Northern FinTech Summit 2026

October 21st, 10:00am
York Guildhall

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We’re delighted to announce our return to York for the third annual Northern FinTech Summit, hosted in partnership with Aviva, Barclays Eagle Labs and CubeMatch!

Now firmly established as a highlight of the FinTech North calendar, the Summit is our flagship two-day gathering that brings the whole of the North’s fintech ecosystem into one room.

Over two days, we’ll hear from the founders, leaders, investors, corporates, and policymakers driving the region forward, across four themes that between them capture where the sector stands today and where it’s heading next.

The Themes

Day One

– Market – What’s really shaping the sector right now: the international picture, the macroeconomic backdrop, and how firms across the North are responding to a fast-moving landscape.

– People – Teams, culture, inclusion and diversity, and the leadership that turns talent into growth. If fintech has a competitive edge, it starts with the people building it.

Day Two

– Money – The funding and investment landscape, and a look at where money is heading next — from how it’s raised to how it moves.

– Tech & Product – The innovation at the heart of fintech itself, including a Summit favourite returning once again: the Startup Showcase.

The Venue: The Guildhall, York

We’re returning to the Guildhall, one of York’s most storied buildings and a fitting home for a Summit built on collaboration. Sitting on the banks of the Ouse in the heart of the city, the Guildhall has served as a meeting place for York’s merchants and civic leaders for over 600 years.

Today it’s been reborn as a University of York building and home to Barclays Eagle Labs – a space where centuries of civic collaboration now sit alongside academia, innovation, and enterprise support. Few venues so naturally embody what the Summit is about: bringing an ecosystem together under one roof.

The Social: Lendal Cellars

As night falls on Day One, we’ll head to Lendal Cellars for our evening social – the very event that first inspired us to build a social into every FinTech North conference. The connections built on the night are as key to the Summit as anything on the agenda, and Lendal Cellars, tucked into the city’s historic vaults, right next door to the Guildhall, is the perfect setting for it.

Why Attend?

The Summit draws a senior audience from across the sector – founders, C-suite leaders, investors, and policymakers shaping fintech across the North. The Guildhall’s setting naturally shapes who’s in the room, so every conversation carries weight. This is a gathering for people who want to meet the leaders defining the region’s fintech future.

Want to get involved as a speaker or sponsor?

We’re looking for fintech voices and leaders from across the North to help shape this year’s agenda. If you’d like to speak or explore brand and sponsorship opportunities, we’d love to hear from you.

Speakers and full agenda details will be announced soon.

For more information, or to discuss speaking, sponsorship, or collaboration opportunities, get in touch at info@fintechnorth.uk.

 

AGENDA 

**This agenda is under construction and is subject to change**

Day 1:

10:00-11:00: Arrival & Registration

11:00-11:10: Welcome from FinTech North

Delivered by Joe Roche, General Manager, FinTech North
11:10-11:20: Welcome from Barclays Eagle Labs

Delivered by Chris Lunardi, Ecosystem Manager, Barclays Eagle Labs
11:20-11:30: The Chris Sier Keynote

speaker tbc
11:30-12:15: The Market in Motion: Political Change, Regional Growth and the Forces Reshaping UK Fintech

• Moderator: Stephen Ingledew OBE, Chairman, FinTech Scotland & Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, CFIT
• Peter Cunnane, Director of International and Partnerships, Innovate Finance
• John Huddleston, Senior Manager, UK Growth and Investments, Group Public Affairs, Aviva
more speakers tbc

12:15-12:30: Trust Is the New Capital: Why Consumer Confidence Is the Sector’s Real Constraint

Delivered by Simon Wright, Co-CEO, PEXA
12:30-13:00: Staying Ahead of Fraud in a Faster, Smarter Financial System: a fireside chat

13:05-13:55: Lunch & Networking
14:00-14:10: Keynote tbc
14:10-14:55: Keeping Pace: Fintech Talent and Skills in the Age of AI

• Rachel Kenyon, Business Development Manager, University of Manchester 
moderator and other panellists tbc
15:00-15:10: Break
15:15-15:40: The Missing Data: Why Fair Access Depends on the People in the Room, Not Just the Policy

Delivered by James Brown, CEO, Leeds Credit Union
15:40-16:25: Culture Beyond the M25: What Makes a Northern Fintech Team Different?
• Samantha Turner, CPO, Lenvi
• Moderator: Bianca Spruit, Founder, Sprout Coaching

more speakers tbc
16:25-16:30: Closing remarks
16:30-19:30: Evening Social

Lendal Cellars
26 Lendal
York
YO1 8AA

Day 2

10:30-11:30: Arrival & Registration

11:30-11:40: Welcome from FinTech North

Delivered by Joe Roche, General Manager, FinTech North

11:40-11:50: The State of UK Fintech Funding 2026

Delivered by Joshita Ganesan, Membership Manager & Investment Lead, Innovate Finance

11:50-12:15:  Show Me the Money: What It Actually Takes to Get Funded in 2026

Speakers tbc
12:15-12:30: Retail Payments in Real Time: What’s Actually Changing for Consumers and Merchants
Speaker tbc
12:30-12:45: Tokenisation, Unpacked: What’s Actually Changing in How Money Moves
Delivered by Frances Edwards, COO, Avantgarde
12:50-13:40: Lunch & Networking
13:45-14:10: The Agentic Shift: AI as Co-Builder, Not Just a Feature

Speakers tbc
14:10:14:25: The Future of UX

Speaker tbc
14:25-15:20: Northern FinTech Showcase

Hosted by Suzanne Lawson, Partnerships Manager – Group Innovation, Aviva

• Ark51
• ROSA
• Prompted
more speakers tbc
15:15-15:25: Challenges & Opportunities shaping the Future of Tech & Product Innovation

Speaker tbc
15:25-15:30: Closing remarks
15:30: Event to close