The Financial Conduct Authority has added five solo‑regulated firms to its Scale‑up Unit, offering tailored regulatory support to help them innovate and manage rapid growth.
ClearScore, Modulr, Teya, Urban Jungle and Zilch — spanning payments, consumer finance, credit information and insurtech — are the first FCA‑only regulated firms to join the initiative.
The Scale‑up Unit provides structured engagement as firms develop new products, respond to policy changes and build governance, risk and control frameworks capable of supporting expansion. Insights from a pilot with 15 high‑growth firms, published on 10 August, underline that early investment in governance and risk management is critical to scaling sustainably.
“High‑growth firms play a vital role in driving economic growth across the UK,” said Jessica Rusu, chief data, information and innovation officer at the FCA. “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.”
Six dual‑regulated firms were announced as the first cohort in February, with applications for the next group due to open shortly. Since launching its innovation services, the FCA has supported more than 1,000 innovative and growing firms.
The Scale‑up Unit sits alongside Innovation Pathways, the Pre‑Application Support Service and the Early and High Growth Oversight function, forming a clearer route from start‑up to scale‑up.
The FCA’s Early and High Growth Oversight pilot, which engaged 15 firms between July 2025 and March 2026 across asset management, wealth and payments, assessed whether governance and control frameworks were keeping pace with growth. The regulator has now published insights from that work.
