Encompass named ”˜RegTech Partner of the Year’
Scotland-based Encompass won RegTech Partner of the Year’ at this year’s British Bank Awards.
Now in its eighth year, the awards, run by Smart Money People, recognise top financial products and innovation based on more than 81,000 votes.
This recognition comes after Encompass was selected as a category finalist in both 2021 and 2020.
Wayne Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Encompass, said:
We’re thrilled, and proud, to have been named as RegTech Partner of the Year at this year’s British Bank Awards.
Being chosen as the overall winner among such strong competition demonstrates not only our impact across the banking sector, but also the loyalty of our customers, who voted for us.
2022 is shaping up to be a strong year for our business globally, and we have big plans for growth in the months ahead, as we continue to work with and for our expanding customer base.
Jacqueline Dewey, CEO of Smart Money People, added:
With the awards 100% voted for by consumers and no judging panel, the British Bank Awards truly reflect the best of the UK banking industry, and the commitment and engagement these organisations have from their customers.
This year, our winners range from the newest firms in the market to well-established household names, illustrating the breadth and depth of the UK’s financial services market across many sectors. We’re absolutely delighted for our winners but also hope that these awards serve a higher purpose in helping consumers and businesses make more informed choices about who they trust with their hard-earned money.
Snugg® wins place on Lloyds Banking Group Launch Innovation Programme
Scottish fintech and high growth start-up Snugg® has been chosen to join the 2022 cohort of the Lloyds Banking Group Launch Innovation Programme.
Run in partnership with FinTech Scotland, the Launch Innovation Programme offers ambitious fintech companies like Snugg® the chance to run a proof of concept in partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. Sixteen fintech firms from across the UK and Europe have been selected to take part in the programme this year.
The Launch Innovation Programme focusses on three key strategic challenges facing Lloyds ”“ achieving sustainability goals, supporting colleagues in a post-pandemic world, and improving customer’s financial lives. With a mission to make energy efficient homes simple and affordable for everyone, the Snugg® application to join the programme focused on sustainability and helping the financial lives of Lloyd’s customers.
Private sector finance from banks like Lloyds is going to play an increasingly important role in the net-zero transition over the coming years. Only one in eight of the 17 million privately owned homes in the UK currently meet the energy efficiency standards needed to reach net-zero by 2050. The Snugg® platform plans to make the process of making energy efficiency changes to homes simple. Using sophisticated data science, it will develop a tailored plan and provide users with access to the grants, green finance and trusted installers to make the sustainable home improvements they need.
The fintech companies taking part in the programme have ten weeks to refine and test their innovative solutions to the challenges set by Lloyds. Working in collaboration with Lloyds, each firm has direct access to sponsors and mentors in the bank, as well as business development support, clinics and externally run business masterclasses.
Co-Founder and CEO of Snugg®, Robin Peters, said: “Taking part in the Launch Innovation Programme gives us an incredible opportunity to test our home energy efficiency platform with one of the UK’s biggest banks.
Over the course of ten weeks, the programme gives the selected participants access to business leaders, designers, industry experts and mentors. We’re delighted to have been selected to take part in the programme which we believe will help take Snugg® to the next level.”
Phoenix Group collaborates with TCS COINTM and FinTech Scotland to drive forward innovation in customer engagement and financial well-being
Phoenix Group, the UK’s largest long terms savings and retirement business, has launched a new Innovation Forum that will look to use the latest FinTech innovation to build greater engagement and support the well-being of its customers, driving forward greater financial inclusion.
In collaboration with TCS’ Co-Innovation Network (TCS COINTM) innovation ecosystem and FinTech Scotland, the Phoenix Innovation Forum will invite FinTech enterprises and entrepreneurs to explore partnership opportunities that will introduce innovative thinking and new ways of working. Phoenix will be looking to work with FinTech firms who share a passion for improving financial wellbeing, with a focus on making a genuine positive impact on customers’ lives on their journey to and through retirement.
Phoenix Group’s purpose is to “help people secure a life of possibilities” and as part of this, it is committed to building greater financial literacy and inclusion. Phoenix looks toengage with its customers throughout the different stages of their life, providing the right products and support, at the right time, to help them make the right choices.
The Phoenix Innovation Forum will give FinTech enterprises and entrepreneurs the opportunity to design, refine and present innovative solutions to senior leaders across PhoenixGroup. The initial focus will be on two key engagement themes:
- Curiosity – Using creative tools and interactions to spark increased levels of curiosity about saving and financial planning, which can help to nurture greater learning, especially in the area of planning for retirement.
- Gamification ”“ Using gamification’ tools and rewards which are interactive to encourage greater engagement in digital channels, by creating an immersive approach and demonstrating to customers the value of saving and investing for the future.
Phoenix’s Managing Director ”“ Pensions and Savings, Colin Williams, said:
“This is a great opportunity for Phoenix to connect key decision makers within our organisation with innovative enterprises. We are looking to fuel creativity and come up with new solutions which really support our customers and build greater engagement and financial inclusion which is important to our Group’s social purpose and part of our long term sustainability strategy. We are looking to deliver forward-thinking propositions and to be at the forefront in developing innovative solutions, working in collaboration with TCS COIN and the FinTech Scotland community.”
Nicola Anderson, Chief Executive of FinTech Scotland commented:
“We are delighted to support the Phoenix Innovation Forum which is a further example of the valuable role FinTech innovation can play in improving customers’ financial engagement and well-being. Phoenix’s commitment to innovation to support its large customer base and its partnership approach will attract significant interest from FinTech entrepreneurs who share their ambition of helping customers more effectively engage with savings and investments.”
Vivekanand Ramgopal, Global Head ”“ TCS BFSI Products and Platforms, commented:
“Enterprises are looking to form collaborative, purpose-driven ecosystems to launch innovative new offerings that deepen customer relationships and drive growth. To succeed, they need an extensible, open API-based, future-ready digital core like the TCS platform that powers Phoenix Group’s operations. That agile digital foundation is now enabling our two organisations to co-innovate around client analytics and customer experiences at our Innovation Lab in Edinburgh. We are delighted to expand this partnership with the Innovation Forum, and bring in partners from our extended innovation ecosystem, the TCS COIN, to innovate at scale and at speed.”
The initiative will provide the opportunity for FinTech innovators to develop a potential formal partnership with Phoenix Group to build solutions which will not just benefit Phoenix’s customers, but will contribute to innovation for wider society. FinTech firms looking to be part of the Phoenix Innovation Forum will can register their interest in participating on this page.
The Startup Race announces 9 events in Scotland
The Startup Race, just announced that it will host nine events in Scotland All those events will be headlined by bestselling entrepreneurship author Ash
Maurya, well-known for his book Running Lean, which has become a real entrepreneurship movement.
The events will take place in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, and will aim to connect angels, investors and startup founders. They will offer the opportunity to discuss how to identify risk in business model. The events are supported by both The Startup Race through a partnership grant with the Scottish Government’s Technology Ecosystem Initiative.
Ash Maurya said:
“As I always say, Building a scalable and successful business starts with knowing what to measure and how. Being able to bring this mission to Scotland with the support of both The Startup Race and the Scottish Government’s Technology Ecosystem Initiative, in order to meet with like minded individuals ”“ this is a true honour.”
Here is a breakdown of the programme of events:
Dundee 3rd May
Angel Investor Lunch with Ash Maurya 12:00-14:00
Scaling Lean Workshop for Scaleups & Investors with Ash Maurya
14:00-18:00
Fireside Chat for Scaleups, Startups & Investors with Ash Maurya
19:00-21:00
Glasgow 4th May
Angel Investor Lunch with Ash Maurya 12:00-14:00
Scaling Lean Workshop for Scaleups & Investors with Ash Maurya
14:00-18:00
Fireside Chat for Scaleups, Startups & Investors with Ash Maurya
19:00-21:00
Edinburgh 5th May
Angel Investor Lunch with Ash Maurya 12:00-14:00
Scaling Lean Workshop for Scaleups & Investors with Ash Maurya
14:00-18:00
Fireside Chat for Scaleups Startups & Investors with Ash Maurya
19:00-21:00
Mr. Maurya’s objective is to meet Scottish Angel investors and Scaleup Entrepreneurs to discuss how funded Scaleups need to exploit the “Lean Startup principles” to achieve revenue and profit growth.
Michael Clouser, co-founder of The Startup Race said
“Introducing Ash Maurya to the Scottish startup community has been a goal for quite some time, and we are thrilled to be able to launch this partnership. We hope Scottish based startup founders, angels and investors find value in these events for future growth in all of their entrepreneurship endeavours.”
For more information on The £10,000 Startup Race, please visit:
https://thestartuprace.com/the
Plan for a new Financial Services Skills and Inclusion Hub unveiled
SFE led the production of an industry-led Financial Services Skills Action Plan, alongside Skills Development Scotland, educators, third sector organisations, and the Scottish Government.
The plan was presented to Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes MSP, and endorsed by the First Minister. It includes proposals to create Scotland’s first Financial Services Skills and Inclusion Hub, a virtual environment created, developed, and delivered by the industry through key partnerships, supporting the aim of filling 50,000 roles in the next three years.
The hub aligns with the Scottish Government’s recently launched National Strategy for Economic Transformation and will contribute significantly to accelerated economic recovery, the development of Scotland’s skilled workforce and promoting inclusive growth.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
“This is an important step forward in building Scotland’s status as a leading global financial centre in which people from all backgrounds want to work. We want to attract skilled people to come and work within our financial services industry as well as create a sustainable and accessible platform for them.
“We want people – whatever their age or circumstances – to see finance as an achievable industry to break into and not one that is only for a select few. That is why it is important we collaborate to ensure we’re doing everything we can to promote financial services across Scotland’s schools. By bringing together employers with educators we can identify talent as early as possible and open pathways which will benefit the sector and help us build a more inclusive labour market.
“This industry-led Skills Action Plan will support the development of Scotland’s skilled workforce, with the aim of filling 50,000 new roles in the next three years, and I welcome this alignment with the ambition we set out in our new National Strategy for Economic Transformation.”
SFE Chief Executive, Sandy Begbie CBE, said:
“We were delighted that the First Minister welcomed our Skills Action Plan as we launch our new visual identity and website. Our message this week is that finance is one of Scotland’s biggest assets. We have a truly unique, globally recognised financial services ecosystem here that is at the cutting-edge in terms of technology and innovation and offers real value and expertise to international investors. Supporting and enabling new pipelines of diverse talent is essential as we seek to build on these strong foundations and create more well paid, highly productive jobs and investment to benefit the whole of Scotland.”
Caitlin Cooke, Seconded Head of Skills and Talent, SFE, and Senior Manager, EY, said:
“This time last year we launched Scotland’s Financial Services Strategy which underlined our commitment to having a positive impact on society through leading the journey to net zero, supporting the economic recovery, responding to changing customer needs, and developing skills and inclusion. We are now putting concrete plans into place to make sure the aims of the strategy are delivered, working collaboratively with government, industry, educators and the third-sector to ensure the best possible outcomes for the sector while creating inclusive growth and fair, long-term prosperity for all.”
Encompass appoints Steve Hadaway as Chief Revenue Officer
Encompass, the leading KYC automation platform, just announced it had appointed Steve Hadaway as its Chief Revenue Officer.
Hadaway joins Encompass after over 15 years in senior management positions at FICO. More recently, he was Vice President & Managing Director, EMEA, and drove the regional strategy, leading a team of 200 employees and serving more than 50 markets worldwide.
Steve Hadaway is taking on a very important role for the firm as he will head up its revenue-focused functions, including Direct Sales, Strategic Alliances and Marketing.
The news follows twelve months of significant growth in revenue and new accounts, including global banks, as well as the addition of specialist industry experts to the business across the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the US.
Encompass also recently announced a capital raise of £25m. This will be used to accelerate its international expansion plans, which have included office openings in New York and Amsterdam.
Wayne Johnson, CEO and co-founder, Encompass, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Steve to Encompass. His vast experience of working with major financial institutions and steering impressive business growth will be invaluable as we continue to expand at a rapid rate.
“This will be a crucial year for us as we work to enhance our impact across all regions, developing our product and business to bring on new customers and better meet the needs of those existing to us, and we are pleased to have someone of Steve’s calibre join in this capacity at what is an incredibly exciting stage.”
Steve Hadaway added:
“It is such a thrill to be joining Encompass at this exciting stage of their evolution. They have built an extraordinary platform to help banks fight financial crime, ensure compliance and deliver enhanced customer experience through automated and digitised customer journeys.
“The numerous client successes to date have been impressive and I see a great deal of potential still for the business, and for our clients. It is also rewarding to be joining a company where growth is built on a positive culture of customer-led innovation, employee collaboration and empowerment. I am so excited to get started.”
Sainsbury’s Bank partners with FinTech Scotland to deliver better customer outcomes through collaboration
Today, FinTech Scotland announced Sainsbury’’s Bank is joining its group of strategic partners.
The strategic collaboration with Fintech Scotland will enable the supermarket bank to collaborate with innovative leaders in technology, helping to shape future customer propositions. This builds on the strategic digital emphasis of Sainbury’s Bank in recent years, including the transformation of operational systems and platform to best serve its customers.
The new Sainsbury’s Bank operating model has been developed to advance nimble and agile ways of working, creating the right environment for its technology team to innovate and integrate new fintech solutions.
The strategic partnership with FinTech Scotland will serve as a catalyst to accelerate change, deliver better outcomes for customers, and learn from the thriving Scottish fintech cluster.
Sainsbury’s Bank will also get involved in the work to progress the actions from the FinTech Research & Innovation Roadmap published by FinTech Scotland in March 2022. More specifically they will participate in projects around the theme of Everyday Personal Banking and SME Banking.
Commenting on this partnership, Nicola Anderson, CEO at FinTech Scotland said:
“Sainsbury’s Bank is an important and valuable contributor for the Scottish FinTech Cluster, and I am delighted it has joined the Fintech Scotland strategic partners. We’re looking forward to working with the team, learning from their experiences in building a digital bank and innovative mindsets, while supporting their future banking ambitions through fintech partnerships and actionable research.”
Simon Jacobs, Chief Operating Officer, Sainsbury’s Bank said:
“As we continue to look at how technology helps to take our business forward, and to deliver great propositions and products, for loyal Sainsbury’s and Argos customers, we’re delighted to be joining the FinTech Scotland cluster to play our part in ensuring Scotland seizes the fintech opportunity in terms of economic growth and job creation.”
Call out for FinTech companies to host four week summer internship
Does your company believe in supporting young people into FinTech? Are you looking to grow your future talent pipeline? Could you do with an extra pair of hands to support a project?
This summer CodeClan is launching the CodeClan Youth Academy (CCYA), a four week coding bootcamp followed by a four week internship in industry.
Sponsored by Baillie Gifford, this eight week programme takes place across July and August and aims to provide 10 young people aged 16 – 24 with programming skills used in industry.
During the bootcamp students will learn Front End Development skills and by the end will be able to make improvements and updates to websites and perform initial troubleshooting of front end bugs and issues.
Curriculum
CodeClan is looking for companies who are passionate about supporting the next generation of coders by hosting a paid internship in August, where students can use the skills they have learned in a real workplace setting.
The benefits of hosting an internship include:
- Introducing young people to the world of technology.
- Diversify your existing talent pool.
- Develop your future talent pipeline.
- Development opportunity for current staff.
We are flexible on how the internship is delivered, all we ask is:
- The internship starts on 1st August for a minimum of 100 hours (or 25 hours a week for four weeks).
- The intern is paid the living wage.
- The employer keeps in touch with CodeClan during the internship.
If you are a technology company who is passionate about supporting more young people into the sector and want to host a CCYA intern this August. Please get in touch with Aileen O’Hagan on aileen.ohagan@codeclan.com.
New business models in open finance to be analysed and judged.
Open Future World has launched a prestigious startup pitch competition to reveal some of the most interesting emerging business models in open banking and finance.
Six finalists will receive a complimentary ticket to the Open Banking World Congress in Marbella, Spain, on 24-25 May, where they will present their proposition to an all-star judging panel of industry experts, VCs and investors.
In addition, they will be interviewed on a live-streamed chat show to over 3000 viewers delegates from around the world attended. The winner will be announced at the evening party on the convention’s first day and will get to pitch on the keynote stage on day two of the conference.
“The last two years have been a hotbed for innovation in open finance. I come across so many impressive startups every week. Every one of them is harnessing open finance to transform the customer experience and make real improvements to our everyday lives.
The Open Banking World Congress will assemble leaders at the forefront of open finance from around the world into a dedicated setting over two days of keynotes, networking, discussions and collaborations. By bringing together new startups and seasoned open banking professionals, we hope to help enhance the potential of open finance and give promising startups the best chance of success.” says Marie Walker, Co-Founder of Open Future World.
To qualify for entry, startups must be in the open finance domain, be less than 3 years old and have received less than 3 million in investment.
Entries are open until 15th April with the 6 finalists to be announced on 22nd April.
To enter the free competition:
https://www.openbankingworldcongress.com/pages/startup-pitch-competition For all enquiries, please contact: georgina@openfuture.world
Open Future World
The leading source of information on progress in open banking and beyond. The Open Banking World Congress takes place in Marbella, Spain between 24-25 May.
https://www.openbankingworldcongress.com/
Quotezone FinTech Scholars Crowned
Financial comparison platform Quotezone.co.uk has announced the winners of this year’s Fintech Scholarship, an initiative designed to cultivate more diversity in the sector by encouraging students from outside the world of fintech to explore what it might offer.
Only one winner was chosen from Scotland – Kelsey Hunt, a second-year student at St Andrews University, who wrote Fintech and Small Business: a Dynamic Duo – explaining how fintech plays a vital role in small businesses. In addition, one winner was chosen from England – Ella Henry, a MPhil student at the University of Cambridge studying Biological Sciences, who wrote a piece entitled – Fintech in a finite world: The price of protecting our planet focusing on climate change and the role fintech can play in creating a sustainable future. Ella and Kelsey have both won a bursary of £1,000 to help with educational fees, such as textbooks and course materials.
With 15 universities teaching bespoke fintech courses, over 175 fintech startup success stories, and a wealth of investment opportunities from public, private, and academic investors, Scotland has been hailed as a global leading fintech hub. Stephen Ingledew from FinTech Scotland comments: “Encouraging participation from the diversity of young people across our communities will further spur fintech innovation in all aspects of our personal and business lives, thereby ensuring an inclusive approach to the economic opportunities ahead.”
British fintech firms continue to attract lucrative international investment, having just hit the multibillion-pound peak of investor interest in July 2021. In 13 UK cities, there are now at least ten fintech companies, estimated to employ nearly 53,000 people.
Marja Lahelma-Barnsley, Programme Leader for MSc Financial Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University, comments: “FinTech is reshaping the ways that financial needs are met. Man Met’s FinTech qualifications are built with a recognition that innovation needs new ideas even more than it needs new tech.
Greg Wilson, the fintech entrepreneur behind Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “Congratulations to our Fintech Scholarship winners, Kelsey Hunt and Ella Henry ”“ these insightful blogs were just two of many interesting entries in their year’s scholarship.
“It’s encouraging to see so many students proactively researching and discovering fintech ”“ from all educational backgrounds. Diversity is key to building an innovative team for the future. I studied Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering and started my career as a Stress Engineer at Bombardier Aerospace before I created Seopa, now our brands CompareNI.com and Quotezone.co.uk are household names in financial comparison technology.”
Seopa has been recognised with six Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards, and has been awarded a Deloitte Best Managed Company Award each year for the past five years ”“ now a Gold Standard Best Managed Company since 2020. As a leading fintech employer, Seopa has been investing in recruitment throughout lockdown, with new fintech roles currently available.