FinTech North to spotlight Liverpool as key fintech hub
FinTech North will hold its first conference of the year in Liverpool next week, with a programme that brings together major financial services brands, regional policy voices and early-stage fintech firms from the city region.
The event takes place at Camp and Furnace in the Baltic Triangle. Speakers on the agenda include Mastercard, Innovate Finance, challenger bank Zempler and biometric payments firm FinGo. Liverpool tech accelerator Baltic Ventures and the University of Liverpool are also due to take part.
Organisers are positioning the conference as a forum to debate fintech's outlook for 2026 and the role of Liverpool and the wider North in the sector's development. Sessions will cover AI, risk and regulation, investment trends, innovation across the North West, and the challenges of building and scaling fintech firms.
Regional footprint
Liverpool City Region has more than 40 dedicated fintech firms, according to figures cited by the organisers. That rises to about 100 organisations when related companies are included. The same figures put the sector's contribution to the local economy at roughly £219m in gross value added.
This activity sits alongside established financial and professional services in the region, and the local fintech pipeline also links to academia. The University of Liverpool was the first Northern university to launch a fintech course, according to the organisers.
Several local specialisms are expected to feature in the discussion, including emerging strengths in data, cyber security and applied digital skills. Organisers also highlight the region's established wealth management sector as part of its financial services base.
Start-ups showcase
Alongside larger speakers, the conference will include a showcase of Liverpool start-ups, including Breeze Move and Scholar Saver from the Baltic Ventures cohort.
The start-up segment aims to put early-stage firms in the same room as investors and established industry figures. It also reflects a broader trend in UK regional fintech events, where organisers use a mix of national brands and local founders to draw a wider audience.
FinGo is one of the specialist firms on the speaker list and works on biometric digital identity for payments. It recently introduced what it describes as the world's first finger vein-enabled bank-to-bank, face-to-face payments technology.
Zempler, described by the organisers as an SME challenger business bank, is also set to appear. The UK fintech industry body Innovate Finance is among the organisations contributing to the programme.
Partners involved
The conference is held in partnership with Mastercard, Lenvi, DTM Legal and Bruntwood SciTech. Partnerships of this kind are now common on the UK fintech events circuit, where sponsors and regional operators use conferences as meeting points for policy discussions, investment networking and recruitment.
The Baltic Triangle setting reflects Liverpool's recent focus on the district as a centre for tech and creative companies. Camp and Furnace has become a regular venue for business events in the area, hosting conferences that combine stage programming with informal networking.
Joe Roche, General Manager of FinTech North, said:
"We're ready and raring to go for our first conference of the year and where better to host it than Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, the hub for innovation in the city and home to many of its early-stage and scaling firms.
"The Liverpool City Region has firmly established itself as a key Northern fintech hub, building on its long-standing strengths in financial and professional services, digital innovation and academia. So, we're thrilled to be bringing together some of the most influential people within the sector for a day of reflection, insights, and connection - and perhaps most importantly, to shape what comes next for the region's thriving fintech economy."