Yaspa

High-Level Overview

Yaspa is a fintech company that builds an Intelligent Payments platform combining real-time open banking (Pay by Bank) with AI-driven identity verification and insights.[1][2][3][4] It serves regulated industries like iGaming, eCommerce, utilities, charities, and trading by enabling instant payments, deposits, payouts, account verification, and fraud prevention, solving issues of payment speed, security, and customer trust through unified identity and payment data.[1][2][4] With strong growth momentum, Yaspa raised $12M in 2025 led by Discerning Capital, expanded to over 70 employees, opened offices in Leeds and Atlanta, earned CB Insights' recognition as a top 100 fintech startup, and won awards including Best Payment Facility (2025) and Best Innovation in Responsible Gaming (2024).[2][3]

Origin Story

Yaspa was founded in 2017 as Citizen by tech executives James Neville (Co-founder and CEO, former CTO at Worldpay and Just Eat, MBA from Cass) and another co-founder, with the vision of connecting identity and payments to boost velocity, security, and trust.[2][3] Early milestones included becoming one of the first open banking providers regulated as a payments institution by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority in 2019, winning the Open Banking Expo Award for Best Open Banking Product in 2022, and rebranding to Yaspa in 2023 amid European expansion.[2] Pivotal 2024-2025 moments featured an Innovate UK grant for its Safer Gambling platform, a new brand identity, US entity formation in Atlanta, a Leeds tech hub, key hires like CFO Chris Lowe, and $12M funding to fuel global growth.[2][3]

Core Differentiators

• Intelligent Payments Platform: Merges real-time A2A open banking payments (deposits, payouts, virtual IBANs) with AI insights for KYC, LTV, financial checks, virtual bank statements, and fraud detection, optimizing player intelligence and responsible gambling.[1][3][4]
• Frictionless Speed and Security: Enables seconds-fast, biometric-verified, closed-loop transactions across borders and currencies, reducing failure rates, costs, and reconciliation complexity for PSPs, affiliates, and multi-brand platforms.[2][4]
• Industry-Tailored Solutions: Excels in high-risk sectors like iGaming with zero-fraud tolerance, on-floor cashless payments for bookmakers/casinos, and tools for safer onboarding and LTV growth.[1][2][3][4]
• Proven Recognition and Scale: Multiple awards (e.g., SBC Silver for Payment Solution 2025), FCA regulation, and operations in UK/Europe/US with adaptable infrastructure.[2][3]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Yaspa rides the open banking and A2A payments trend, accelerated by regulations like PSD2 and demand for card-free, instant alternatives in fintech, especially iGaming where fraud and responsible gambling are critical.[1][2][3] Timing aligns with 2025's AI integration in payments for deeper insights, reducing reliance on legacy cards amid rising cross-border eCommerce and crypto-adjacent sectors.[1][4] Market forces favoring Yaspa include cost efficiencies over traditional methods, open banking maturation in Europe/US, and iGaming's growth (e.g., safer tools via Innovate UK grant), positioning it to influence ecosystem standards for verified, intelligent transactions.[2][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Yaspa's 2025 milestones—funding, US expansion, and CB Insights nod—signal acceleration toward global dominance in AI-enhanced open banking for regulated payments.[3] Next steps likely include deeper US penetration via Atlanta, product enhancements for emerging trends like embedded finance and advanced responsible gaming AI, and further team/infrastructure scaling.[3][5] As A2A adoption surges and regulations evolve, Yaspa could redefine trust in high-velocity fintech, evolving from iGaming specialist to broad payments intelligence leader, building on its origin vision of fused identity and payments.[2][3][4]