Financial technology (fintech) companies are looking at high growth potential and have the opportunity to innovate in account management, payment processing, capital markets and lending. Their technologies allow consumers to access and conduct digital transactions quickly and efficiently. 

According to management consulting company McKinsey & Co., there are now more than 2,000 fintech start-ups, whereas there were 800 in April 2015, and $23 billion of venture and growth equity has been deployed to these companies over the last five years. More than $150 billion could be invested in fintech companies over the next three to five years, says PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“Ninety percent of start-ups fail and fintech is no different,” says Entrepreneur magazine, based in Irvine, Calif. “Fintech companies have a much more difficult road than most start-ups because their technology specifically deals with the transfer of money, which everyone is very sensitive about.”

Entrepreneur lists the top 12 fintech companies to watch in 2018:

12. BillGuard

BillGuard alerts customers about irregular activity on their credit card and debit cards via mobile and website applications.