Accounting software used to be something you installed from a disc, ran on one computer, and prayed wouldn't corrupt your files before tax season. Xero changed that. Founded in New Zealand in 2006 and now a global platform with strong European presence operating from Germany, it put small business accounting in the cloud before cloud was a word most business owners understood. The product connects directly to bank accounts, categorises transactions automatically, handles invoicing and payroll, and integrates with hundreds of third-party apps. It's not glamorous — but it's the kind of infrastructure that keeps small businesses alive. Xero has become one of the dominant accounting platforms for SMEs across the UK, Australia, and increasingly continental Europe, competing directly with Sage and QuickBooks for the small business stack. What makes Xero interesting in the fintech context is what it represents: the blurring of accounting software and financial services. With bank feeds, payment collection, and lending products being added to the platform, the line between bookkeeping tool and financial operating system is getting harder to draw.