Next week, FinTech firms from across the globe will visit the North of England for two full-day events, where they will have the opportunity to engage with some of the best known financial services brands in the North.
The events in Manchester and Leeds will host a delegation of innovative FinTech scale-ups from Ireland, Estonia, Sweden, and Israel.
Following highly successful FinTech Trade Missions in previous years, the events, co-ordinated by Whitecap Consulting and hosted by FinTech North, aim to allow the international FinTech community to better understand the strength and variety of the Northern Powerhouse’s FinTech ecosystem, and encourage partnerships and collaboration for the future.
Taking place on the 26th November in Manchester and the 27th November in Leeds, the showcases will look more broadly at the North West, and Yorkshire and the North East respectively. Alongside the international visitors, the FinTech Missions will also bring together locally-based banks, building societies, and FinTechs.
The visiting companies will be exposed to some of the biggest names in UK financial services, including AJ Bell, Barclays, and Virgin Money at the Manchester event, and First Direct, Leeds Building Society, and Skipton Building Society in Leeds.
Each day will begin with an overview of the FinTech landscape in each city’s region, followed by a showcase of the international visitors. The visiting FinTechs will have the chance to take part in a ‘reverse pitch’ exercise, pitching their propositions for growing into the UK market, and the partnerships they are seeking in order to do so, to the room of over 100 guests. The UK organisations will have the opportunity to outline the challenges they are looking to overcome through partnerships.
The North West event will take place at The Hive in Manchester, while the Yorkshire and North East event will be hosted at aql’s Salem Chapel in Leeds.
Chris Sier, Chairman of FinTech North, says: “We’re delighted to be welcoming delegates from the international FinTech community to the North once again. This year we have some very exciting international visitors from a wide range of countries, who will be offering unique and innovative opportunities for Northern financial services companies to transform their digital operations. We hope we can repeat the success of our previous FinTech Trade Missions, which have seen many international FinTechs subsequently retuning to the UK to build on business opportunities provided by the events.”
He adds: “More than ever, financial services is truly global marketplace, and international collaboration is crucial to allowing FinTechs across the world to truly unlock their potential. At FinTech North, we pride ourselves on championing the immense FinTech talent and ability in the Northern Powerhouse, but what we are most excited to see is the North of England taking its place in a thriving national and international FinTech ecosystem.”