What the FCA actually checks on a change of control
The difference between an application that clears in ten weeks and one that stalls at six months is almost never the legal structure. It is the operating substance behind it.
Buying or selling an FCA-regulated payment institution is the biggest decision most owners ever make. We work both sides off-market. Sellers get an advocate who has owned, scaled and sold regulated firms himself. Buyers get diligence built on the same experience. Rodolfo personally handles every deal, first call to FCA handover.
Rodolfo Basilio has been in UK payments since 2007, working inside the same FCA regime he now advises on. He founded Angra in 2010 and sold it in 2022. He co-founded Remitec in 2018 and sold it in 2022. Vertice Fintech is where that owner experience now sits behind every deal.
The model is simple. Rodolfo personally handles every deal, from first call to FCA handover. No analysts. No client-success team. No dropped context. Sellers come to him because he asks the questions only someone who has run one of these firms would know to ask. Buyers come to him because he answers honestly.
"The best transactions look boring on the outside. That is the point."
Rodolfo Basilio · Founder, Vertice Fintech
Specialism over generalism. Owner depth over advisory distance. Rodolfo on every step. And discretion as the rule, not a marketing line.
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 sold regulated payment institutions himself. Sellers get an advocate with an owner's perspective. Buyers get diligence built on the same. 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. No analysts. No dropped context. Rodolfo personally handles every deal from first call to FCA handover.
No public listings. No broadcast. No leaked valuations. Sellers stay anonymous until both sides are qualified. Buyers are vetted for source of funds and intent before any long-form information is shared. The pipeline is off-market because that is what the work demands.
Sellers and buyers come to us for different reasons. They leave for the same one: a deal worked privately, priced honestly, closed cleanly. Different seats, same Rodolfo.
A licence is a starting line, not a finish. The substance is the bank stack, the corridor, the file.
Rodolfo Basilio · Founder, Vertice Fintech"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."
Reputations are slow to build and quick to lose. We protect ours, and yours, the same way: by keeping the work quiet and the standards high.
Your information stays with Rodolfo. No public listings. No leaked valuations. No broadcast. Buyers are introduced under NDA after both sides are qualified, never before.
We tell you what is realistic, not what you want to hear. Pricing is grounded in operator substance, not headline licence value. Timelines are stated honestly and revised the moment the file changes.
Every deal is different. We work each one on its own facts. Sellers get an advocate with an owner's view. Buyers get diligence built on the same. Always Rodolfo, end to end.
Short, practical writing on UK payment-institution M&A, licensing and change of control. Written by Rodolfo. We publish when there is something to say. Expect one or two pieces a month, not a feed.
The difference between an application that clears in ten weeks and one that stalls at six months is almost never the legal structure. It is the operating substance behind it.
Headline multiples tell you almost nothing. Flows, banking relationships and safeguarding arrangements carry the real price. Here is how we build a number that holds.
Broadcast outreach attracts volume and noise. Direct introductions attract buyers who are ready to move. The data from our 2025 book is consistent on this.
First conversation is ten minutes, by phone or video, under NDA on request. No qualification gate. No commitment. Rodolfo answers his own line.