Discai named as finalist at EBAday 2026 as a key fintech innovator

Recognition from Europe’s banking community

Discai, the fintech transforming anti-money laundering (AML) and transaction monitoring, has been selected as one of 16 finalists for the Fintech Zone award at EBAday 2026, one of Europe’s most influential summits for banking and payments leaders. The Fintech Zone showcases companies acknowledged for delivering innovation with tangible impact across financial services.

This selection highlights the technologies and approaches that financial institutions increasingly view as relevant to the future of banking. It also comes at a defining moment for the financial services industry.

For years, banks have attempted to fight financial crime by layering more rules onto already overburdened systems. This has consistently led to rising alert volumes, mounting investigation costs and teams swamped by false positives. Companies have spent billions building defences, yet many still struggle to distinguish genuine risk from operational clutter.

Discai’s selection amongst tough competition confirms several themes that are rapidly gaining momentum across the banking sector: trusted and explainable AI, proven effectiveness in production environments and the ability to improve both compliance outcomes and operational efficiency.

Fabrice Deprez, CEO of Discai:

“Financial institutions are becoming more focused on AI that can demonstrate real-world results, explain its decisions and operate within the realities of a regulated environment. They are now looking for proven approaches that can strengthen financial crime detection while increasing efficiency and effectiveness.”

Traditional AML systems are reaching their limits

Over the past year, there has been a real desire from financial institutions to avoid more complexity. They’re searching for technology that can think more intelligently, adapt more quickly and explain its decisions with confidence. As regulatory expectations intensify and cost pressures mount, trusted AI is emerging as one of the most powerful tools available to compliance teams.

Uniquely, Discai was developed within KBC Group, one of Europe’s leading financial institutions, giving it a foundation rooted in the practical constraints of day-to-day banking operations. Its technology was designed to solve real operational challenges in a live banking environment, where every model decision must withstand scrutiny from investigators, auditors and regulators.

This is particularly relevant as banks can be rightly cautious about adopting new technologies. In financial crime prevention, credibility is earned through proven results, not ambitious promises.

The fight against financial crime is changing

The establishment of Europe’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) is raising the bar for compliance across the continent. At the same time, criminal networks are becoming more sophisticated, while financial institutions face continued pressure to control costs and improve operational efficiency. Against this backdrop, explainable and dependable AI has shifted from a strategic aspiration to a practical requirement.

In parallel, the market is placing greater value on smart technology built by people who have confronted these challenges first-hand. Solutions developed within financial institutions carry a level of operational credibility that is difficult to replicate because they have been affected by the realities of live banking environments rather than theoretical assumptions.

This recognition builds on a series of recent industry acknowledgements highlighting Discai’s growing presence in the AML, financial crime and broader banktech environment. It underscores the growing importance of technologies that enable financial institutions to modernise one of the most complex areas of compliance.

EBAday is one of Europe’s leading payments and transaction banking conferences, jointly hosted by Finextra and the Euro Banking Association. The Fintech Zone highlights a select group of fintech companies chosen for their innovation, market relevance and potential impact on the financial services industry. Finalists are evaluated by an independent panel of industry experts and banking leaders.