Fintech Wales and AI Wales Launch Strategic Partnership to Strengthen AI and Fintech Ambitions

FinTech Wales and AI Wales have announced a strategic partnership and launched a new AI Hub, designed to accelerate artificial intelligence innovation across Wales.  

The partnership positions Wales as an appealing destination for UK and global investment for companies converging AI and financial technology. 

The new, free-to-join AI Hub is designed to help Welsh businesses move from AI interest to practical adoption, while providing a central forum for collaboration, insight and investment discussion. The Hub is open to organisations across Wales, regardless of industry or membership affiliation and will act as a unified voice for the AI and fintech community, helping to inform and influence policy at both Welsh and UK levels. 

Speaking about the collaboration, Sophia Wu, Head of Marketing at FinTech Wales, said:  “I’m really excited about this partnership. AI is now embedded across all areas of technology, and this collaboration brings a clear focus to the connection between AI and fintech. Fintech is already a fast-moving sector, and the adoption of AI will only accelerate the pace of innovation even further.  

“I’m particularly looking forward to the opportunities this creates to bring the community together, connecting stakeholders, advancing the sector, and driving investment into meaningful, scalable solutions.” 

Sophia added:   “The goal of the partnership is to ensure Wales doesn’t just adopt AI, it builds and scales AI innovation from within, aligning fintech sector strengths with broader AI capability to attract inward investment and drive sustainable growth.” 

Jaymie Thomas, founder of AI Wales, added: “For eight years, across our chapters in Cardiff, Swansea, and North Wales, we have built a community of 2,200 practitioners, learners, and enthusiasts. By partnering with FinTech Wales to launch the AI Hub, we are now providing a dedicated platform where any business in Wales can access this collective expertise via our AI Centre of Excellence. Through a series of workshops, talks, and training opportunities, the Hub will provide the technical and strategic clarity firms need for safe, practical AI implementation.  

“This initiative is designed to help Wales scale its AI ambitions, ensuring our businesses have the knowledge and network to succeed and lead in global innovation.” 

Building on the vibrant FinTech ecosystem already in Wales, the partnership will connect FinTech Wales’s community, including Starling Bank, Aviva, Go.Compare, Confused.com, Mastercard and Barclays, alongside high growth innovators such as Cavefish AI, Menna and Peppercorn AI, with the rapidly expanding AI Wales community of more than 2,200 practitioners, learners and industry leaders. 

The Hub’s first initiative will be its Pathfinder Workshops. These will be in-person, sector-focused sessions that tackle real organisational challenges and explore how AI can be implemented effectively. The first workshop – focusing on AI use in call centre operations – will be delivered by Cardiff-based Cavefish, which uses machine intelligence to assess emotional risk and help teams understand the human impact of decisions before they are made. 

Jonathan Prescott, CEO of Cavefish, said: “Wales has a real opportunity to become an AI powerhouse if we bring together our talent, our businesses and our ambition. This partnership is about turning interest in AI into real action. By connecting the fintech community with the growing AI ecosystem in Wales, we can help organisations experiment, learn and apply AI in practical ways that drive growth and attract investment into Wales.” 

The partnership and AI Hub are designed to support leaders and decision-makers across fintechs, SMEs, scale-ups, corporates and academic and research communities throughout Wales, providing a coordinated voice for AI innovation that resonates across the UK and globally. 

Those looking to join AI Hub can sign up here: https://forms.gle/noxiGRjbUTbHUquJ9