Headline: Fintech vs Banking – Who Took the Gold at Fintech Connect?

Fintech Connect, Europe’s only dedicated FinTech event for the entire ecosystem, returned this week to the ExCel exhibition centre in London for its eleventh annual event.

Adding a touch of festive fun to the event, specialist PR agency SkyParlour hosted a Winter Olympics-themed virtual reality skiing challenge that brought banks and fintechs head-to-head. Tackling the age-old question of who comes out on top – banks or fintechs – the competition delivered a thrilling finish. The results are in, and fintechs take the crown. With a narrow victory of just 5 points, fintechs scored an impressive 640, edging out the banks, who finished close behind with 635. The ultimate bragging rights are now firmly in fintech’s hands.

The standout performer of the day was 19-year-old Muhammad Syed, Founder of Cartiac Capital, a firm specialising in internal capital growth through innovative trading strategies across cryptocurrencies, stocks, and commodities. The young entrepreneur achieved a remarkable overall score of 1606, contributing 50 points to the banking team and showcasing exceptional skill in the competition.

Angela Yore, CEO of SkyParlour – the official communications partner for Fintech Connect – said: “Fintech Connect is a hub for innovation, collaboration, and competition, bringing together industry leaders to share ideas and push boundaries. Our immersive VR skiing game definitely added to the electric atmosphere, but it also reflected the competitive spirit that defines fintech.

“But we also wanted to highlight that, although the relationship between banks and fintechs has often been painted as rivalry, it’s actually a partnership in progress. While banks bring trust and scale, fintechs inject agility and innovation. Together, they are shaping a financial ecosystem that’s more inclusive, responsive, and customer-focused than ever before.”

Across the two days, more than 2000 attendees met to network with industry leaders and innovators from across the fintech sector and hear from 100+ speakers on the topics defining the course of the fintech ecosystem

With a wide range of engaging workshops, start-up showcases and an extensive exhibition floor, attendees experienced cutting-edge tech demos that highlight the most innovative solutions driving the transformation of the global payments landscape.

Laurence Coldicott, Senior Content Director at FinTech Connect, said: “This year’s FinTech Connect showcased the remarkable growth and transformation of the fintech ecosystem, underscoring the importance of events like these in keeping you informed and connected. The event proved to be a powerful testament to our dedication to uniting global fintech thought leaders, innovators, and key stakeholders to reflect on the industry’s progress and chart its future. Once again, we stayed true to our mission: to connect, collaborate, and explore the ever-evolving future of finance. We look forward to seeing how the connections, ideas, and collaborations forged at this year’s event will continue to drive the transformation of the global financial landscape.”

This year’s event featured two focused topic streams – Innovation and Implementation – and boasted an exceptional line-up of leading figures from across the fintech ecosystem, including speakers from HSBC, Starling Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, Central Bank of Ireland, Lastminute.com, Virgin Media, Bank of England, Uber, TFL and OakNorth.

Topics covered by regulators, investors, technology innovators, traditional banks, merchants and challenger banks included:

AI and ML

How advanced AI will enhance banking products for the consumer
How to use customer-facing generative AI without impacting the consumer experience

Open Banking

The key to a successful fintech partnership
Considerations of a third-party company for successful onboarding and implementation

Innovation VS Regulation

How to keep payments fraud-proof
Using digital identity verification to keep your payments secure