Highnote Named to Forbes Fintech 50 for Second Consecutive Year

Unified embedded finance platform recognized for innovation and influence in the fintech industry

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Highnote, a unified platform for modern issuing, acquiring, credit, ledger, and money movement, has been named to the Forbes Fintech 50 list for the second consecutive year. The annual list recognizes the most influential and innovative private fintech companies shaping the future of finance.

Why it matters

This recognition from Forbes reinforces Highnote's momentum as more enterprises choose its unified platform to power their financial experiences. Highnote's flexible, intuitive, and business-centric approach to embedded finance is resonating in the market and positioning the company as a leader in the fintech industry.

The details

In the past year, Highnote has expanded into U.S. merchant acquiring, enabling customers to manage pay-ins and pay-outs on a single platform. The company also launched Instant Payments, supporting real-time disbursements, and expanded integrated credit funding capabilities through a partnership with OatFi. Highnote's unified architecture brings together issuing, acquiring, credit, money movement, and a real-time ledger, giving customers centralized control, faster launch timelines, and end-to-end financial visibility.

  • Highnote completed a $100 million Series B financing round in January 2025, with an additional $25 million extension from existing investors.
  • Highnote was named to the Forbes Fintech 50 list for the second consecutive year in 2026.

The players

Highnote

A unified platform for modern issuing, acquiring, credit, ledger, and money movement, headquartered in San Francisco.

John MacIlwaine

The CEO of Highnote.

Netevia

A customer of Highnote that expanded its use of the platform and committed billions in annual acquiring volume.

Ferry

The first Highnote subscriber to bring the company's Instant Payments feature live, validating real-time money movement in production programs.

BVNK

Highnote partner that launched 24/7 Stablecoin Funding in 2025.

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What they’re saying

“We built Highnote on the belief that the future of fintech is flexible, intuitive, and designed around the needs of each business.”

— John MacIlwaine, CEO of Highnote

The takeaway

Highnote's recognition by Forbes as a leading fintech innovator for the second year in a row underscores the company's ability to provide a flexible, unified platform that empowers enterprises to launch differentiated financial experiences tailored to their specific needs.