Manchester Digital fintech conference highlights scale-up challenges and AI opportunities

Summary

Manchester Digital's annual fintech conference heard from investment, policy and operational leaders that the UK remains globally competitive in fintech, second only to the US with £3.6bn invested last year. Manchester itself is the largest regional UK fintech hub, though increased regulation is seen by some as constraining company growth. A panel chaired by Hannah Churchman of Bruntwood SciTech explored both the sector's enduring strengths and structural challenges for the next decade.

Key themes included the challenge of scaling beyond early stage: later-stage companies typically seek growth capital overseas rather than in the UK domestic market, and visa constraints limit access to skilled workers. AI adoption was discussed as a tool for fraud prevention, personalisation and regulatory compliance, though panellists warned against unnecessary implementation and flagged unresolved liability questions in customer-facing use cases.

Two case studies illustrated the sector's momentum. Crediflow, an AI platform automating corporate credit assessment, gained £200,000 seed funding and has deployed at Europe's largest global lender. LHV Bank, an Estonian bank, secured a UK licence post-Brexit and launched a new cloud-native banking infrastructure in 2025, demonstrating that engineering discipline and regulatory compliance can coexist in the fintech space.

Common questions

What is this article about?

MD Fintech 26 brought together senior fintech leaders to discuss the UK sector's global position, with Manchester confirmed as the largest regional fintech hub. Panellists highlighted regulation as both a strength and barrier, scaling difficulties for later-stage firms, and the need for stronger regional investment beyond London.

When was this published?

This article was published on 9 July 2026.

Who published this article?

This article was published by Manchester Digital.