FinTech Wales engages investor network to drive funding for next generation of Welsh fintech start-ups

FinTech Wales hosted its first in-person pitching event of the year on Thursday (August 12th) featuring the eight companies in the inaugural FinTech Wales Foundry accelerator programme.

The event, held at Tramshed Tech, invited Fintech Wales Foundry start-ups – who were selected from over 150 applicants from 28 countries, and represent a combined market size of over £2.5 billion – were invited to pitch to a select crowd of angel investors and venture capitalists, consisting of delegates from Angels Invest Wales, Dev Banc, British Business Bank and Global Welsh.

This pitch session marked the halfway point of the Foundry accelerator programme, which is now supported by more than 35 organisations and over 100 business mentors.

The FinTech Wales Foundry is a national accelerator that pairs exciting FinTech start-ups with industry leading Welsh organisations, such as Admiral Pioneer, Principality Building Society and Cardiff Capital Region, to support them in their efforts to develop commercial opportunities together over the course of the programme. The eight ventures in the inaugural cohort of the Foundry include Sero, Laytrip, Voltric, Yimba,  Zing, Viaduct Group, Ship Shape and Wagonex.

Sarah Williams-Gardener, CEO said of the event: “FinTech Wales is on a mission to establish Wales as a globally recognised FinTech hub of excellence. We believe one of the critical elements of this will be a business ecosystem, a FinTech community where new exciting FinTech solutions are supported to achieve commercial deals.

“What we’ve witnessed at this event is a wide range of innovative solutions that benefit consumers, helping to reduce carbon, advance car subscriptions and provide financial solutions that have consumers at the heart of the proposition. It was great to see the investors and VCs engaging enthusiastically with each start-up, praising the quality of the founders along with the innovative use of open finance, and believing them to have the potential to be household names. The event gave us a brilliant opportunity to learn more about our thriving FinTech sector and why so many founders are choosing to scale their business in Wales.”

Johnny Mayo, General Manager of the Fintech Wales Foundry, said: “The eight companies selected for our first cohort encompass some of the most exciting FinTech ventures in the country today.

“By leveraging the goodwill and expertise of our overachieving business ecosystem we are starting to prove that Wales really is the best place to scale your FinTech.”

A recording of the evening’s proceedings can be viewed on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXUCb5pBEdM