The Delivery and Impact of the FinTech Scotland Cluster in 2025

This report highlights the progress made across the FinTech Scotland Cluster in 2025, a year marked by continued growth and increasing global influence. The cluster has welcomed new firms, attracted higher levels of investment, and seen more businesses scale confidently and trade internationally. Scotland’s fintech SME community has matured significantly, supported by deeper partnerships across industry, academia, and the public sector — reflecting a shared commitment to collaboration as a driver of meaningful progress.

Innovation in practice has also taken a major step forward. The 10-year FinTech Research and Innovation Roadmap is now firmly embedded, with over 40% of recommended actions underway. Central to this has been the award-winning Financial Regulation Innovation Lab, which expanded its scale and earned national recognition for its collaborative, industry-led approach. In 2025, the cluster also launched its second priority innovation environment, The Centre of Excellence in Distributed Ledger Technology, focusing on digital assets, payments, and tokenisation, with digital trust at its core.

These successes reflect the collective effort and commitment across the ecosystem to drive responsible innovation and sustainable economic growth. They provide a powerful platform for the next phase. Thank you to all who have contributed — 2026 promises new opportunities, new collaborations, and continued progress for Scotland’s fintech community.

Together, these environments are enabling pioneering work and helping firms explore and commercialise technologies shaping the future of financial services. National and international engagement has matched this momentum. From strong representation at Money20/20 Europe to productive activity and engagement across North America, Canada, Hong Kong, and wider Asia, Scotland’s international presence has grown, supporting an increasing number of fintech SMEs entering global markets.

Nicola Anderson, Chief Executive at FinTech Scotland, said: 

“These successes reflect the collective effort and commitment across the ecosystem to drive responsible innovation and sustainable economic growth. They provide a powerful platform for the next phase. Thank you to all who have contributed—2026 promises new opportunities, new collaborations, and continued progress for Scotland’s fintech community.”

Aleks Tomczyk, Chief Executive at FinTech Scotland, said: 

“As I step into the role of Chief Executive in January, I do so with genuine excitement for what lies ahead. The foundations built over the past seven years including in 2025 create a strong foundation for the next phase of growth. Scotland’s fintech community is rich with talent, ambition, creativity, and a collaborative spirit that is widely admired – including internationally. I am energised by the opportunity to contribute further to this vibrant cluster, including its innovators, current and future strategic partners, and supporters in the ecosystem. Together, we will build on the momentum already achieved and shape a successful future in which Scotland continues to lead, influence, and inspire across the rapidly evolving fintech landscape.”