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HAELO and RegGenome Partner to Launch Horizon Scanning Platform

The pace of regulatory change continues to intensify, with new updates emerging globally every few minutes. In response, Scottish fintech HAELO has partnered with regulatory data specialist RegGenome to introduce REGENESIS, a new platform designed to support compliance professionals in navigating complex and rapidly evolving requirements.

REGENESIS combines RegGenome’s structured and AI-powered regulatory datasets with HAELO’s automation capabilities to streamline the horizon scanning process. The solution targets mid-tier financial institutions and SMEs initially, with plans to scale toward larger firms.

The platform offers governance, risk, and compliance teams a single access point to regulatory information from hundreds of authorities across jurisdictions. It integrates into existing workflows, helping teams prioritise responses to emerging obligations while reducing reliance on manual tracking.

Key features include automated rule detection, curated insights, and contextual tagging to assist users in identifying regulatory developments relevant to their operations. This shift toward automation is expected to allow compliance professionals to reallocate time toward higher-value tasks such as risk analysis and controls assessment.

The collaboration between HAELO and RegGenome has already attracted attention from a broad cross-section of the industry. The platform was recently introduced to representatives from organisations including HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Citi, Baillie Gifford, Virgin Money, and FinTech Scotland.

Commenting on the partnership, Mick O’Connor, Founder and Managing Director of HAELO, said:


“I was looking for a partner who could deliver validated, explainable regulatory data. RegGenome demonstrated both the technical expertise and openness to collaborate in bringing effective GRC solutions to market.”

Mark Johnston, CEO of RegGenome, added:


“HAELO brings a practical approach to regulatory automation. This partnership complements our existing ecosystem and strengthens our efforts to help firms adapt to ongoing regulatory change.”

Mind the Gap: Bridging the UK’s pension divide with digital solutions

The UK pensions landscape is at a crossroads: with 38% of the working-age population under-saving for retirement and 52% of people accessing their pensions without adequate advice, the risk of poor financial outcomes are at an all-time high. Yet, the market is set for huge growth, with defined contribution pension assets projected to explode to £800 billion by 2030. 

This is not a new problem, and despite well-intentioned efforts like auto-enrollment from policy-makers and new digital products from providers, there is still a fundamental disconnect; customers lack engagement and understanding in later life planning and financial outcomes.

Solving this challenge presents a significant growth opportunity for providers, but to do so needs a design-led approach focused on deeply understanding your customers through three core elements: Empathy, Engagement and Empowerment. Technology – and particularly AI – of course plays a crucial role, but doesn’t replace the need for empowered advisers. The future will be hybrid: a combination of traditional digital interfaces, agentic AI, and human touchpoints to create hyper-personalised experiences based on an individual’s aspirations, circumstances and preferences. 

This whitepaper, drawing on digital partner CreateFuture‘s decades-long experience in the Wealth & Pensions sector, provides a compelling vision for the future of pensions engagement, outlining how a hybrid approach leveraging digital innovation, AI, and empowered advisors can create truly customer-centric experiences and unlock a more secure future for savers.

Forging the Future of Financial Services: TSB Spotlight Innovation in Open Banking

Three fintech innovators, Sikoia, Credit Canary and Aperidata, have been named winners of the 2024 TSB Innovation Labs programme, a partnership between TSB and FinTech Scotland. This is a collaborative effort to shape the future of financial services through responsible use of data and technology.

Now in its fourth year, the Innovation Labs programme offers early-stage fintech firms a platform to explore real-world applications of their technology. With access to expert mentorship at TSB’s Technology Hub in Edinburgh, the cohort has worked over the last year to develop propositions that aim to improve customer experiences across banking.

The focus of this year’s winners is very much Open Banking technology to simplifies and accelerates customer support.

Sikoia is working to streamline finance applications, potentially reducing barriers for new customers. Meanwhile, Credit Canary and Aperidata are exploring solutions to improve credit scoring and accelerate lending decisions. All three firms will now develop proof of concepts in partnership with TSB, testing how their solutions might translate into practical improvements for customers.

The TSB Labs programme has previously seen success with fintechs such as Lightning Reach, which helps users access benefits and financial support through a single portal. Since its implementation, TSB customers have accessed over £160,000 (£500 per customer) in grants. Another alumnus, ApTap, has supported customers in saving more than £65,000 (£150 per customer) on broadband bills by helping them switch to better deals.

Speaking on the latest announcement, Nicola Anderson, CEO at FinTech Scotland, said:

“We are delighted to witness the success of Sikoia, Credit Canary and Aperidata through the TSB Labs programme. These innovative fintech companies show how data and AI can be harnessed to deliver real impact for people and communities. At FinTech Scotland, we believe meaningful collaborations are the key to unlocking innovation and this partnership with TSB demonstrates the powerful outcomes that can be achieved when new innovative firms and progressive established companies work together to shape the future of financial services.”

Adam Betteridge, FinTech & Open Banking Lead at TSB said:

“We are incredibly proud of the progress made by these three innovative fintechs during the TSB Labs programme. Over the last 12 months, Sikoia, Credit Canary and Aperidata have demonstrated exceptional potential to help TSB customers get support more quickly. Their innovative solutions use data and technology in new creative ways to help provide an even better experience for TSB customers. We’re looking forward to what comes next.”

The programme reflects wider themes highlighted in the FinTech Research & Innovation Roadmap 2022–2031, developed by FinTech Scotland. Central to that vision is the role of Open Finance and collaborative innovation in addressing societal, economic and environmental needs. The roadmap points to a future where fintech drives financial inclusion, better consumer outcomes and a more sustainable economy.

Come meet FinTech Scotland at Money20/20 Europe

We recently announced that FinTech Scotland will be attending Money20/20 Europe between the 2nd and 5th of June in Amsterdam alongside Scottish Development International at the Scottish Pavilion – Stand 1F10. This will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the dynamism of Scotland’s fintech cluster and connect with innovators, investors and partners from across the world.

Here are the events we’re organising or attending:

Monday 2nd June

7.00pm – 9.00pm | Elevator Pitches & Kick-off Night | Money Beach Club, Strandzuid
An informal start to the week with drinks, networking and a chance to hear from innovators. We’re looking forward to meet other exhibitors and sponsors at this exclusive event.

Tuesday 3rd June

3.30pm – 4.00pm | Elevator Pitch Session | Scottish Pavilion
Join us as a 10 brilliant Scottish fintechs share quickfire 3-minute pitches. No slides, just a great opportunity to meet potential partners.

4.00pm – 5.00pm | Drinks Reception | Scottish Pavilion
Meet the Scottish delegation for informal networking over Scottish drinks and conversation.

5.00pm – 6.00pm | Barclays Drink a Money20/20
Thank you to our Strategic Partners Barclays for inviting us to meet their guests at this invite only event. We’re looking forward to meet new fintech enthusiast and learn from the work they do.

6.00pm – 9.00pm | European Fintech Night | TNW City
We’ll be mingling with 200+ fintech leaders from across Europe including entrepreneurs, investors and financial institutions.

Wednesday 4th June

4.00pm – 5.00pm | Whisky & Gin Tasting | Scottish Pavilion
A true taste of Scotland! Sample some of our finest while connecting with fintech peers, investors and buyers.

Let’s Connect

If you’re interested in collaboration opportunities, want to learn more about or are simply curious about Scotland’s thriving fintech cluster, we’d love to meet you. You’ll find us throughout the event at Stand 1F10.

You can also connect with us directly by looking us up in the Money20/20 app or by contacting us at contact@fintechscotland.com to arrange a conversation.

Aveni Unveils FinLLM: A Tailored AI Model for UK Financial Services

AI fintech firm Aveni is bringing generative AI to the UK financial sector with the launch of FinLLM, a large language model purpose-built for regulated financial services environments.

FinLLM was developed over the last six months at Aveni Labs, drawing on both advanced natural language processing expertise and a deep understanding of compliance and risk frameworks in financial services. Designed specifically for the UK market, the model aligns with emerging FCA guidelines and the EU AI Act, and is built with transparency, safety, and regulatory standards at its core.

What sets FinLLM apart is its financial specialism. Unlike general-purpose language models, FinLLM is tuned using financial data (both structured and unstructured) to support use cases that demand precision and trust. From regulatory compliance to customer service automation, the model is designed to enhance performance and to keep institutions within strict governance boundaries.

The project has been strongly supported by two of the UK’s major financial institutions, Lloyds Banking Group and Nationwide, both of whom invested in Aveni last year. Their involvement helped shape the direction of the model, ensuring it remains grounded in practical industry needs. Aveni’s collaborative approach brought together in-house AI experts and partner data teams to test and refine FinLLM on real-world applications.

Performance benchmarking shows FinLLM consistently outperforms more generic models on financial tasks and retains robust results on broader evaluation sets. This performance is enabled by a data strategy and evaluation process focused on continual pre-training and fine-tuning to ensure accuracy, explainability, and resilience.

Lloyds Banking Group’s Group Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Ranil Boteju, described FinLLM as a “game changer” for the sector, highlighting its potential to support a range of AI use cases across the bank. Nationwide’s Chief Data Officer, Sri Kanisapakkam, echoed that sentiment, highlighting the potential for the model to improve customer service through responsible innovation.

According to Aveni CEO Joseph Twigg, FinLLM reflects the growing importance of AI sovereignty and the UK’s ability to build its own technology infrastructure.

“As adoption accelerates, it’s critical that we retain the capability to develop and scale high-performance models within the UK,”.

Dr Lexi Birch, Head of Aveni Labs, spoke about the collaboration between academic researchers and financial professionals in shaping FinLLM’s roadmap.

“This model is built for a sector where accuracy and trust are non-negotiable. We’ve created something that reflects those priorities from the ground up”.

With its core model now released, Aveni will begin integrating FinLLM into its product suite, including Aveni Detect and Aveni Assist, supporting a wider shift toward domain-specific AI agents. Future development will focus on scaling the model across industry environments, enhancing its capabilities with proprietary datasets, and fine-tuning alignment strategies to meet the demands of live deployment.

Scotland Showcases Fintech Leadership at Money2020

Scotland’s thriving fintech cluster is set to showcase its growth at Europe’s largest fintech conference. Ten scaling fintech SMEs will showcase their businesses as they look to expand into new markets. With this force of fintech innovation, Scotland is showcasing the country’s thriving fintech cluster on a global stage.

This initiative, led by Scottish Enterprise and FinTech Scotland is a testament of Scotland’s fintech cluster’s exceptional growth which is seeing over 30% of its scaling-up companies exporting or ready to grow internationally.

Such a presence at one of the largest global fintech conference continues to signal Scotland’s growing reputation as a world-class fintech cluster, in line with the Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy which highlights fintech as a key sector for the country.

The Scottish pavilion will showcase the following companies:

  • Aveni – AI-driven technology transforming financial advice compliance
  • BigSpark – Next-generation data analytics and orchestration
  • CreditNature – Focused on nature-positive credit risk and biodiversity
  • docStribute – Secure digital document distribution
  • Recast – universal media wallet to access media on a pay-per-view basis.
  • Encompass – Global leader in KYC automation and digital onboarding
  • Inicio –AI for ethical and accessible consumer finance journeys
  • Korelabs – Product intelligence for financial services
  • Transwap – Business accounts for the unbanked. Payment infrastructure for banks and fintechs
  • OneBanx – Banking access for underserved communities

Delegates are invited to meet the companies and Scotland’s cluster leadership team at Pavilion 1F10.

Nicola Anderson, CEO of FinTech Scotland, said:

“We’re delighted to showcase the FinTech Scotland Cluster at Money 2020 and looking forward to expanding fintech growth with European partnerships.  The strength of fintech innovation and growth in Scotland is demonstrated in the growth of the fintech SMEs and the businesses attending Money 2020.  It’s a testament to the strength of Scotland’s cluster and the continued collaborative environment that drives innovation and commercial outcomes.”

Lorraine Anderson, who leads Scottish Enterprise’s Global Trade team for Fintech, said,

“Scotland’s fintech sector continues to go from strength to strength, with Money 20/20 providing an ideal platform for ambitious Scottish businesses to showcase their offerings.

“Fintech is a key area of focus at Scottish Enterprise and plays a vital role in transforming our economy through companies scaling-up, creating high value jobs and competing internationally.”  

Level E Opens Crowdcube Campaign to Retail Investors

Level E, the Edinburgh-based fintech company specialising in the use of AI in asset and wealth management technology, has launched a public crowdfunding campaign via Crowdcube, inviting retail investors to back its next phase of growth.

The company has previously focused on institutional partnerships and large-scale deployments of its AI solutions. With new infrastructure now in place, Level E is opening the door to individual investors eager to support the evolution of finance through artificial intelligence.

Agentic AI: Intelligent Systems for Asset Management

Level E’s technology is grounded in research from the University of Edinburgh, widely recognised for its role in advancing deep learning and AI innovation. Its proprietary Agentic AI platform is designed to support asset managers with tools that reduce cost, improve decision-making, and deliver real-time value in a fast-changing industry.

The company has already gained traction with major UK asset managers which shows the relevance and maturity of its technology.

AICA: AI-Powered Compliance at Scale

Level E recently launched AICA (AI Compliance Agent), developed in partnership with asset management giant aberdeen. AICA applies Agentic AI to the challenge of regulatory compliance, an area historically characterised by complexity and cost.

AICA helps compliance teams flag issues earlier and act faster to deliver timely insights that reduce operational risk and enhance oversight.

A Broader Vision for AI in Finance

Level E’s ambitions extend beyond compliance. The firm is building an ecosystem of intelligent agents designed to optimise every aspect of asset and wealth management from portfolio construction to operational efficiency.

Crowdfunding Now Live

With the Crowdcube campaign now live, Level E is offering the public a chance to invest alongside institutional players and become part of a company at the forefront of AI in finance.

To learn more or get involved, visit Level E’s Crowdcube page.

Scotland’s 2025-26 Programme for Government: A Springboard for Fintech Growth and Innovation

The Scottish Government’s 2025-26 Programme for Government outlines an ambitious agenda to drive economic resilience, reduce inequality, and lead in green and digital innovation.

For Scotland’s thriving fintech community, the programme delivers encouraging signals, particularly in the areas of global competitiveness, startup support, inward investment, and the wider innovation ecosystem.

Global Reach, Local Impact

Scotland’s new Six Point Export Plan will be of particular interest to fintech firms looking to scale internationally. It promises targeted support for export-ready companies, an expanded Scottish Development International footprint in Europe and the US, and a US Export Plan to identify optimal markets for Scottish strengths. It also includes efforts to bring global buyers to Scotland and increase trade missions in order to provide fintech scale-ups the kind of exposure essential for global growth.

Fintech-Specific Opportunities

The programme reinforces the Government’s commitment to strengthening Scotland’s position as the UK’s top investment destination outside London. Specifically, it outlines plans to:

  • Enhance SDI support in key global markets, including Silicon Valley and other tech hubs, to attract high-growth companies to Scotland.
  • Leverage partnerships with financial centres, including the City of London Corporation, to grow the fintech and financial services ecosystem.
  • Improve private sector co-investment, notably from pension funds and institutional investors, to unlock funding for scaling ventures.
  • Launch InvestScotland, a single-entry digital platform for showcasing national investment opportunities.

The main focus is to attract the international capital and expertise so important for fintech companies ready to scale from Scotland to the world.

Backing Startups and Inclusive Innovation

The programme puts clear emphasis on developing a more inclusive and dynamic startup environment. Highlights include:

  • The First Minister’s Start-up Challenge, offering tailored support for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
  • Up to £6 million to implement the Pathways report, supporting more women to start and scale businesses.
  • Creation of a University Proof of Concept Fund and a Technology Council to commercialise academic research and shape future innovation policy.
  • Continued investment in Scottish Edge, the Ecosystem Fund, and initiatives like AI Scotland, providing meaningful resources to young tech firms.

This support looks to increase the pipeline of innovation-led companies, many of which operate within fintech or adjacent sectors.

Skills and Talent Pipeline

Access to talent remains a key concern for fintech firms. The programme commits to:

  • Maintaining free university tuition and expanding STEM education.
  • Investing in apprenticeship and upskilling programmes, including in AI, data, and digital finance.
  • Enhancing international education links to attract global students and research talent to Scotland.

These steps will help ensure fintech companies have access to the right skills at the right time, particularly as they grow and evolve.

You can read the full programme here.

Showcasing Scotland’s Fintech Leadership across the UK.

As UK FinTech Week 2025 approaches, we are delighted to share that we’ll be playing an active role throughout the week, engaging in critical conversations, championing innovation, and showcasing the strength and ambition of Scotland’s fintech community on a global stage.

Here’s a look at where you can find us and what we’ll be up to. We’d love for you to join us.

Monday 28 April

We kick off the week in London, where our CEO Nicola Anderson will speak at the Global FinTech Forum. This event, led by the Department for Business & Trade, HM Treasury, and the Office for Investment, brings together a very global audience with over 30 nations represented. Nicola will contribute to a panel exploring vital growth drivers for UK fintech.
You can still register here.

Tuesday 29 April

Nicola will take the stage again at IFGS, the flagship event of the week, to discuss regional fintech growth. The session will build on the recent Innovate UK report, to which FinTech Scotland contributed. With over 1,500 attendees and participants from more than 70 countries, this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Scottish fintech cluster on the world stage.

In the evening, Nicola will join industry leaders at the exclusive NVIDIA: AI in FSI Meet-Up. This gathering will explore how AI is transforming financial services, from boosting operational efficiency to enhancing customer experience and managing risk.

Wednesday 30 April

We’ll be at the FCA RegTech Forum, an event designed to foster innovation and growth in UK regulatory technology. Delivered in partnership with Innovate Finance and the City of London Corporation, this forum will explore the role of RegTech in supporting the evolving needs of financial services. If you would like to attend you can register your interest here.

On the same day we’ll also be cheering on the next generation of fintech talent at Pitch360, where ten innovative companies will go head-to-head with just three minutes to pitch their bold ideas.

The day will conclude with a celebration of fintech innovation at an event organised in partnership with our strategic partner BT. This invitation-only reception at BT Tower will focus on a critical enabler of fintech innovation. We’ll explore how technology and connectivity are essential to the future of AI, with keynote insights from BT introducing their Global Fabric.

Thursday 1 May

We return to Scotland for the Financial Services Technology Summit hosted by Digit. Nicola will join a panel of industry leaders, discussing the intersection of technology and operational resilience in financial services. This session will cover practical strategies, regulatory shifts, and real-world case studies.
She will be joined by Derek Shanks, Head of Digital Technology, Lloyds Banking Group, Yvonne Dunn, Partner at Pinsent Masons, Rob Mossop, Chief Data Officer at Sword and Stephen Johnston, Distinguished Engineer at Barclays Group.

To round off the week, we’ll be hosting a Scottish fintech gathering, an evening of networking, community, and collaboration. We’re inviting the entire Scottish fintech community to come together, connect and celebrate past and future successes.

Sword Group Expands Cybersecurity and AI Capabilities with Acquisition of Edinburgh-based iDelta

Sword Group, a FinTech Scotland’s strategic partners, has announced its acquisition of Edinburgh-based fintech iDelta Ltd, a specialist firm focused on customised data solutions, cybersecurity monitoring, AI automation, and fraud analytics.

Founded in Scotland’s thriving tech ecosystem, iDelta has developed a strong reputation for its bespoke solutions in infrastructure and application monitoring, particularly within financial services. Its specialist consultants have created innovative tools for managing Open Banking data APIs and have developed extensions available on the popular Splunk marketplace. These solutions streamline the integration process with third-party technologies, enabling customers to effectively harness their data assets.

Kevin Moreton, CEO of Sword UK, described the move as a strategic step towards enhancing Sword’s capabilities in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, particularly within the financial services sector.

“We’re pleased to welcome iDelta into Sword Group. This acquisition is well-aligned with our strategic vision for 2028 and significantly strengthens our cybersecurity strategy. Combining our expertise will enable us to deliver even greater value to our customers,” Moreton said.

Stuart Robertson from iDelta also welcomed the acquisition, noting the shared commitment between both companies towards innovation and technical excellence.

“Joining Sword opens exciting new opportunities for growth and collaboration. Our strong partnerships with Splunk and Cisco, combined with Sword’s extensive resources, mean we’re perfectly positioned to expand our offerings and accelerate our capabilities,” Robertson said.

Sword Group, known for providing business technology solutions across energy, public, commercial, and financial sectors, currently employs over 600 staff across its UK locations, including Aberdeen, Glasgow, Teesside, and London.

The acquisition underlines Sword Group’s strategic approach to bolstering its technical expertise in critical domains like cybersecurity and AI, reflecting broader industry trends towards greater digital resilience and smarter data utilisation.