As a former fintech CEO, Michael Zetser has many years of experience within the payments sector. This article will look at Britain’s growing fintech industry, providing compelling statistics that demonstrate why it is such a favorable time to launch a fintech business in the UK.
The acute challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic demanded responses from innovative industries at lightning speed. The UK’s fintech industry empowered resilience at a time of huge global uncertainty, providing innovative solutions and partnerships.
Fintech is shaping the future of financial services in the UK today, and the country’s value proposition is unique. Boasting world-class talent across the country, access to capital, proximity to an innovative financial services sector and a forward-thinking approach to regulation, the UK has positioned itself at the cutting-edge of fintech innovation, from challenger banks to peer-to-peer lending, insurtech, cyber, AI, regtech, paytech, blockchain and tech for good.
In the UK today, fintech is more than just a subsector, with the whole financial services industry embracing its evolution. Today, the country’s leading banks are partnering with innovative new start-ups, leveraging the power of fintech to provide innovative products, solutions and services that place the customer front and center.
Driven by technological innovation, the sector has strengthened connections with financial centers across the globe, increasing the efficiency of established players. Today, the UK has fintech bridges with Singapore, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Australia, and this is just the start.
The UK’s fintech industry saw a record year of investment in 2021, reaching $11.6 billion, according to a report from Innovate Finance. The report revealed that the sector had bounced back from the pandemic, with a 217% overall year-on-year investment increase in the country in 2021 and a 237% investment increase outside of London and South East England. Meanwhile, Innovate Finance indicated that the global fintech market reached $102 billion in 2021, representing an impressive 183% annual increase.
London is home to more than 2,500 fintech companies today, more than any other city in the world. These companies are innovating in response to evolving consumer demands, taking advantage of new opportunities to scale at speed.
The UK has established itself as a world-leading destination for investment, attracting almost half of all fintech investment in Europe in 2021. As the world responds to continued economic and sociopolitical uncertainty, the UK leads the search for innovative solutions, reimagining the world of finance for today and tomorrow.