FCA adds five solo-regulated firms to its Scale-up Unit to support sustainable growth and innovation
FCA Scale-up Unit support has been extended to five fast-growing firms as the Financial Conduct Authority expands its tailored regulatory assistance to businesses regulated solely by the FCA.
ClearScore, Modulr, Teya, Urban Jungle and Zilch have joined the Scale-up Unit. The five firms operate across payments, consumer finance, credit information and insurtech and are the first firms regulated solely by the FCA to take part.
The Scale-up Unit provides tailored regulatory support to firms as they develop new products, respond to policy changes and manage the challenges associated with rapid growth. The FCA said the initiative is intended to help innovative firms navigate regulation and grow sustainably.
For solicitors advising financial services businesses, the FCA’s approach places particular emphasis on the development of governance, risk management and control frameworks as firms grow. The regulator’s latest findings indicate that firms should consider these arrangements alongside expansion rather than treating them as issues to address only after significant growth has occurred.
The FCA published insights from a recent pilot involving 15 high-growth firms on 10 August 2026. The pilot examined whether firms’ governance, risk management and control frameworks were developing in line with their growth.
The pilot formed part of the FCA’s Early and High Growth Oversight function. Between July 2025 and March 2026, the FCA engaged with 15 firms across asset management, wealth management and payments. The purpose was to identify rapidly growing firms earlier and support them as they established and evolved their businesses.
The FCA said the pilot showed that early investment in governance, risk management and controls helps firms manage both the opportunities and challenges associated with growth and supports sustainable scaling.
Jessica Rusu, the FCA’s chief data information and innovation officer, said high-growth firms play an important role in driving economic growth across the UK. She said the regulator wanted the UK to remain one of the best places to start, grow and scale a financial services business.
The latest five firms follow the first Scale-up Unit cohort, announced in February. That initial group comprised six firms jointly regulated by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
The FCA opened applications for solo-regulated firms to join the Scale-up Unit pilot in May 2026. Applications closed on 22 June 2026, with the latest announcement confirming that applications for the next group will open soon.
The Scale-up Unit does not operate in isolation. It sits alongside the FCA’s existing programmes, including Innovation Pathways, the Pre-Application Support Service and the Early and High Growth Oversight function. Together, these programmes are intended to create a pathway from start-up to scale-up.
Early and High Growth Oversight focuses on firms experiencing rapid growth at an earlier stage. This includes newly authorised firms and firms undergoing significant change. The function provides proactive engagement to help businesses navigate key challenges as they scale.
The FCA said it has supported more than 1,000 innovative and growing firms since launching its innovation services.
Three of the new Scale-up Unit firms — ClearScore, Modulr and Zilch — are also part of the Unicorn Council for UK FinTech. The coalition was established by Innovate Finance and brings together UK-based fintech unicorn founders and chief executives with the aim of accelerating growth in the sector.
The FCA’s latest announcement therefore marks a further expansion of its support for high-growth businesses, moving the Scale-up Unit beyond its initial cohort of jointly regulated firms to include businesses regulated solely by the FCA.
For firms entering periods of rapid growth, the FCA’s published pilot findings provide a clear regulatory message: governance, risk management and control frameworks should develop in line with the business. The regulator’s support programmes are designed to engage with firms at different stages, from earlier growth through to scale-up, while helping them navigate regulatory requirements and policy changes.