Innovate Finance expands national network with three regions added

Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

I recently spoke to Innovate Finance’s CEO about the desire to get fintechs to look beyond London when establishing themselves.

To this end Charlotte Crosswell was keen to emphasise how the London based fintech trade body is trying to reach further afield.

Innovate Finance had at the time signed agreements with Fintech North and Fintech Scotland. She said this helps spread the fintech solutions coming from those regions but and means financial services are looked at in a different way.

Last week Innovate Finance announced the addition of Fintech Northern Ireland, Fintech Wales and Fintech West to the national network.

Alex Lee, Member of Fintech Northern Ireland said welcomedthe establishment of a National Network to showcase Fintech outside of London. “This initiative will allow the ecosystem to collaborate nationally and learn from more developed hubs on the challenges, successes and importantly failures. We recognise that working alongside regional partners will only aide our development of Northern Ireland as a regional Fintech Hub.”

Meanwhile Gavin Powell, general secretary at Fintech Wales said: “This will not only boost the benefits for Wales and our members, but will also help to create a stronger and more resilient national economy. Fintech is a key area of excellence for the UK and the National Network will both support and enable its continued growth.”

Julian Wells, director of Fintech West said the organisation itself grew out of a smaller more localised body. “It was created in 2019 from the solid foundations of several years of work by what was formerly known as Bristol Fintech. Joining the national network is a really positive step to ensuring this region rightly takes its place as a key player in the UK’s national Fintech sector.”

Dan Rajkumar, at peer to peer fintech Rebuilding Society is one of the founders of Fintech North. He recently told me that the organisation’s partnership with Innovate finance and Fintech Scotland, known as the UK Fintech Network, disseminates the message and getting people around the country engaged with the industry.