The event marks the first since Greater Manchester’s Fintech cluster surpassed £1bn in GVA
FinTech North will pitch up in Manchester next Thursday, 21st November for its seventh conference in the city, aiming to build on a record-breaking year with another impressive line-up of FinTech stars – including global names joining the conference for the first time.
The event will take place at the University of Manchester’s celebrated Whitworth Hall and is set to feature global heavyweights in payments, data, banking and AI, as well as several regional FinTechs on the ascendancy.
Two global firms will be making a FinTech North conference debut, with Klarna set to join a panel discussion on the future of payments and Starling Bank hosting an intimate fireside chat, to provide a behind-the-curtain glimpse into its latest tech innovations.
Both sessions promise to be hugely exciting introductions to the FinTech North community for the multinational giants.
The event is set for record attendance with over 270 signups already confirmed.
With the Greater Manchester FinTech sector worth over £1bn and boasting over 250 startups and scaleups, the conference will showcase regional success stories such as AccessPay, which raised £19m in funding earlier this year. Its CEO Anish Kapoor will feature in a fireside chat on scaling in the city region.
FinTech North will continue its strong partnership with academia in the North-West. Following opening remarks by University of Manchester Vice-Chancellor Duncan Iveson, the event will feature presentations from several FinTech professors and researchers at the University.
Topics will include the latest research on gender inequality in FinTech by Chloe Fox-Robertson, a researcher at the University of Manchester. Her latest study, ‘The triple glass ceiling: FinTech gender inequalities’. Finance and Society’, revealed that just 4% of FinTechs have a female CEO, and women account for just 7.7% of founders in the space.
Further sessions throughout the day will focus on DeFi, FinTech and partnerships in financial services, skills, and lively panel discussions on the future of payments and what banking will look like in the next 10 years.
FinTech North’s 2024 Manchester conference is supported by Mastercard, the University of Manchester, Rise, created by Barclays, Intercash, GFT, RSM, and AccessPay.
The proceedings will conclude with the renowned FinTech showcase session, this year sponsored by Keeper Solutions, that will see FinTech start-ups from the region participate in a quick-fire pitching exercise. Greater Manchester FinTechs pitching this year include BNPL firm PollenPay, software provider MorganAsh and the Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub.
Joe Roche, General Manager at FinTech North says:
“We’ve got the makings of what promises to be another hugely exciting conference in Manchester. Approaching 300 signups already, this is a fantastic opportunity to connect with likeminded individuals in the regional FinTech ecosystem.
“We’ve worked hard to bring together a really compelling line up of speakers for those in attendance, and I can’t wait to see them take the stage.”
The Manchester agenda and registration page can be accessed here. Attendance is free for students and virtual delegates.