The Innovate Finance Global Summit (IFGS) 2025, held on April 29th at London’s historic Guildhall, landed as more than just a calendar highlight — it was a state-of-the-nation moment for UK fintech. From founders and policymakers to regulators and investors, the event drew together every branch of the financial innovation ecosystem for a day of hard truths, hopeful vision, and industry recalibration.

With over 1,500 delegates in attendance and speakers representing the leading edge of UK and international fintech, the day’s discussions offered a real-time pulse check on where the industry is headed — and what needs fixing now.

Being in a privileged position to be on the ground and talking to the biggest and brightest names in the industry my key takeouts were

The Shift from Talk to Action? This year’s IFGS marked a notable shift in tone. Gone was the performative optimism of previous years — replaced by a more urgent, outcomes-focused dialogue. Across sessions and side-conversations alike, the message was clear: it’s time to move from positioning to implementation.

The summit’s core energy lay in defining the tangible next steps the UK fintech ecosystem must take to ensure its competitiveness amid mounting international momentum. It was less about ideas, more about execution.

The Investment Bottleneck! Funding challenges for post-Series A scale-ups remain one of the most significant structural hurdles. Despite headline announcements from the Treasury and meaningful pledges around unlocking institutional capital, the recurring concern was whether these initiatives would move quickly enough.

More than one session reinforced the importance of growing not just headline investment, but a more inclusive funding landscape — particularly one that broadens access to underserved founders and specialist verticals.

Regulation: Friction or Frontier? One of the most recurring themes at IFGS was the balance between proactive regulation and innovation enablement. Many speakers acknowledged the increasing clarity coming out of both the EU and US, with the latter in particular moving at pace thanks to strong congressional advocacy around digital assets.

In contrast, the UK’s regulatory direction was described as thoughtful but slow — with a recognised need to accelerate without compromising on proportionality. Discussions reflected optimism that the UK could leverage its position by triangulating between EU and US regulatory developments to build something smarter, safer, and data-informed.

Open Ecosystems, Open Tech! From AI tools being opened up to SMEs to banks rethinking their partnerships with infrastructure providers, the event maintained its fintech-first focus — but there was a clear pivot toward horizontal collaboration as a defining factor of future success.

While the event maintained its fintech-first lens, there was a growing sense of horizontal collaboration. Whether between banks and startups, regulators and vendors, this will define who thrives in this next chapter.

Community and Continuity? There was a distinct “back to business” tone at this year’s IFGS. While still a stage for announcements and sector champions, the event was noticeably more focused on behind-the-scenes policymaking and the operationalising of fintech’s next era.

The UK’s place on the global stage remains assured — but fragile. The summit was as much about reminding government stakeholders that the world is watching, as it was about keeping founders focused on building.

A Question to the Sector: Are We Still Earning the Right to Lead?

With the US setting a rapid pace on digital asset regulation and EU regimes entering operational phases, a quiet but uncomfortable question hung in the air at IFGS: Has UK fintech started to coast on its reputation rather than renew it through action?

While no one denied the UK’s foundational role in the global fintech story, the consensus was clear — past leadership doesn’t guarantee future influence. Whether the sector can maintain its edge depends entirely on what happens next.

In Focus: Janine Hirt, James Codling and Devina Paul

As the event closed, a few voices stood out for their ability to ground the high-level conversation in specific, actionable clarity.

Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance, reminded attendees of what IFGS is fundamentally about: creating a platform for action. Her reflections emphasised not just the significance of the Chancellor’s announcements but the unique power of the ecosystem when it shows up in one room — as peers, collaborators, and challengers.

James Codling, Managing Partner of Volution VC, offered sharp perspective on the investment theme that ran through the day. He underscored the post-Series A void many UK fintechs still face and the urgent need for structural reform that doesn’t just promise more capital — but actually delivers it.

But the most forward-looking commentary came from Devina Paul, Deputy CEO and CFO of Zumo. Her takeaways captured the strategic crossroads the UK now finds itself at:

  • The announcement following Rachel Reeves' remarks created meaningful optimism.

  • There is clear momentum in the US, particularly around regulatory clarity driven by Congress support for digital assets — something the UK must learn from.

  • The UK’s strategy of building a proportional, risk-based regime is smart — and presents a real advantage, especially if we use insights from US and EU implementations.

  • Feedback from global partners — including from the recent Paris roundtable — still places the UK as a global leader in designing regulatory regimes.

  • However, the UK’s current advocacy effort still has room to grow, currently behind the US in terms of political scale. Strengthening this will be essential if the UK wants to keep pace on credibility and speed.

Devina’s remarks served as both encouragement and challenge. The UK is still respected — but respect alone won’t drive results. The coming months will determine whether policymakers and industry leaders can translate good intentions into globally leading outcomes.