FinTech North: Leeds 2026

We’re delighted to announce our 10th Annual Leeds Conference, hosted in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Bruntwood SciTech, PEXA, Softwire, Lenvi, Mastercard, Sedulo, Leeds Credit Union, aql, evening social & name badge sponsors GoCardless, Lanyard & Networking sponsors The Data City and legacy sponsors incuto.

This year represents a special milestone for FinTech North - our tenth conference in the region and our tenth anniversary as an organisation. We’re thrilled the share that we will be returning to aql for the occasion, where the very first FinTech North Conference was hosted.

Home to aql, Salem Chapel holds special significance for FinTech North- not only as our birthplace and host to several of our Leeds Conferences down the years, but as a place that has witnessed defining moments in Leeds’ cultural and economic history.

According to Whitecap Consulting’s recent North of England FinTech Report, West Yorkshire is home to 94 FinTech firms, while Yorkshire & Humber supports 119 firms employing 4,000 people directly, with a wider FinTech-related workforce of nearly 20,000. The Leeds City Region alone hosts over 100 firms contributing £700 million annually, underlining the cluster’s scale and momentum.

Why attend our Leeds Conference 2026?

• Enjoy razor-sharp content from some of FinTech, financial services and ecosystem leaders on the current FinTech state-of-play, macro-economic outlooks, the future of payments and banking, lending, home ownership and a showcase of the next wave of innovation in Leeds and West Yorkshire.
• This year’s conference will explore themes central to the region’s strengths, including: Banking, Lending, Home Ownership, RegTech, Financial Inclusion & Northern FinTech innovation.
• Everyday, we're confirming speakers from instantly recognisable names across FinTech and financial services, regulators, policy bodies and innovative regional FinTech firms, including Innovate Finance, Lenvi, National Wealth Fund, Freeths, FCA, OnePay, GoCardless, Leeds Credit Union, PEXA, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and more tba!
• Get stuck into over 5 hours of dedicated networking, where you can develop your network, build partnerships and unlock commercial opportunities with Leeds & West Yorkshire's FinTech ecosystem.
• Enjoy an evening social in the heart of Leeds City Centre alongside the city's gorgeous Waterfront. Food, drinks & live music guaranteed!
• Add to that a FinTech North party bag or two, and you've got yourself an unmissable event... will you be there?

Above all, this tenth anniversary event is about the people behind the progress: the founders who took early risks, the partners who backed the vision, the institutions embracing transformation, and the community that continues to collaborate and build together across the North.

As a pan-Northern organisation championing the entire North, we are proud to recognise our roots in Leeds - returning to the city where our journey began, known for its collaboration, innovation, and thriving financial and technology sectors.

We look forward to welcoming you to Leeds as we celebrate the past, reflect on the present, and shape the future of Northern FinTech together.

Register via the checkout below:

AGENDA under construction

9:00 pm - 10:00 am: Breakfast

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

Delivered by Joe Roche, General Manager, FinTech North

10:10 am - 10:20 am: Welcome from aql

Delivered by Professor Adam Beaumont, CEO & Founder, aql

10:20 am - 10:30 am: The Chris Sier Keynote

Delivered by Peter Cunnane, Director of International & Partnerships, Innovate Finance

10:30 am - 11:15 am: FinTech in Leeds, 10 Years On

• Chair: Stefan Haase, Whitecap Consulting
• Jennifer Anderson, CIO, National Wealth Fund
• Sushil Kuner, Partner & Head of Financial Services Regulation, Freeths
• Sebastian Ricketts, Senior Manager, Innovation FCA
• Richard Carter, CEO, Lenvi

11:15 am - 11:25 am: 10 years of Leeds Digital Festival

Delivered by Deb Hetherington, Director, Leeds Digital

11:30 am - 11:50 am: Networking break - Sponsored by The Data City

11:55 am - 12:10 pm: The Future of Retail Payments

12:10 pm - 12:35 pm: Open Finance 2036

Tom Burton, Director, External Affairs & Public Policy, GoCardless
Nick Davey, Head of Strategy, Open Banking Limited
Moderator tbc

12:35 pm - 12:50 pm: A tale of a fictional FinTech: the data-first path to AI

Delivered by Laura Hughes, Head of Data, Softwire

12:50 pm - 1:00 pm: FinTech & Mortgages: Innovation & Collaboration

Speakers tbc

1:00 pm - 1:20 pm: Transforming the journey to home ownership

PEXA, speaker tbc

1:20 pm - 1:30 pm: Why West Yorkshire?

Speaker tbc

1:35 pm - 2:25 pm: Networking & Lunch - Sponsored by the Data City

2:30 pm - 3:15 pm: Financial Inclusion 3.0 Panel Discussion

• James Brown, CEO, Leeds Credit Union
• Mel Wilkinson, COO, OnePay
• Nick Quin, Link
Moderator: Rachel Swann, Founder, Rachel Swann Advisory

3:20 pm - 3:35 pm: Break

3:40 pm - 4:25 pm: Smarter Regulation, Stronger Controls; what is shaping risk, regulation and trust in FinTech? speakers tbc

4:25 pm - 4:45 pm: A Spotlight on Leeds' FinTech Start-up Stars: Showcase

Alex Beardsley, Founder, Debeo
Moderated by Katherine Megson, Head of Innovation & Growth, Bruntwood SciTech

4:45 pm: Closing remarks

4:50 pm - 7:50 pm: Evening FinTech Social - Sponsored by GoCardless

Brewery Wharf Tavern
Tetley's Brewery Wharf
3 Brewery Pl
Leeds
LS10 1NE

7:50 pm: Event to close

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