Icon Solutions, the UK fintech enabling banks to design and implement state-of-the-art payment systems, has been awarded a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.
Icon Solutions is one of only a select few organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in 2026. Announced today (Wednesday 6 May), the Award acknowledges the company’s outstanding achievement in Innovation, reflecting the company’s work in addressing one of the banking sector’s most complex challenges: modernising payments technology.
Icon Solutions was founded in 2009 in Wimbledon, London by co-founders Ben Hallifax, Darren Capehorn and Tom Kelleher driven by a shared belief that it should be simpler and safer for banks to modernise their payments technology. Since then, the company has built a global reputation for delivering secure, scalable and customer-centric payment solutions, supported by a specialist services business that helps banks design, deliver and operate complex modernisation programmes. At its core is the Icon Payments Framework (IPF), a software technology framework trusted by leading global banks and financial institutions, including NatWest, BNP Paribas, Citi and UBS. IPF enables organisations to modernise payments safely and efficiently, streamlining transactions, improving operational performance, and unlocking new growth opportunities in response to evolving technologies, regulatory requirements and changing customer expectations.
Icon Solutions co-founder Tom Kelleher said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition. It reflects the impact of our work in helping banks modernise payments on their own terms, safely, efficiently, and without compromise, while supporting better outcomes for both customers and the industry as a whole. This award is a testament to the team’s expertise and our commitment to giving banks the technology and control they need to modernise with confidence.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise – previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise – were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s commitment to continuing the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II in celebrating exceptional UK businesses.
Now in its 60th year, the King’s Awards for Enterprise remain the UK’s most prestigious business accolades. Successful organisations may use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years, signalling excellence to customers, partners, and global markets.