British Business Bank invests $20m in 9fin as UK fintech reaches unicorn valuation
The British Business Bank has invested $20 million in 9fin as part of a $170 million Series C funding round, propelling the London-based company into unicorn status and cementing the UK’s position as a global fintech hub.
The round was led by HarbourVest, with participation from the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and existing sponsors including Redalpine, Highland Europe, Spark Capital and Seedcamp. British Business Bank’s investment was made in partnership with Redalpine, reflecting its growing focus on supporting late-stage growth.
Founded in 2016, 9fin has built an AI-native intelligence platform designed for professionals working in credit and debt markets, one of the largest asset classes in the world.
The platform aggregates and analyzes classified data across emails, PDFs and private data rooms, providing users with real-time insights, analytics and document extraction tools. This enables banks, asset managers, law firms and consultants to identify opportunities and manage risks effectively within a single interface.
With over 300 institutional clients worldwide and many years of 100% annual recurring revenue growth, 9fin has established itself as the fastest growing player in financial data and analytics.
The new funding will be used to develop 9fin’s AI capabilities, expand its proprietary data and accelerate growth in the United States, an important market for credit and active finance.
Chief executive Steven Hunter said the company’s ambition is to be the leading platform for credit professionals.
“AI will redefine credit markets, but only if it is powered by proprietary data and rooted in how professionals actually work,” he said. “Our goal is to create the only platform they need.”
The investment marks another milestone in the British Business Bank’s equity programmes, which have now backed 27 UK unicorns, representing around 64 per cent of the country’s current multi-billion dollar startups.
Leandros Kalisperas, the bank’s chief investment officer, said increasing access to high-quality capital was critical to ensuring UK companies could scale up while maintaining a home base.
“Investments like this help our innovative businesses realize their commercial potential and compete globally,” he said.
George Mills, the bank’s investment director, added that 9fin demonstrates the potential of UK fintech, particularly in the use of AI in complex financial markets.
The deal highlights the continued momentum in the UK’s fintech sector, which remains one of the strongest in Europe.
By combining artificial intelligence with large financial datasets, companies like 9fin are reshaping the way markets work, improving visibility, efficiency and decision-making across the credit landscape.
As global demand for data-driven financial tools grows, platforms that can combine AI with high-quality proprietary data are expected to play a central role.
For 9fin, achieving unicorn status marks an important step, but now the focus is shifting to internationalization and maintaining a growth path in a competitive and rapidly evolving market.
In the UK, the investment underlines the importance of continued support for high-growth technology companies, ensuring that innovations developed at home can translate into global success.
