Direct introductions between FCA-authorised SPIs and APIs and pre-qualified acquirers. Mandates are confidential. No broadcast. In UK payments since 2007.
Worked in private. Acquirers introduced only after mutual qualification.
Rodolfo leads every mandate, first call to completion. No handoffs.
A small book each year. The mandates we take on, we close.
SPIs, APIs and EMIs under the FCA. The full scope of the practice.
Three things define every Vertice mandate, buy-side or sell-side. Specialism over generalism. Operator depth over advisory distance. One principal, first call to FCA handover.
UK-regulated payment institutions only. Not M&A by category. Not a generalist brokerage with payments as one line of many. Specialism means we know which questions the FCA will ask before they ask them, and we structure the deal around the answers.
Rodolfo has owned, operated, scaled and exited regulated payment institutions personally. Sell-side advocacy is informed by the operator's view; buy-side diligence by the acquirer's. The questions that matter are obvious to someone who has answered them before.
The person you meet on day one is the person closing your deal on day one hundred. No handoffs to associates. No client-success layer. No dropped context. Rodolfo personally manages every mandate from first conversation to FCA handover.
A fresh FCA Payment Institution licence takes twelve to eighteen months and arrives with no banking, customers, or operating history. Acquiring an authorised firm compresses that to weeks, with compliance, bank relationships and a going concern already in place.
12–18 months, paper entity, no flows.
Fees, audited models, background checks, and a dedicated compliance team before a single transaction.
6–12 weeks, banked, operating.
FCA permission, UK bank accounts, processor integrations, and a customer base transfer with the shares.
Vendor identities are withheld until mutual qualification. Asking prices are indicative. Long-form memoranda are shared under NDA with qualified acquirers.
Browse the full marketplaceThe questions we answer most often on first calls. For anything not covered here, write to Rodolfo directly. He replies to every enquiry.
A fresh FCA application for a Payment Institution typically runs twelve to eighteen months from first filing to authorisation, and arrives with none of the operational architecture you need on day one. A share-purchase of an authorised firm typically completes in six to twelve weeks, subject to the FCA change-of-control notification and bank approvals.
You inherit the licence, the UK bank accounts, the processor relationships, the compliance framework, the MLRO and the operating history. For most acquirers, that is the only practical route.
The FCA assesses the acquirer against the statutory criteria: reputation, financial soundness, compliance with UK regulation, influence over the firm, and the suitability of the ongoing business plan. In practice, that means detailed information on beneficial ownership, source of funds, key individuals, and the operating model post-acquisition.
The review window is statutorily sixty working days, extendable once. Clean applications clear; underprepared ones stall.
Yes, but each banking and processor relationship requires its own change-of-control approval in parallel with the FCA notification. We handle the sequencing so that banking and licensing consents arrive together at completion. Where a processor is critical to the corridor, we make that consent a condition precedent.
Asking prices reflect the substance of the firm, not the headline licence. The inputs are flows and margin, the quality and number of banking relationships, safeguarding arrangements, corridor exclusivity, regulatory file cleanliness, and the vendor's commitment to a sensible transition.
Prices shown on the marketplace are indicative. Final terms are a function of due diligence and qualified interest.
Week one, introduction under NDA and memorandum review. Weeks two to four, first management meeting and price alignment. Weeks four to eight, confirmatory due diligence and share purchase agreement. Weeks eight to sixteen, FCA change-of-control notification, bank and processor consents, completion and settlement.
Faster is possible on clean files. Slower happens when vendors haven't prepared.
No vendor is disclosed before mutual qualification. Acquirers are vetted for source of funds, regulatory standing, and genuine intent before the long-form memorandum is shared. Discretion is the condition on which vendors instruct us in the first place, and the reason our pipeline is off-market.
That is negotiated. Most vendors prefer a clean exit with a defined handover period of three to six months. Some stay on as consultants to the acquirer, usually for continuity with regulators and banks. Key employees are typically retained on revised terms; we help structure that before signing.
Have a question we haven't answered? Write to Rodolfo directly. First calls are ten minutes, discreet, without obligation.
Talk to Rodolfo · 10 min"As a buyer, I was overwhelmed by the complexity of fintech deals. Rodolfo made it easy. His knowledge, support and professionalism helped me close confidently and quickly."
"With Rodolfo's market insights and experience, I secured a sale that matched my goals exactly."
"Rodolfo connected me with buyers who valued my company properly. His negotiation skills and attention to detail resulted in a smooth, profitable sale."
"From start to finish, Rodolfo was a trusted advisor. His network and expertise made all the difference in finding the right opportunity."
"Rodolfo stands out for his professionalism and commitment. He advocates for his clients, ensuring the best possible outcome on either side of the deal."
"I've worked with other brokers before. None compare to Rodolfo. His experience, honesty and results-driven approach exceeded my expectations."
Rodolfo Basilio has been in the UK fintech business since 2007, operating inside the same regulatory regime he now advises on. He founded Angra in 2010 and exited in 2022. He co-founded Remitec in 2018 and exited in 2022. Vertice Fintech is where that operator experience is now put to work for a small number of vendors and acquirers each year.
“The best transactions look boring on the outside. That is the point.”
Rodolfo Basilio · Founder, Vertice Fintech
Your file stays with Rodolfo from first call to completion. We prepare, price and introduce to a shortlist of pre-qualified acquirers, then carry the deal through due diligence and transition. Every step is worked in private.
Each mandate is stripped to the compliant fields you need to decide. Qualify in minutes, receive the long-form brief only if the fit is real, and close with a partner who has run this transaction many times.
The same sequence we have used across 23 acquisitions in 2025 and every mandate we have taken since 2007. No handoffs. No dropped context.
A thirty-minute call to scope the mandate, confirm fit, and agree what success looks like.
Regulatory, financial and operational files brought to a defensible standard. Valuation built bottom-up.
Introduction to a shortlist of pre-qualified counterparties. No broadcast, no public roster.
Full DD worked alongside counsel. FCA change of control mapped and supported end to end.
Close, transfer and post-completion handover. Vertice stays involved until operational continuity is proven.
Short, practical writing on UK payment-institution M&A, licensing and change of control. Written by Rodolfo and the desk.
We publish when there is something to say. Expect one or two pieces a month, not a feed.
Last updated: 17 January 2026
The cross-border payments landscape is shifting faster than most people realise. If you run a small payment institution (SPI), authorised payment institution
The FCA approval rate for Small Payment Institution licences has dropped from 85% to 70% in two years, and if you're planning to apply, you need to know
Every enquiry reaches Rodolfo. First calls are short, discreet and without obligation. If we are a fit, the next step is clear within the call.
