FinTech CEO: Long Sales Cycles in Regulated Finance Can Be a Competitive Advantage
Dawid Kotur, co-founder of Curvestone AI, argues that long sales cycles in regulated financial services are an entry fee and a competitive moat rather than a flaw. He urges FinTech startups to plan funding and hiring around a long wait.
Dawid Kotur, co-founder and CEO of Curvestone AI, a London-based automation platform, argues in an opinion piece published by EU-Startups that long sales cycles in FinTech, the sector selling technology to regulated financial firms, are not a problem but one of the few strengths in this market that other industries cannot easily copy.
Falling investment
According to KPMG's Pulse of FinTech report, FinTech investment fell to €2.1 billion (£1.8 billion) in the first half of 2026. That is roughly two-thirds lower than a year earlier and the lowest figure since the report began in 2016. Deal count reached a ten-year low. The capital that is still moving is going to AI.
A popular narrative holds that AI has sharply shortened sales cycles. Kotur says the picture is different when selling into regulated financial services. Selling AI to a mortgage network, a wealth manager or an advice firm requires integrations into existing systems, security reviews, several boards and committees, and multiple internal sponsors. Certifications are also needed, including the new AI standard ISO/IEC 42001. He notes that in the UK the procurement cycle has not sped up, since firms are accountable to the financial regulator, the FCA, for what their systems decide.
Surprise, not the cycle, is the danger
In the author's view, a long cycle becomes dangerous only when it is unexpected. A founder who expects deals to close within weeks may reach month nine with nothing signed. He recommends sizing funding rounds to last through more than one full cycle, hiring people experienced in selling to regulated institutions, setting investor expectations before the term sheet and obtaining certifications early.
Kotur also argues that Europe has the most demanding regulators and customers with the strongest reason to buy, so leaving for the US simply because deals are shorter is questionable. In the slow lane, he says, there are fewer competitors, and customers who have gone through a long process are unlikely to switch.
