fintech digest
Financial Inclusion 2025, The Future of Embedded Finance, 7 Fintech Trends and More
Research Team
28 February 2025
Financial Inclusion in 2025: Will Fintech Finally Close the Gaps?
Throughout the UK, policymakers have made financial systems more accessible to enable increased SME access to finance, a step with the potential to democratise lending for historically excluded businesses. By contrast, women-led fintech businesses still raise proportionately small amounts of capital, with female-owned businesses attracting only 2% of total venture capital investment in financial services (Deloitte, 2024). Amidst AI-driven risk analysis and the growth of embedded finance, numerous entrepreneurs and businesses are still shut out of the financial system.
Digital Assets: A Defining Moment for Treasury? Insights from Finovate Europe 2025
Today at Finovate Europe 2025, industry leaders convened to discuss one of the most transformative shifts in financial services—digital assets. With regulatory momentum building, institutional adoption accelerating, and real-world use cases taking shape, the conversation underscored a pivotal moment for corporate treasurers. The key question? Not if digital assets will integrate into financial markets, but how quickly and at what scale.
Embedded Finance: The Future of Seamless financial Services
Embedded finance can be defined as the integration of financial services, such as payments, lending, insurance, or banking, directly into non-financial products and platforms. Over the past decade business models in this category have proliferated, fundamentally changing how consumers and businesses interact with money, and providing fintech and financial services firms with the tools to make their products more accessible and user-friendly.
7 Fintech and Payments Trends That Will Reshape Retail Banking in 2025
Retail banking is approaching a transformative crossroads with emerging fintech innovations set to disrupt traditional payment ecosystems in 2025. Major changes include Apple’s opening of NFC access creating unprecedented wallet competition, behavioral biometrics shifting to passive ID verification, and virtual cards revolutionizing B2B expense management. Regulatory developments including PSD3 readiness and regtech adoption will be critical priorities.
UK’s AI Data Centre Boom Set to Transform Digital Infrastructure
The UK government’s recently announced ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’ highlights a 50-point strategy aimed at leveraging AI to enhance public services and drive economic growth. As AI applications in sectors such as healthcare, social services, and education expand, the need for scalable, energy-efficient data centres is becoming a national priority.