Revolut invests €1 billion in France after Brexit

At Choose France 2025, British company Revolut announced a major €1 billion investment plan to strengthen its presence in the country, a decision that highlights France’s rise as Europe’s financial and tech hub.
With its deep talent pool, innovation-driven ecosystem, and pro-business environment, France offers the ideal setting for Revolut’s next phase of growth.
This move also signals a broader trend: British fintechs are increasingly choosing France as their gateway to the European Single Market.
Discover in this article the reasons behind Revolut’s strategic choice and how structures such as the UK Business Centre Lille can help British companies scale successfully in France.

The impact of Brexit on the finance and fintech sector

Since the 2016 Brexit vote, the UK’s financial services landscape has undergone a profound strategic shift. According to the Economics Observatory (ECO) – a media dedicated to academic research and government policies related to the Economy – British financial firms have exported less to the EU while increasing outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in European markets as a way to preserve access and competitiveness.

Although the UK remains a major global financial centre, its relative export share in financial services has declined compared with several key EU economies, a trend that has narrowed the gap between the UK and countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Ireland.

In response, many British financial and fintech companies have re-oriented their strategies toward establishing a local footprint within the European Union in order to stay competitive and maintain their presence. Between 2016 and 2023, 46% of international expansion projects took the form of greenfield investments, while 69% involved mergers and acquisitions with EU-based firms.

As such, many British financial companies have invested in the EU between 2016 and 2023 in order to stay competitive and maintain their market presence, 46% of greenfield project and 69% of merger and acquisition.

This outward investment strategy has helped firms mitigate:

regulatory divergence
administrative complexity
changes in access to EU markets brought on by Brexit’s end of passporting rights.

Rather than relying solely on cross-border exports, UK financial players are embedding themselves within EU jurisdictions to maintain market presence and regulatory continuity.

France, with its dynamic financial ecosystem and strategic position in Europe, has emerged as the top destination for British greenfield investment in financial services between 2016 and 2023, and came second for mergers and acquisitions.

About Revolut: a British fintech success story

Founded in 2015 by Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko, Revolut has become one of the world’s most successful fintech companies.
In less than a decade, it has expanded its services to 160 countries, serving over 70 million users, including half a million business clients.

Built on the promise of borderless banking, Revolut has redefined how individuals and businesses manage their money: from international transfers with minimal fees to cryptocurrency trading and advanced financial management tools.

Why did Revolut need to expand into France after Brexit?

In recent years, France has become Revolut’s largest market in Europe after the UK, with over 5 million users and a growth rate of 200,000 new customers every month. By 2030, the company expects to reach between 10 and 20 million clients in France.

Yet, to fully expand its services, Revolut needed local authorisation from ACPR, France’s banking and insurance regulator, a necessary step to offer savings products and new financial instruments to its French users.

Due to Brexit, they could not just operate from abroad, they needed to have French teams on the ground to better access their clients.

“We are a company based on technology, we do banking and we were looking for an ecosystem to support both of those aspects” – Antoine le Nel – growth Director at Revolut – on BFM Business (a French news channel).

The country offered what the company needed most:

A thriving pool of financial and tech talent
An active consumer base ready to adopt new financial solutions.
A supportive institutional environment

By committing to a €1 billion investment over the next three years, Revolut is making France its gateway to continental Europe and positioning itself as a future leader in European banking.

*Source : Choose France

What are France’s strategic assets for the finance industry?

France’s appeal to fintechs like Revolut goes beyond its talent pool.
It offers a unique balance of regulatory strength, innovation infrastructures, and access to European markets.
With financial hubs in Paris, Lille, and Lyon, the country has become a magnet for companies navigating the post-Brexit landscape.

From digital payments to AI-driven finance, France is now home to a fast-growing ecosystem that encourages fintech innovation, while providing the stability global investors seek.

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Support available to British finance companies in the finance sector: UK Business Centre Lille

We see companies like Revolut in the services and finance sector everyday trying to enter the French and European market. Many of them struggle with the same challenges:

Gaining approval from French institutions like ACPR.
Finding the right offices, legal structure, and local partners.
Recruiting the talent needed to sustain their growth.

This is where UKBC Lille steps in.
Our mission is to help British companies navigate these challenges and establish a strong, compliant, and successful presence in France.

A clear example of this support is Deblock, a British startup specialising in banking and cryptocurrency solutions, founded in 2022.
After raising €12 million in the UK, Deblock identified France as its next strategic market and chose Lille as its European home base.

Our teams assisted them in:

Company registration and domiciliation in France.
Understanding the French legal and regulatory framework.
Connecting with regional and local authorities to accelerate their setup.

“It is like a helping-hand to set up shop. Experts at the UKBC Lille know how things operate both in France and in the UK and they will guide you versus doing it by yourself and not understanding what is going on” – Adriana Restrepo, Co-founder of Deblock

Today, Deblock operates successfully from Lille – proof that – with the right support, British fintechs can thrive within the EU market.

🔎Read Deblock’s full success story with the UK Business Centre Lille

Key takeways from the fintech environment in France and Revolut’s investment

The story of Revolut – and of emerging players like Deblock – illustrates a broader reality: France is becoming Europe’s fintech gateway.
Its blend of innovation, skilled workforce, and institutional support makes it the ideal base for British companies seeking to rebuild their European footprint.

And through the UK Business Centre Lille, that transition is simpler, faster, and strategically guided.