FinTech Scotland Festival: Where and what is taking place in 2024

More than 2,000 people from the UK and further afield are expected to attend the seventh annual FinTech Scotland Festival after details of the 2024 event were unveiled.

This year’s gathering, which runs from September 25 to October 4, promises to bring together the country’s “dynamic and collaborative” fintech - financial technology - community, showcasing its “remarkable growth, innovation, and energy”. The programme kicks off with the Fintech Summit at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, organised by tech publisher Digit. This summit will pave the way for a series of “forward-thinking” discussions and presentations throughout the festival.

The 2024 festival will highlight data innovations revolutionising the fintech and financial industry, including artificial intelligence (AI), distributed ledger technologies, open finance and new data sources aimed at achieving ESG (environmental, social and governance) objectives. The festival will feature various events, round tables and panel sessions designed to support the growth and development of fintech businesses.

The growth in fintech comes as more and more of us switch to digital banking to manage a range of services such as savings, investments and pensions.

This year, Scottish fintech firm Appointedd will be the official festival technology partner, providing its tech knowhow to allow attendees to book events.

Nicola Anderson, chief executive of FinTech Scotland, said: “We are thrilled to launch the seventh edition of the FinTech Scotland Festival. Each year, the festival allows me time for reflection on the thriving nature of the Scottish fintech cluster and its achievements. This year’s programme is packed with events that will serve to inspire, educate, and foster collaboration across the industry.”

A report earlier this year showed that Scotland was punching above its weight globally when it comes to developing the next generation of financial technology with the number of people employed in fintech growing by almost a quarter over the past two years.

The country’s burgeoning fintech cluster now supports in excess of 10,500 people across 226 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to industry organisation FinTech Scotland. It comes as more and more of us switch to digital banking and use apps to manage a range of services such as savings, investments and pensions.

The latest research also revealed that around two-fifths of “fintech enterprises” have reached scale-up stage, creating further employment opportunities.

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