to the market.

2. P2P Money Transfer App. This case study shows how the RNDpoint team created an innovative digital P2P money transfer solution. As a result of the collaboration, we achieved the client’s main goal: to expand the bank’s service area by providing customers with new opportunities for financial transactions.

Idea #8. Bill Splitting App

These apps can simplify the division of expenses between multiple payers. This can be relevant when paying a joint bill at a restaurant, a joint trip, etc. Connecting a bank card allows for cashless payments, which is especially relevant in global digitization times.

Asia-Pacific region, namely China, India, and Japan, is leading in using bill-sharing software products. 

In general, the global market for such apps is projected to grow to $349.68 million by 2026, with an average annual growth rate of 10.84%.

Popular cost-sharing programs:

• Splitwise. Among the app’s features are quick expense additions, debt tracking, and payment control. The product supports over 100 currencies and has a PRO mode with advanced functionality.
• Splid. You can create a group in this program even offline and share costs between members in a single click. It is the best solution for organizing joint trips. The app supports 150+ currencies with the possibility of automatic conversion.   

I would advise you to pay attention to the development of the Bill splitting app for smartwatches. This is a real trend: given the rapid increase in the number of such gadgets, software compatible with them will be at the peak of popularity in the near future.

Idea #9. Charitable Giving App

According to the World Giving Index 2022, philanthropy is an essential expenditure for one in three people worldwide. To simplify the donation process, Charitable Giving Applications have emerged.

These digital solutions allow you to plan and manage charitable contributions, including setting up recurring donations and tracking their results.

Such apps are in demand in countries whose residents are most involved in charitable activities. According to the aforementioned report, Indonesia, Kenya, and the United States are recognized as the most generous countries.

Examples of Charitable Giving Apps:

• Givz. This app supports donations in e-commerce, specifically in Shopify stores. It allows shoppers to choose the type of contribution – it can be a fixed amount or a percentage of each purchase – and one of 150 charitable organizations.
• RoundUp. The financial solution allows you to connect credit or debit cards, round up purchases and turn them into charitable donations. You can make donations on a one-time or regular basis.

Developing the Charitable Giving App is one of the ideas for a Fintech startup that will allow an entrepreneur to establish a profitable business that benefits the community.

Idea #10. Digital Will and Trust App

Such software products help users create and manage digital wills or trusts. Available features include the storage of important documents and information.

The main requirements for such apps are that the documents must be understandable, comply with the established compilation rules, and be editable.

Online willmakers are becoming increasingly popular around the world as people look for a way to quickly and conveniently create legal documents from the comfort of their own homes.

The countries with the largest market for such software are the USA, the UK, and Canada. This is because most people in these countries have a generally positive attitude toward making a will, and many already have one.

Also, the largest specialized platforms operate in the mentioned states:

• LegalZoom (USA). It is a multifunctional platform, one of the features of which is to create a legal will online. It takes up to 15 minutes to draw up documents, which are accepted in all states.
• Farewill (UK). The company has been recognized as the UK leader among providers of digital wills. You can create a document in three steps under the guidance of experienced professionals and modify it as needed.
• Willful (Canada). All users of this service need to do is provide information about themselves and draw up the necessary document, following the recommendations of the company’s lawyers.

Creating an app like this allows you to join the emerging digital document management market and get the most out of it.

Idea #11. Social Impact Investing App

Social Impact Investing Applications are digital solutions that enable users to invest in companies and projects that align with their values and social goals. In other words, they are programs for investing that simultaneously allow you to contribute to improving society.

Social Impact Investing is most widespread in European countries. One of the industry leaders is the United Kingdom. According to the survey, 56% of respondents are interested in their investments bringing not only income but also benefits to society.

Popular Social Impact Investing Apps include:

• EarthFolio.  It is an investment platform that aims to finance environmental and social projects. It allows individuals and companies to create individual investment portfolios and receive a financial return.
• Ethex. An app that offers a range of investment options, including community stocks, bonds, and funds that deal with renewable energy, social housing, etc.

Impact investing is a promising sector of the modern financial market. The global Social Impact Investing market is expected to show a 17.7% average annual growth rate in the near future, reaching $2.2 billion by 2030. So be sure to pay attention to this if you are considering developing a FinTech startup.

Idea #12. Insurance Comparison App

Applications of this type allow those wishing to purchase an insurance policy to compare the rates of different companies and choose the most favorable ones. 

The creation of such products can rightfully be considered one of the FinTech app breakthrough ideas because users appreciate the opportunity to save time and money.

I analyzed the offerings on the insurance comparison software market and concluded that this service is already widespread in many countries in Europe, as well as in the United States and India.

This is where the largest platforms in this area have been developed:

• Policybazaar (India). The resource allows users to compare insurance rates and purchase health, life, car, and travel insurance policies.
• Compare the Market (UK). Through this app, you can choose advantageous offers for life insurance, movable and immovable property insurance, pet insurance, as well as insurance for traveling abroad.
• Insurify (USA). This product is distinguished by the fact that it is based on artificial intelligence technology. It allows users to choose the best conditions for taking out an insurance policy.

Take advantage of this idea if you want to carve out a niche for yourself in a promising field. The insurance market is projected to grow to $8.398 billion by 2026, up from $5.938 billion at the end of 2022.

Idea #13. Digital Receipts and Expense Tracking App

Digital Receipts and Expense Tracking Application is software that allows you to automate the process of controlling your expenses by providing real-time data. Thanks to detailed reports, users can form and adjust their financial habits.

Digital Receipts and Expense Tracking solutions are gaining popularity worldwide because they allow for more efficient expense management than traditional methods, such as storing receipts on paper.

Given the existing offerings on the market, I would highlight three countries where such apps are in high demand: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. They are characterized by a high degree of digitization of the economy, which is why these programs are popular with entrepreneurs and private individuals.

Examples of Digital Receipts and Expense Tracking Apps:

• Expensify. The software allows companies and individuals to control expenses, store digitized receipts, and create detailed expense reports.
• Foreceipt. Users can access the tool’s functions via a web resource or mobile app. You can scan and store receipts and create advanced reports, including those for completing tax returns.

From personal experience, I recommend you pay attention to the development of a mobile Digital Receipts and Expense Tracking solution because today’s reality is that most of the traffic is generated by mobile devices.

Idea #14. Climate-Focused Investing App

Such apps allow investors to focus on monetary investments in organizations and projects that positively impact the environment.

The issue of ecology is acute in many countries, but I have highlighted three regions where Climate-Focused Investing is most relevant:

1. USA. The number of climate-oriented funds is growing here, and many investors are interested not only in financial returns but also in positive environmental outcomes.

2. Europe. Among the leaders in fighting climate change are Sweden, Portugal, and France. Here, too, there is an increase in the level of investment in the relevant funds and projects.

3. Australia. This country is prone to forest fires, droughts, and floods, so its citizens are growing aware of the importance of Climate-Focused investments.

Examples of popular Climate-Focused Investing Apps:

• Robinhood. You can invest in cryptocurrencies, stocks, and exchange-traded funds that focus on environmental protection, including clean energy sources, in this app.
• Betterment. The platform offers its users investment portfolios aimed at preventing climate change.

Climate-Focused Investing software makes this type of investment more available to a wider audience, helping even novice investors to make decisions and influence the environment. Therefore, the popularity of such solutions will increase in the coming years.

Idea #15. Carbon Offsetting and Sustainability App

Carbon Offsetting and Sustainability Applications allow users to invest in renewable energy and sustainability projects.

The programs discussed in this section are popular in countries focusing on reducing carbon emissions. The United Kingdom, for example, has pledged to reduce emissions by 58% by 2030, and the European Union has pledged to reduce them by 46%.

Among other nations whose residents are seeking Carbon Offsetting, I can single out the United States, Australia, Germany, and Canada.

Examples of Carbon Offsetting and Sustainability Apps:

• Native Energy. Users of the app can take concrete actions to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, monitor the environmental impact of their daily lives, fund projects focused on renewable energy, and get advice from like-minded people.
• 3Degrees. The peculiarity of this resource is its focus on utilities. It also allows you to invest in renewable and green energy projects, decarbonization, etc.

The environmental crisis is one of the most pressing problems of modern people, so apps that can help solve it are an excellent idea for a FinTech startup.

Conclusions

In this article, I have described 15 promising FinTech app ideas that you can use to successfully launch a business in the financial sector. Apply advanced technologies in developing your digital solutions, add additional functionality, and work on the interface’s usability. This will help you stand out and find your target audience.

Contact RNDpoint to create a unique solution for mobile banking or any other FinTech product. The company offers services for mobile and web app development from scratch and guarantees its full support after the market launch.