Financial Services & Infrastructure – Finance Industry
Discover business types in the Financial Services & Infrastructure industry, part of the Finance sector. Companies providing the essential infrastructure, data, and services that underpin the global financial system including payment networks, credit ratings, financial data, and technology platforms. Valued at ~$1.6 trillion globally.
About this industry
Companies providing the essential infrastructure, data, and services that underpin the global financial system including payment networks, credit ratings, financial data, and technology platforms. Valued at ~$1.6 trillion globally.
Business types in Financial Services & Infrastructure
ATM Network Services
ATM network services companies deploy, manage, and operate automated teller machine networks that provide cash withdrawal, deposit, and banking services to financial institutions and independent operators. The market has established demand and continues to expand. These operators maintain physical ATM infrastructure across retail locations, financial centers, and transit hubs while handling transaction processing, cash replenishment, and network security.
Revenue model: Revenue streams include interchange fees charged per ATM transaction, surcharge fees collected from non-network customers, management contracts with banks and financial institutions, and advertising placements on ATM screens. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations. High-transaction locations and premium partnerships with banks drive the most profitable revenue channels.
To get started: Starting an ATM network requires a varied investment range in initial capital for hardware procurement, installation, and network infrastructure. Operators must establish cash management logistics, implement security systems, and secure processing partnerships with banks and payment networks. Regulatory compliance for financial transactions, including banking licenses, money transmission permits, and anti-fraud protocols, is essential before deployment.
Clearing & Settlement Services
The market has established demand and continues to expand. These providers guarantee the completion of securities and derivatives transactions by assuming counterparty risk, netting obligations across participants, and ensuring proper ownership transfer.
Revenue model: Revenue derives from per-transaction clearing fees charged to brokers and market participants, typically ranging from basis points to fixed amounts per trade. Operators generate additional income through collateral and margin management services, earning spreads on cash deposits and securities lending arrangements. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations.
To get started: Operators require clearing house licensure and regulatory approval from financial authorities such as the SEC and CFTC, processes demanding 18–36 months and expertise in compliance frameworks. Startup capital ranges from a varied investment range depending on scope, with substantial portions funding default guarantee funds, real-time settlement systems, and cybersecurity infrastructure. Market participants demand direct connections to major exchanges, established banking relationships, and proof of operational resilience through stress-testing capabilities and disaster recovery protocols.
Compliance Services
Compliance services firms deliver regulatory solutions to financial institutions and enterprises, covering anti-money laundering screening, know-your-customer verification, sanctions monitoring, and regulatory reporting. The market has established demand and continues to expand. These businesses help organizations navigate complex multi-jurisdictional requirements and maintain audit-ready compliance programs.
Revenue model: Providers generate revenue through recurring platform subscription fees, transaction-based screening charges, regulatory filing services, compliance staff outsourcing, and audit engagement fees. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations. Higher-margin recurring revenues come from software licensing, while lower-margin services include managed staffing and consulting.
To get started: Founders need regulatory expertise across multiple jurisdictions, proprietary or licensed compliance technology platforms, and access to current sanctions lists and politically exposed person databases. The market has established demand and continues to expand. The business requires Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist credentials, trained compliance analysts, and demonstrated relationships with financial institutions or regulated entities.
Credit Rating Agencies
Credit rating agencies assess and assign ratings to debt securities, sovereign governments, and financial products, delivering independent opinions on creditworthiness and default risk to capital markets. The market has established demand and continues to expand. The sector expands at a measurable percentage annually, driven by regulatory requirements, growing debt issuance, and demand for risk analytics across institutional investors worldwide.
Revenue model: Agencies generate revenue through issuer-paid rating fees when bonds and debt instruments receive initial ratings, typically representing the largest income stream. Subscription fees for research, analytics platforms, and data access provide recurring revenue from institutional investors and financial institutions. Surveillance fees maintain ratings throughout an instrument's lifecycle, while licensing arrangements permit third parties to use rating data and methodologies in their own products and services.
To get started: Securing regulatory designation as an NRSRO in the United States or equivalent registration with ESMA in the European Union represents the critical first step, requiring meaningful startup capital. Founding teams must employ experienced credit analysts with deep expertise in fixed income, macroeconomics, and industry-specific credit risk across multiple sectors. Establishing proprietary analytical methodologies, robust compliance frameworks, governance structures, and an institutional reputation for independence and integrity proves essential to attract issuers and subscribers in a market where credibility determines competitive advantage.
Custodian Banking
The market has established demand and continues to expand. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations. The sector is expanding, driven by increasing institutional asset volumes and regulatory complexity in global markets.
Revenue model: Custodian banks generate revenue through custody fees charged as basis points on assets under administration, transaction settlement charges per trade executed, and fund administration service fees. Additional income streams include securities lending programs that monetize client holdings, foreign exchange services on cross-border transactions, and corporate actions processing fees. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations.
To get started: Launching a custodian bank requires meaningful startup capital and a banking license with specific custody authorization from financial regulators. The operation demands a global sub-custodian network for international coverage, sophisticated asset servicing technology platforms, automated corporate actions processing systems, and regulatory reporting capabilities meeting jurisdictional compliance standards. Established relationships with institutional clients including pension funds, hedge funds, and asset managers are essential to achieve scale and profitability in this capital-intensive sector.
Financial Consulting
Financial consulting firms provide strategic, operational, and technology advisory services to banks, insurers, asset managers, and fintech companies navigating business transformation and regulatory compliance. The market has established demand and continues to expand.
Revenue model: Financial consultants generate revenue through multiple streams: time-and-materials consulting engagements, fixed-price project contracts, strategic advisory retainers, and implementation and change management services. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations. High-value retainer relationships with institutional clients provide predictable recurring revenue alongside project-based engagements.
To get started: Successful entry requires deep expertise in financial services operations, regulatory frameworks, and emerging technologies like cloud and fintech platforms. Founders need a team of experienced consultants with established track records in financial institutions, validated methodologies or frameworks, and a network of relationships within banking, insurance, and asset management sectors. The market has established demand and continues to expand.
Financial Data Providers
The market has established demand and continues to expand. These companies aggregate real-time pricing information, corporate fundamentals, and proprietary research through sophisticated infrastructure connected to exchanges and market participants, then deliver insights through multiple channels to support trading, investment decisions, and regulatory compliance.
Revenue model: Revenue streams include subscription fees for terminal access and data feeds, enterprise licensing agreements for bulk data consumption, analytics platform charges, index licensing royalties, and advertising placements on financial media properties. Subscription models generate recurring revenue from financial institutions and professional traders, while enterprise licensing captures large institutional clients. The market has established demand and continues to expand.
To get started: The market has established demand and continues to expand. Founder teams must establish relationships with stock exchanges, brokerages, and financial institutions to access premium data sources and gain credibility. Content creation capability for news and research, regulatory compliance expertise, and technology infrastructure for processing terabytes of daily market information are essential foundations for competitive entry.
Financial Software Development
Financial software development encompasses technology companies that build specialized applications for the financial services industry, including core banking systems, trading platforms, risk management engines, and regulatory reporting solutions. The market has established demand and continues to expand. The sector expands at a measurable percentage annually, driven by banks modernizing legacy systems, fintech disruption, and evolving regulatory requirements. These companies serve investment banks, commercial banks, hedge funds, insurance firms, and compliance departments.
Revenue model: Developers generate revenue through multiple streams: software licensing fees for perpetual or annual licenses, SaaS subscriptions charged per user or transaction volume, implementation and customization projects tailored to client requirements, ongoing maintenance and support contracts, and managed services that handle platform operations for clients. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations. Enterprise clients often sign multi-year agreements worth millions annually, creating predictable revenue pipelines and reducing customer acquisition churn.
To get started: Founders require deep financial technology development expertise spanning languages like Java, Python, or C++, plus intimate knowledge of banking workflows, capital markets infrastructure, and trading operations. Startups must obtain security certifications including ISO 27001 and SOC 2, alongside compliance expertise in regulations such as MiFID II, Dodd-Frank, or Basel III depending on target markets. Building scalable cloud infrastructure on AWS or Azure, assembling a product team with domain experts who have worked at tier-one financial institutions, and securing meaningful startup capital are essential. Access to early customers within financial services networks dramatically accelerates product-market fit and credibility.
Payment Processing
Payment processors facilitate electronic transactions worth a meaningful investment globally by connecting merchants, consumers, and banks through credit card networks, debit systems, and digital payment infrastructure. The market has established demand and continues to expand. These companies operate critical middleware that authorizes, settles, and reconciles payments across multiple channels and geographies.
Revenue model: Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations. Additional revenue streams include network access fees, cross-border transaction surcharges, data analytics services, fraud prevention tools, and value-added security products. Volume-based economies of scale significantly impact profitability as transaction throughput increases.
To get started: Launching a payment processor requires meaningful startup capital to build processing infrastructure, obtain payment processor registration, secure memberships with card networks like Visa and Mastercard, and implement PCI DSS compliance certification. Critical infrastructure includes real-time transaction processing systems, fraud detection and prevention technology, merchant acquiring relationships, settlement and reconciliation platforms, and security protocols meeting banking-grade standards. Regulatory oversight from financial regulators and banking partnerships remain essential operating requirements.
Risk Management Services
Risk management services firms provide assessment, modeling, and management solutions to financial institutions addressing credit risk, market risk, operational risk, and enterprise risk management needs. The market has established demand and continues to expand. These firms deliver specialized quantitative analysis and technology platforms that help banks, insurance companies, and investment firms identify, measure, and mitigate financial exposures across their operations.
Revenue model: Revenue streams include software licensing fees for proprietary risk modeling platforms, consulting and implementation services for enterprise deployments, validation services for complex risk models, and recurring support and maintenance contracts. Profitability depends on pricing discipline, customer demand, and efficient operations. Software licensing generates predictable recurring revenue, while consulting engagements provide high-margin professional services that drive overall profitability.
To get started: Founders need expertise in quantitative risk modeling, financial engineering, and actuarial science to build credible solutions. A developed technology platform or the capital to build one represents a significant investment, requiring meaningful startup capital. Deep knowledge of regulatory frameworks including Basel III and Solvency II standards is essential for client credibility, along with established relationships within financial institutions to secure initial contracts and deployments.
Startup guides
Example companies
- Visa (United States) — Payment Processing
- Mastercard (United States) — Payment Processing
- Moody's (United States) — Payment Processing
- S&P Global (United States) — Payment Processing