Fintech

Fintech describes software and other technology implemented to support or enable banking and financial services. Often it is used in connection with innovative start-up companies seeking to improve upon and disrupt existing market practice, but it may equally be used with reference to legacy providers developing and using technology to remain competitive and relevant in delivering financial services.

The financial services sector is of particular significance to the UK economy and, in August 2014, the then Chancellor George Osborne declared his intention to make Britain the global centre of financial innovation and announced measures to support the growth of the country’s fintech sector:

‘It’s only by harnessing innovations in finance, alongside our existing world class knowledge and skills in financial services, that we’ll ensure Britain’s financial sector continues to meet the diverse needs of businesses and consumers here and around the globe, and create the jobs and growth we all want to see in the future.’

This fintech subtopic explores the nature of these emerging innovative technologies, the regulatory framework governing them and the supporting measures seeking to promote their benefits to financial service providers and consumers.