2025 Reflections: A Year That Shifted the Needle at Fintech Fringe
Like any early-stage business, we haven’t been without our growing pains. But 2025 has been a year where I felt we truly shifted the needle - in our growth, our visibility, and our recognition in the market. Hard to believe it’s only been two and a half years - so much has happened in such a short time.
Above all, it’s been a joy to move the business forward alongside such an engaged, curious, and committed community. None of this would have been possible without the continued support of our partners, speakers, sponsors, and the incredible teams behind the scenes who help make the magic happen - I’m hugely grateful to every one of you.
Launching Scale & Grow
We kicked off the year with the launch of Scale & Grow in February - a new consultancy offering from Fintech Fringe to support scaling fintechs.
At the heart of this sits our Liquid A-Team - a collective of expert operators in-market, designed to support fintechs at every stage of their journey: regulation, compliance, fundraising, legal, finance, talent, strategy, and growth marketing.
This instant access to practical, real-world expertise ensures growing businesses know exactly where to turn, and who to call, as scaling inevitably becomes more complex.
This year was about laying the foundations and 2026 is full speed ahead.
Thanks to all our Growth Partners for being on the journey and look forward to some greeat work together in the coming year - Karen Allen at HaysMac, Alison Donnelly at fscom, Chris Hill at Fox Williams, Angela Yore at SkyParlour, Thomas Wells at Frazier Deeter, Alex Reed at Mountside Ventures, Julian Wells at Whitecap Consulting, Nadia Edwards-Dashti at Harrington Starr and Sheila Mitham at Inbound Fintech.
Bringing our magic to Pay360
One of the year’s standout moments was hosting the Innovation Stage at Pay360.
Across two days of standing-room-only sessions, we showcased what we believe fintech content can be - more engaging, more dynamic, and more human. At Fintech Fringe, we do things a little differently. We believe content should provoke conversation, not polite nodding.
With a big dose of colour, flair, and live music - and by encouraging more unfiltered, uncensored discussions, you could see people really leaning forwards in their seats. We were delighted to bring Fintech Fringe to a new audience with such a stellar roster of industry heavyweights.
Thanks for the opportunity Emma Banymandhub and team.
Launch of Innovation Challenge Series with Project Nemo & Pay360
Earlier this year, we launched our first Innovation Challenge - a new initiative designed to connect fintechs and corporates around real-world problems and turn ideas into action. We used Fintech Fringe Forum as a platform to deliver the challenge which proved the perfect vehicle to deliver.
Our first challenge was in collaboration with Project Nemo and focused on accessibility and inclusion in financial services with a particular emphasis on how we develop products for people with learning disabilities whose needs have been misunderstood and often completely overlooked.
From 17 high-quality submissions, we selected five winning fintechs - Hope Macy, Vouchsafe, Money Carer, Sibstar, and Cleva Card - who showcased their solutions live on the Innovation Stage at Pay360.
This was our first Innovation Challenge, and we hope the first of many. Thanks for the opportunity Joanne Dewar and the team behind the scenes.
The End of an Era: Farewell to Rise
Shortly after Pay360, we came to the end of an era as Rise, created by Barclays, closed its doors.
Rise had generously supported Fintech Fringe from day one. Over the years, we hosted 15 events in that space - a venue that had been an integral part of the fintech ecosystem for more than a decade. It wasn’t just our go-to event space; it was our home.
And that was as much about the people as the place. The team at Rise brought incredible energy, warmth, and positivity - the kind of good vibes that make a space feel truly special. I genuinely miss that.
We’re deeply grateful for the support Rise gave us in our earliest days and for the leg up it provided as we were finding our feet as a new business. A huge thank you in particular to Magdalena Krön, Tony Margiotta, Katie Sockett and Nura Haji, who were unwaveringly supportive throughout and made Rise what it was.
What that moment did do, however, was spark some bigger thinking. With Rise’s closure came a clear vacuum in central London - and a question we couldn’t ignore: was there an opportunity to step in and create a new home for fintech? A new destination for fintech events?
More on that later.
A Global Stage at Money20/20
June marked another defining moment as we were invited to host a stage at Money20/20 - my first ever Money20/20, and something that genuinely felt like fintech Christmas in the middle of summer.
Being recognised by one of the biggest platforms in global fintech was a powerful endorsement of the content we’re creating and the conversations we’re convening. It was a privilege to contribute alongside some of the industry’s most influential voices.
It was also great to bear witness to such an awesome programme materialise - epic effort Ian Horne - I doff my cap - and thanks so much for the invite.
Proud Kiwi Moments 🇳🇿
On a more personal note, this year also included a few moments that carried special meaning for me as a New Zealander building a business in the UK. Big thanks to Joseph Nelson, previous NZ Trade Commissioner in London for the opportunities that unfolded this year.
I had the opportunity to meet Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and introduce him to leaders from the UK fintech and investment community including Simon Bumfrey (then CEO at HSBC Innovation Banking), Neil Shah (Head of Capital Markets at London Stock Exchange) and Alex Reed (Founding Partner at Mountside). Alex shared insights on how the UK’s SEIS and EIS frameworks have helped fuel economic growth - and how those learnings could support innovation back home. It was a proud Kiwi moment and a reminder of the value of building strong UK–NZ bridges.
Later in the year, I met Nicola Willis, New Zealand’s Minister of Finance and Minister for Economic Growth, to talk about how Fintech Fringe can support New Zealand fintechs expanding into the UK, and about the strength of the relationship between our two markets.
That journey came full circle when I was appointed an Advisor at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, supporting Kiwi fintechs as they enter the UK. New Zealand’s tech sector is now its third-largest export, and the UK is open for Kiwi business - something I’m incredibly proud to support.
Tripling our Network Reach
September brought its challenges, with tube strikes forcing the postponement of our festival. But that setback was more than balanced by a major positive: announcing our merger with Fintech Week London.
Thank you for choosing us Raf De Kimpe. Sharing the same Collaborate not Compete ethos has enabled us to do some great work together to support fintechs in the UK.
By bringing those communities together, our organic network has grown from just under 4,000 to around 14,000, with our LinkedIn reach doubling. Today, Fintech Fringe stands as one of the fastest-growing fintech ecosystems in the UK - and we’re only just getting started.
Fintech Fringe Festival 2025 - A Bigger, Bolder Festival
Postponed to October, our festival landed exactly where it needed to. Across two standout days at the spectacular Old Sessions House, we welcomed:
150+ speakers
600+ Conference attendees
Over 1,000 visits across the two days
We more than tripled attendance from 2023 and expanded our content to include both established leaders and exciting new voices from across the ecosystem. The calibre, diversity, and depth of conversation marked a significant step forward in our content proposition.
It also marked the launch of FinClub and The Great Debate at Old Sessions House. This new format definitely embraces our tendency to lean towards the provocative and we’ll be leaning into that much more in 2026.
Special thanks to Gavin Guild, the team at Knotel and Co-Labs Global for making this such a successful event.
Launching FinClub: Fintech’s New Central London Home
Earlier in the year, we’d asked ourselves whether there was an opportunity to create a new home for fintech in central London. In the second half of the year, we took a bold step into the unknown and launched FinClub at Old Sessions House which is run by the lovely folk at Knotel.
With the closure of Barclays Rise, there was a clear gap in the market for a destination dedicated to fintech events and flexible co-working. FinClub is our answer - a dedicated place for the fintech community to connect, collaborate, and build.
Now we can offer the community incredibly flexible co-working options with PAYG memberships for people who just need a regular drop-in space and discounts on annual memberships for people who want a fulltime option.
Looking ahead to 2026, Old Sessions House will become the home of our monthly signature events, as well as our flagship festival. I really hope we can make this the new destination for fintech events in central London.
It’s an incredibly exciting next chapter.
Ending the Year on a Global Note
We closed out the year in Morocco, where I had the honour of chairing the HPS Annual Meeting, convening more than 700 fintech leaders, bank CEOs, and innovators from across Africa and the Middle East to learn about the latest innovations across Payments, AI, Quantum and Stablecoins.
HPS is one of the world’s top five payments providers, and it was a privilege to share the stage with industry leaders and media friends including Liz Lumley, Sophie Furber, and Ian Horne. It was a powerful reminder of fintech’s global impact and a what an exciting market Africa is - so ripe for disruption.
It was a privilege to chair such an inspiring two days - and I have to say the hospitality was without question the best I’ve experienced. The team were incredibly welcoming and a genuine joy to work with. Thank you to Abdeslam Alaoui, the CEO of HPS and the incredible team behind the scenes.
Closing the Year at FinTech Connect
We rounded out the year back in London at FinTech Connect, hosting two stages at the event’s 10th anniversary edition. After delivering a standing room only stage in 2024, it was great to be welcomed back - thanks to Laura Segundo - and well done to you and the team for lifting the show to new heights in 2025!
Alongside fintech fanatic Johnny Morris from London & Partners, we co-hosted the Startup Launchpad - a fast-paced showcase of early-stage fintechs presenting what’s coming next. Built for operators, investors, and financial institutions, the Launchpad focused on real solutions, real traction, and practical innovation in action.
We also hosted the Digital Transformation Stage, and delivered the opening keynote, exploring how finance is evolving faster than organisations can regulate or integrate. The message was clear: AI-first leaders are pulling ahead, partnership between fintechs and banks is the real accelerator, and meaningful transformation only happens when technology, people, and operating models align.
It felt like a strong way to close out the year - grounded in insight, focused on what’s next, and full of momentum heading into 2026.
Looking Ahead
We have big plans for 2026, and we can’t wait to share them with you. Thank you to everyone who has supported us, partnered with us, and joined us on this journey so far.
Here’s to continuing to supercharge the growth of UK fintech - together.
And a very Merry Christmas however you plan to celebrate. See you refreshed and recharged in 2026!
Best wishes
Calypso
Founder, Fintech Fringe