Czech tech startup Flowpay has placed 5th in the Sifted 250, the pan-European ranking of the fastest-growing startups across the continent, achieving a two-year revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 816.31%. Earlier this year, the company was also named the fastest-growing startup in the CEE and DACH region.
The Problem
European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) applying for loans keep running into lengthy approval processes at traditional banks that don’t match the pace of modern business. According to available estimates, this leaves European SMEs short of roughly €400 billion in financing every year. SMEs make up more than 99% of all businesses in Europe, yet they often face lengthy processes and strict regulatory requirements at traditional banks — loan approval can take several months, a problem especially for businesses that need to quickly cover seasonal swings in cash flow or finance immediate growth opportunities.
William Jalloul, CEO and founder of Flowpay, framed the market dynamics behind the company’s growth: “Our record growth reflects the huge demand for working capital in Europe. Small and medium-sized businesses need capital to grow, but traditional banks can’t cover their needs flexibly. The latest ECB data for the second quarter show that access to bank financing for SMEs has been deteriorating over the long term and that traditional banks are pulling back from lending. At Flowpay, we fill this gap with our technology built on data-driven risk assessment.”
The Technology
Flowpay addresses this financing gap with automated, AI-powered assessment of operational data. The company’s technology works with data from several systems, such as point-of-sale systems and e-commerce platforms, and can assess a company’s financial situation within minutes, without extensive paperwork — letting businesses obtain working capital for inventory, marketing, or further growth very quickly.
Through embedded lending — financing integrated directly into the platforms businesses already use — Flowpay also lets clients access its services online via those platforms, sparing them a lengthy standalone application process. This approach is designed to eliminate unnecessary paperwork and remove the inefficiencies associated with traditional banking.
The Numbers
Flowpay’s financial results reflect strong demand for flexible financing. Last year, the company’s turnover exceeded CZK 300 million, and it surpassed that figure in the first half of this year alone. More than 10,000 businesses have applied for financing through the platform to date.
About the Sifted 250
The Sifted 250, compiled by Sifted, the European tech media platform backed by the Financial Times, maps the 250 fastest-growing startups in Europe. Unlike other rankings, it assesses tech companies solely on real revenue growth (a two-year CAGR over a three-year period), rather than on the amount of capital raised from investors.
Betting on Central Europe
Flowpay also took first place in the Sifted 100: DACH & CEE, which maps the fastest-growing startups in that region specifically. Jalloul sees Central Europe as a region with significant potential for tech company growth: “The tech sector in Europe has enormous potential, and we are showing that products with European and global impact can be built here too. While the US and Western Europe face serious structural challenges and social and economic uncertainty keeps growing, the mood in Central and Eastern Europe is much better. Our region is incredibly dynamic. The market is open to business, and companies here grow on healthy foundations and real revenue.”
About Flowpay
Flowpay was founded in 2021 by entrepreneur, investor, and finance expert William Jalloul, with the aim of helping SMEs — which, according to the European Commission’s Annual Report on European SMEs 2024/2025, account for 99.8% of all enterprises in Europe, 53.6% of EU value added, and employ 65.1% of the workforce, yet often lack access to capital from traditional financial service providers.
Today, Flowpay operates in several European markets, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Netherlands. In 2022, the company was selected for the prestigious Techstars accelerator programme, becoming only the second Czech startup ever accepted into it.
