Three Northern Irish firms have been selected to join the cohort for Tech Nation’s newest growth programme, Fintech 3.0.
Of the 143 organisations to apply, NI’s Automated Intelligence, Lightyear and Datactics were chosen to join the group of just 31 companies from across the UK.
The six-month initiative will aim to connect and support the UK’s brightest emerging fintech firms, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic and its negatives effects continue.
The programme will provide access to industry experts, networking opportunities and mentorship, designed to help the fintechs scale-up and skill-up.
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The NI companies account for 10% of all firms accepted onto the programme, making the area the most represented region per head in the UK.
David Allisterr, Chairman at FintechNI noted that this “is an amazing achievement and is indicative of the talent and innovation coming out of Northern Ireland.”
Matthew Flenley, Marketing and Partnerships Manager at Datactics mentioned his team’s particular delight to be selected, saying: “We’re already so impressed with the level of commitment and drive that the Tech Nation team has brought to the table and look forward to making the most of this prestigious programme over the coming months.”
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Simon Cole, CEO at Automated Intelligence, added: “The current climate, while challenging, represents a huge opportunity for fintech. The rising pace of contactless transactions demands world class automation of data governance and compliance, and we’re delivering that at scale.
“That we’re joined by two other fantastic local companies, is testimony to the strength and depth of Northern Ireland’s Fintech ecosystem and its growing reputation as a global hub for fintech innovation.”
Chris Gregg, CEO at Lightyear concluded: “ Within two short years, we are already processing billions of pounds of payables invoices for thousands of businesses of all sizes around the world and saving hundreds of thousands of hours on manual data entry.
“It is even more pleasing to see two other local Northern Ireland companies join us. The Northern Ireland fintech ecosystem is booming and this is further validation of the potential for Northern Ireland to lead the world in innovative financial technology and create a new highly skilled industry segment founded upon high quality Northern Irish native companies.”
Now in its third iteration, Tech Nation reported a 20% increase in applications from last year, further indicating the continued expansion of the UK’s Fintech sector.
Find more info about Tech Nation and the rest of the cohort here.
