LHoFT: FinTech with a Human Touch

At SIBOS Frankfurt 2025, Alex Panican, Deputy CEO of the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT), offered a refreshing reminder that fintech, at its core, is still about people. “Many think fintech is just technology or finance,” he said, “but we work in the people industry.”

Panican has been with LHoFT for nearly nine years, guiding it into one of Europe’s leading innovation hubs for financial technology. The organisation supports between 90 and 100 incubated startups and collaborates with over 260 fintechs globally, connecting them to Luxembourg’s established financial institutions. Banks, insurers, and asset managers regularly turn to LHoFT for solutions that blend innovation with real-world impact.

His passion for the mission is deeply personal. A former entrepreneur himself, Panican understands the struggles startups face and prides himself on empathy. “I always try to put myself in their shoes,” he said. “That’s maybe why people appreciate me — I understand both the entrepreneurs and the bankers.”

Luxembourg, he explained, is a unique environment for fintech growth. With 60% of its population foreign-born, it’s a highly multicultural and multilingual hub, supported by a pro-innovation government. The Ministry of Finance and other state bodies back LHoFT’s mission, giving international entrepreneurs the confidence to build and scale from Luxembourg. “They give you a chance — even if you’re not from here,” he said.

Looking ahead, Panican sees blockchain, tokenisation, AI, and payments as key growth areas. Luxembourg’s infrastructure already positions it as a major European payments hub, with over half of all EU payments flowing through the country. But for Panican, the technology is only half the story. “At SIBOS, we don’t just talk tech — we talk business, people, and purpose,” he said. “That’s what makes this industry exciting.”