The Financial Conduct Authority has extended its Scale-Up Unit to five firms it regulates on its own, marking a new phase for the initiative designed to help ambitious companies manage rapid growth.
ClearScore, Modulr, Teya, Urban Jungle and Zilch have become the first solely FCA-regulated businesses to join the unit, bringing expertise from payments, consumer finance, credit information and InsurTech into the programme.
The Scale-Up Unit offers participating firms tailored regulatory guidance as they roll out new products, adjust to changing policy and cope with the operational pressures that come with fast expansion.
Findings from a pilot involving 15 high-growth firms, released on 10 August 2026, indicate that companies which invest early in governance structures, risk management and internal controls are better placed to handle the demands of growth while scaling in a sustainable way.
Six firms jointly overseen by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority were named as the Scale-Up Unit’s inaugural cohort back in February, and the regulator has confirmed that applications for the next intake will open shortly.
The FCA is the UK’s principal regulator for financial services, tasked with protecting consumers, maintaining market integrity and promoting competition. Its innovation services, which include the Scale-Up Unit, have to date supported more than 1,000 innovative and growing firms across the sector.
FCA chief data information and innovation officer Jessica Rusu said, “High-growth firms play a vital role in driving economic growth across the UK. We want the UK to remain one of the best places in the world to start, grow and scale a financial services business. That’s why we’re supporting ambitious firms as they scale, helping them navigate regulation and innovate with confidence.”
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