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 and aql.

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 - there is no more fitting place to mark this moment in Leeds, where our journey as an organisation first began.

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. Built in 1791, this Grade II-listed chapel has long been where communities gather and ideas take shape -most famously as the birthplace of Leeds United F.C. More recently, it hosted the formal launch of the Northern Powerhouse agenda, cementing its place in the story of the North’s modern economic and innovation landscape.

Over the past decade, the Leeds City Region and wider North of England have developed into one of the UK’s most collaborative FinTech ecosystems, building on the region’s long-standing strengths in banking, financial services, and technology. Leeds’ mix of established institutions, scale-ups, and regulators such as the FCA and Bank of England, combined with a thriving community of innovators, has created a nationally significant centre of expertise and talent, driving the growth of FinTech and adjacent sectors across the North.

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.

This conference will offer an opportunity not only to look ahead to the sector’s future, but also to recognise the progress made across the region over the past ten years.

This year’s conference will explore themes central to the region’s strengths:

· Banking

· Lending/ Home Ownership

· RegTech

· Financial Inclusion

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.

About the venue

aql is housed within the historic Salem Chapel, a Grade II-listed building built in 1791 that now doubles as one of the UK’s most distinctive tech venues. Founded in Leeds, aql delivers carrier-grade messaging, voice services, data centre hosting, and secure network connectivity that power large-scale digital communications. The venue’s glass-floored auditorium provides a window to live servers in action, offering delegates a rare glimpse of the technology at work right beneath their feet. What better place to host than a venue that blends Leeds’ historic charm, cutting-edge tech, and the vibrant energy of the rapidly evolving Aire Park?

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