<p class="ingestion featured-caption">GlossGenius' Danielle Cohen-Shohet; Coris' Vinodh Poyyapakkam; Kikoff's Cynthia Chen; Comun's Andres SantosGlossGenius; Coris; Kikoff; Comun</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Business Insider asked 27 venture-capital investors to nominate the most promising fintechs.</li><li>VCs highlighted startups that haven't raised beyond a Series C.</li></ul><p>They say pressure makes diamonds. VCs are probably hoping the same is true for startups launching and operating in this tough economy.</p><p>Fintech funding, measured across average deal size and deal volume, fell from 2023 levels, according to CB Insights' second-quarter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/fintech-trends-q2-2024/">State of Fintech report</a>.</p><p>Still, VCs are finding bright spots in the sector. Business Insider asked 27 top investors — including Index Ventures, QED Investors, and Bain Capital Ventures — to name some of those diamonds in the rough. In total, they named 49 red-hot <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-promising-startups-2024-according-top-vcs-2024-8">startups</a> that haven't raised beyond a Series C, including companies within their portfolios and those with which they have no financial ties.</p><p>AI fintechs dominated the series this year, using the tech to do everything from helping dealmakers negotiate debt agreements to automating compliance for fintechs and banks, and helping consumers strategize around their debts. Fintechs disrupting the insurance and healthcare industries were also popular. And some VCs are excited about startups using crypto's behind-the-scenes tech, like stablecoins and blockchain, to streamline money movement.</p><strong>Check out the 49 startups identified as most promising by 27 top investors.</strong>