The Fintech Talents Festival returns for its fifth edition on the 13th – 14th November at the Brewery in London. With over 2,000 attendees, 400+ speakers, across six stages, the scene has been set for a recording-breaking event. 

The numbers are not the full story here, however, as the quality of the speaker line-up has been a hallmark of the Festival since it first launched in the UK. Senior leaders from across the financial services sector will share their vision for the future of the industry alongside innovative fintechs, leading technology changemakers, and a fast-growing community of ground-breaking leaders from non-financial enterprises.  

With 250+ speakers already confirmed, hear from representatives from Barclays, Natwest, HSBC, ING, Nespresso, Monzo, ASOS, Nationwide, Coventry Building Society, Yorkshire Building Society, NO. 1 Copper Pot Credit Union, E.ON, Volkswagen, Marks & Spencer, Bolt, and many more.  

It is the most unique community of any fintech event. And that unique mix delivers an opportunity to connect participants over at least 1,800 meetings as part of the fast-growing Hosted Buyer Programme taking place across the two days on the Festival Floor. 

Find out more about the speakers already confirmed on the following stages: 

• Fintech Talents  
• FTT Open Finance 
• FTT Embedded Finance & Customer Alpha 
• (New for 2023) FTT AI Transformation 

And the co-located 

• Future Identity Festival 
• FTT Mutuals 

From BaaS to Sass, retailers to retail banks, generative AI to generational change, the ranges of speakers and topics will drive exciting outcomes for all attendees.  

A range of ticket options for the Fintech Talents Festival are currently available and include access to stages, allowing you to hop from one to the other and create a personalised agenda perfect for you. We have also expanded the Hostel Buyer programme this year.  

Wolters Kluwer’s Corporate Performance and ESG (CP & ESG) division is poised to play leading role in enabling businesses to navigate emerging ESG reporting challenges. And the multi award-winning division has set out key issues major financial services institutions and corporates should consider when tackling emerging ESG reporting challenges. The insights are featured in a eagerly anticipated strategic paper, “Bringing clarity to the complexity of financial and ESG reporting,” which zeroes in on the significant impact that the expected enforcement of global ESG regulations will have on multinational companies.

The paper, authored by Wolters Kluwer CP & ESG experts, recommends that companies work quickly to leverage technology to bring clarity to the myriad of ESG expectations they face, by “transforming the way they collect, report, analyze and assure the accuracy of integrated financial and non-financial reporting data.”

Notably, the paper outlines:

• Why investors, consumers, analysts, employees, and other key stakeholders are increasingly viewing corporate ESG performance as a key indicator of a business’s operational health, right alongside financial key performance indicators (KPIs).
• 5 priorities for C-suite leaders who want to leverage integrated ESG and financial reporting as a competitive advantage.
• Why digital transformation is essential for organizations that want to cut through new levels of data complexity, mitigate evolving risks, and comply with the ever-changing regulatory environment.

Globally, multinational companies are already trying to make sense of the more than 600 different pieces of ESG regulation that are currently in play. This paper is released ahead of expected moves by regulators in the European Union (EU), Japan, the UK, the US, and other countries that are actively considering the implementation of new mandatory disclosure requirements, as part of broader efforts to align reporting comparability and transparency for investors.

While the EU is taking a leading role in implementing ESG reporting requirements, with policies including the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) – which mandates ESG disclosure for asset managers across the 27-nation bloc – Wolters Kluwer experts acknowledge that other regulatory reporting requirements are poised to follow suit. The G7, as another example, recently signaled its support of mandatory climate disclosure, while countries across the Asia Pacific are signaling a marked shift in their ESG reporting expectations, with numerous regulators set to mandate funds’ ESG disclosure in coming years.

Wolters Kluwer established its CP & ESG division in March 2023 to meet the growing demand from corporations and banks for integrated financial, operational, and ESG performance management and reporting solutions. As widely reported in the likes of The Financial Times, Wolters Kluwer CP & ESG was recently named among the leading global providers of ESG software in the inaugural, prestigious Green Quadrant: ESG Reporting and Data Management Software 2023 report from Verdantix, an independent research firm. The company was also named a “Top Vendor” in the inaugural 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance Reporting (ESG) Market Study, published by Dresner Advisory Services.

Karen Abramson, CEO of Wolters Kluwer CP & ESG, commented: “For the first time in history, businesses are being required to report on both financial and non-financial data. This shift is creating a true sea change in the complexity of corporate reporting, which cannot be addressed with manual processes or legacy technologies alone. There will undoubtedly be regional nuance and points of difference, but most significant regulatory frameworks will be complex and robust. This new reality will require smart, agile data management solutions. The businesses that digitally transform the way they collect, report, analyze, and assure the accuracy of their financial and ESG data and reporting will create a distinct competitive advantage.”

The new Wolters Kluwer CP & ESG division is home to four leading, cloud-based software businesses that help businesses tackle the complexities of integrated financial and ESG reporting.  Enablon helps organizations protect worker safety, enhance sustainability, manage risks, stay compliant, improve corporate governance, and identify opportunities to elevate ESG performance. In doing so, Enablon helps companies to build a shared understanding of their ESG performance across the organization, quantify the impact of ESG on the bottom line, and meet targets sooner. CCH^® Tagetik, meanwhile, is an industry-leading corporate performance management platform that empowers the Office of Finance to manage enterprise business at scale, by streamlining financial processes, accelerating the financial close, enhancing decision-making with extended planning, and facilitating compliance with evolving financial and ESG regulations.

Also servicing financial institutions is TeamMate, an audit management platform, which helps internal audit teams assure the accuracy of data, by streamlining audit workflow, improving productivity and cross-functional collaboration. And OneSumX for Finance, Risk & Regulatory Reporting (FRR) addresses the tactical and strategic needs of finance, risk management, performance, compliance and regulatory reporting teams at financial institutions.

Travelex, a market-leading global travel money services business, has completed a £90m refinancing deal that will underpin the next stage of its growth journey. 

The £90m facility has been provided on a five-year term. It will be used to repay the existing £50m term loan facility, redeem £12m of the New Money Notes and stapled equity, and provide funds for investment in the business. 

Travelex’s card and cash-based retail business operates more than 1,100 bureaux and 900 ATMs across over 20 countries, whilst its wholesale banknotes business serves central banks and major financial institutions worldwide. With international travel now at 88.2% of pre-Covid levels, and demand for travel – particularly among emerging markets – continuing to accelerate, Travelex is now working to expand its retail offering, develop new wholesale relationships and increase investment into both its digital transformation and further product innovation. 

In addition to creating thousands of new jobs and opening dozens of new bureaux over the past 18 months, Travelex has also recently launched a host of new products, including the retail FX industry’s first ATM click-and-collect product and a new automated currency kiosk at Heathrow, as well as expanding its pre-paid Travel Money Card in the UK and Japan. 

Richard Wazacz, Travelex CEO, commented: 

“We are delighted to have secured this financing, which is a considerable vote of confidence in both the business and our ambitions for the future. With travel having recovered and market indicators pointing to significant growth for the foreseeable future, this funding will enable Travelex to capitalise on the many opportunities this presents.” 

Mike Rees, Travelex Chairman, said: 

“The refinancing marks a significant point in the Group’s turnaround following the pandemic. The funding provides certainty and the flexibility to target growth in a dynamic market.” 

PwC acted as financial advisor to Travelex. 

Financial wellbeing startup Mintago has closed a $4.75 million funding round to further enhance its platform and accelerate its growth across the UK.

Mintago, a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)-regulated company, offers the UK’s most complete and inclusive financial wellbeing solution. 

Founded in 2019 by Chieu Cao, the former co-founder and CMO of Perkbox, Mintago helps employers to attract top talent, retain existing employees and boost productivity. It also enables businesses to reduce their national insurance costs and foster a more positive workplace culture.

Mintago’s powerful financial wellbeing platform is designed to help employees tackle their most pressing financial needs, such as managing pension contributions and locating lost pension pots through its Pension Hunter tool. The platform also enables employees to take control of their finances with free access to financial advisers, debt counselling, savings tools and unbiased financial education programmes.

The London-based startup went from strength to strength during the pandemic, underlining its position as a leader in financial wellbeing space thanks to its comprehensive suite of solutions for businesses, HR teams and their staff. Demand for its platform has also risen due to the cost-of-living crisis, with ongoing economic turbulence emphasising the need for employers to offer robust financial wellbeing support to their staff.

Well-known brands, such as Oddbox, Chilly’s, Lucky Saint, Olio and Superscript, are among the hundreds of forward-thinking organisations already signed up to provide Mintago’s financial wellbeing platform to their teams.

The funding round included $4.75 million in equity investment, with BlackLion Ventures (lead investor with $3.75 million), Love Ventures and Cur8 Capital among those involved. Mintago will use the funding to invest further in the technology underpinning its financial wellbeing platform. It will also expand its sales and marketing team to accelerate the growth of its client-base.

Chieu Cao, CEO and founder of Mintago, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of the financial wellbeing movement, empowering businesses and giving employees everything they need to navigate their financial lives with confidence. This funding underlines Mintago’s immense potential, and with the backing of some exceptional investors, we are excited to be able to fast-track our growth in the months and years to come.”

Daniel Conti, COO, CFO and co-founder of Mintago, added: “There has never been a greater need for businesses to support their employees’ financial wellbeing. The cost-of-living crisis is a source of significant stress for millions of Britons, and this can naturally impact their work life – the best employers recognise this, and are upping their support for staff by providing the necessary financial planning tools and access to advice, in turn building better relationships with their employees. Mintago is on a mission to support its clients in this journey.”

Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business, has partnered with Moneyhub, the market-leading Open Banking and Open Finance platform, to deliver its pensions dashboard. This marks the first UK provider to commit to offering a commercial pensions dashboard.

The dashboard will be embedded into Standard Life’s existing customer app, which incorporates a financial wellness tool, Money Mindset, which is also powered by Moneyhub’s Open Finance capabilities. Alongside finding and viewing all their pension data, pension scheme members will be able to connect to and see their bank accounts, credit cards, savings, property valuations, ISAs, loans, mortgages, and other financial products all in one place, allowing them to make better long-term financial decisions. The pensions dashboard will also be available to customers through the Standard Life online desktop.

Standard Life intends to lead the market in committing to the delivery of a commercial pensions dashboard, recognising both the complexities of, and length of time it will take to deliver a compliant Variation of Permission (VoP) application to the FCA and an engaging dashboard experience for customers.

Subject to the FCA’s finalisation of the draft regulatory framework, Standard Life’s pensions dashboard will go further than what’s expected from the Government’s pensions dashboard, enabling onward journeys such as lifetime modelling, or consolidation.

Indeed, auto enrolment, multiple pensions pots, alternative savings & investment, and phased retirements mean pension providers need to put member engagement and experience first and this will be delivered through the development of the dashboard.

Additionally, Phoenix Group, Standard Life’s parent company anticipates extending dashboard access in due course to all of its 12 million UK customers.

As the Government’s Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) Alpha Dashboard partner, and the only partner to date to connect a front-end dashboard to the programme’s Central Digital Architecture, Moneyhub brings multi-disciplinary expertise and technology. This includes user experience design, Consumer Duty, FCA regulatory compliance, UMA-based Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), PDP Standards compliance, ongoing reporting and maintenance.

Gail Izat, Managing Director of Workplace at Standard Life comments: “With nearly £27bn in lost pensions in the UK, the Pensions Dashboards Programme has the potential to radically change people’s ability to understand and manage their pension savings.

“But saving is only one part of the retirement journey. Accessing this money at different times through different products and in different forms brings additional challenges for retirees. It may seem obvious but simply knowing how much all your pensions are worth will allow you to plan for the future and understand what you can do today to have enough money to allow you to live your desired lifestyle later in life.

“We are excited to extend our collaboration with Moneyhub to develop and launch one of the UK’s first fully functional commercial pensions dashboards, while leading the way in shaping the future of retirement saving by giving customers greater certainty and a truly holistic view of their finances.”

Samantha Seaton, CEO of Moneyhub comments: “The government’s Pensions Dashboards Programme has been urging providers to continue with their plans and Standard Life has seized the initiative.

“Standard Life has the foresight to understand that pensions can’t be looked at in isolation and must be considered in the round, with a full holistic view of an individual’s finances. To encourage more to save into their pension for retirement, more engagement is needed to inspire better savings habits from day one.

“At a time when finances are increasingly squeezed, Standard Life’s pensions dashboard will seamlessly integrate with its Money Mindset app to enable customers to have a better understanding of their money and wider finances. It will help savers build their emergency pot, spot saving opportunities, and develop habits to improve their overall financial wellbeing, and subsequently their later life finances. Through AI-driven smart nudges and personalised seeded content the Money Mindset app both supports and educates the user throughout their financial journey.

“Together Money Mindset and Standard Life’s pensions dashboard will set the vision for the future of retirement planning. We’re thrilled to be working with Phoenix Group at the vanguard of our industry.”

Analysis of the Bank of England’s data1 on SME lending shows that through the first half of 2023 SME’s saw net lending decrease by £5.3 billion.

The research by Ebury, the global financial technology firm helping to simplify international trade for SMEs, highlights the urgency with which businesses are now making debt repayments in the aftermath of the various COVID-19 loan schemes and the rising cost of servicing that debt.

Through 2020, SMEs saw net borrowing spike to £43.9 billion – including £28.1 billion borrowed in the two months of May and June alone – to survive the pandemic amid unprecedented restrictions and economic shutdown.

However, in 2021, SMEs made total repayments of £7.5 billion followed by a further £8.5 billion in 2022. The pace of repayments accelerated through the first half of 2023 reaching £5.3 billion as the cost of borrowing becomes increasingly problematic for businesses.

It means since 2021, SMEs have repaid a total of £21.4 billion – 49% of the borrowing taken on in 2020.

The majority of SME lending was provided through the government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) schemes, of which Ebury was an accredited lender. The Government’s own figures2 show that £25.9 billion was loaned out to around 100,000 firms under the CBILS scheme – under a third (30%) of CBILS facilities have been repaid.

That business support was launched amid a broader package of help including additional loans, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, capital repayment holidays, extended overdrafts and asset-based finance.

Phil Monkhouse, Head of Sales at Ebury, commented: “The pandemic drove SMEs to take on an unprecedented level of borrowing in a bid to survive the economic shutdowns imposed to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

“Three and half years on from the outbreak of the pandemic, we are still seeing the ramifications of the financial decisions businesses had to take to keep the shutters open. SMEs are continuing to eat into the mountain of debt, yet the changing macro-economic environment has injected a fresh sense of urgency.

“Many SMEs will be struggling amid the wider pressures on the economy, but the increase in interest rates pushing up the cost of servicing debt will be particularly painful. We expect to see businesses strive to pay down their borrowing as quickly as possible to minimise interest payments and get back into the black.”