THE POWER OF PR IN FINTECH INVESTMENT CYCLES
By Kimberley Waldron , founder of Started PR and chair of the Started Advisory Board Public relations in 2025 can be a fintech’s most powerful weapon, elevating founders and brands, from seed stage through to global scale. In fintech today, achieving standout visibility and attracting investment has never
investors and stakeholders, but also increasingly by LLMs powering AI search and due diligence. Where traditional SEO once led the charge in online discovery, today’s AI-driven research leans hard on depth and authenticity of public content. This change means that well-executed PR, which places credible, detailed stories about a fintech online, becomes more valuable than ever. Features, expert blogs or appearances on influential industry podcasts now have the power to set the narrative, outpacing keyword-driven SEO. As investors, journalists, and even customers, use LLMs to surface authentic, nuanced commentary, a robust organic PR profile dramatically expands reach and credibility for fintech brands. Early stage: Telling an authentic story At seed and pre-Series A, investors are backing resilient, adaptable founders with proven understanding of the market’s deepest needs. The visibility of a founder’s expertise, their vision, and crucially, their practical problem-solving, becomes decisive. Media profiles that accurately reflect end user impact, instil confidence during due diligence. PR at this stage should be about sharing genuine learnings, signalling tangible milestones, and revealing adaptability to new data and market feedback. Presenting a clear track record helps build trust and positions the business as ready for early, meaningful growth. Series A and beyond: Signalling traction and readiness With Series A and subsequent rounds, external validation becomes critical. Investors look for independent evidence that commands attention and also shows robust momentum. Third-party features in respected outlets and digital channels validate progress and signal readiness for
scaling. The smartest companies weave PR into fundraising campaigns, targeting long-form interviews, expert commentary, and podcasts where the full story can play out, providing context that investors need. Strong visibility can now directly influence the digital ‘due diligence’ pipeline, as search and LLM-driven queries return authentic content over static landing pages. Effective PR can still celebrate big round numbers and product launches; but it can also shape how influential, trusted sources portray the company’s journey. The PR opportunity ahead Fintech’s future belongs to those who can cut through noise with genuine stories, measurable outcomes and a relentless focus on impact. Strategic, accountable PR is the catalyst that can transform a promising product into a market leader and a founder’s vision into investable reality. In 2025, the brands that thrive will be those that engage proactively and authentically, leveraging their narratives where it counts: in media, in online discussions, and crucially, in the AI-driven research tools that shape tomorrow’s decision-makers.
been more challenging, nor riper with opportunity. Technical innovation and
regulatory expertise are essential foundations, but the companies that break through and accelerate their journeys are those who also embrace modern, ambition-aligned PR.
Harnessing PR for meaningful growth
PR is often wrongly measured with vanity metrics and can still be treated as a bolt-on to splashy launches or marketing campaigns, but this should not be the case. Today, sophisticated fintech founders are using PR as a core business lever, aligning communications with business objectives and measurable commercial outcomes. Data-driven approaches, real-time campaign monitoring and adaptive strategies now underpin the best fintech PR efforts. PR teams can analyse impact granularly, using insights to double down on tactics that deliver commercial value and tangible outcomes, such as advancing investor conversations, winning licence approvals, or forging partnerships. The rocket fuel of digital PR: Surging past SEO Organically generated content, like earned interviews, expert commentary, podcasts and thought leadership activity, is picked up, referenced and ranked highly not only by
Kimberley Waldron is the founder of Started PR and chair of the Started Advisory Board. She's an award-winning advisor and entrepreneur, with
over 15 years in the financial services and tech industry. Host of the popular Get Started podcast, Kimberley chairs the Manchester Fintech committee and is a long-term mentor for Rise by Barclays, Fintech Alliance and Fintech Circle. Email: Kimberley@startedpr.com
WhatsApp: +44 782 201 8863 Website: www.startedpr.com
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The Fintech Power 50 www.thepower50.com
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