In a landscape where it’s so easy for people to switch between digital products and services, brands are having to work harder to get into the customer’s mind, and more importantly - to stay there. Standing out from the crowd is as important as ever. So why do fintechs look increasingly similar?
We were promised that fintech disruptors were going to revolutionise banking and sweep away the legacy players forever. So, what happened?
I wrote about the underbanked phenomenon in Eastern Europe a few weeks ago. Mainly I talked about which basic services are used, not used, and why.
With the new year picking up a head of steam, it’s time to turn our attention to the trends and themes set to shape financial services in 2023. Here at 11:FS, we’re more convinced than ever that UK banks are running out of time to address their core banking issues.
While chatting with my grandma on my annual trip to Romania this year, I had an epiphany. She is underbanked! So is my mom, uncle, cousin, and neighbour - you get the gist.
I recently sat down with Rhian Lewis, co-founder of Count My Crypto and Sara Walker from IG to discuss which cryptocurrencies could come close to bitcoin. Take a look at some of the points we covered below, or head over to IG to watch the full interview.
Once upon a time, social media and finance apps might’ve seemed like strange bedfellows.
Getting tech right in banks is hard. We get this because our experts have worked in some of the biggest financial services institutions and experienced how things can be done differently. In this article, we’ll share some of the insights that we’ve learnt along the way.
Around the globe, millions are feeling the pinch as the cost-of-living crisis continues. The biggest fall in living standards since records began is forecast in the UK, while inflation rates are starting to cool after a tumultuous year across the pond.
One of the phrases you often encounter when reading things about mental health is "It's OK to not be OK." Whilst I get the sentiment, as someone who has been there, it really isn't OK. It sucks.
We all employ a user-centred design (UCD) approach to inform what products we build and how they should work, but all that customer insight gives us one oft-overlooked learning: the actual language customers use to speak about their problems.
You don’t have to spend much time in retail banking before you come across legacy systems - a catch-all term often used to explain why banks are so slow and unresponsive.
Tucked away in a small corner of the WeWork offices in Aldgate Tower, I sat down with Ross Gallagher. Financial inclusion is the touchstone on financial products for Ross. Regular host of the Fintech Insider podcast with a history in financial services consulting and research. Ross is known around the office as a tupperware fiend and always up for a laugh but as with many people who work for 11:FS he has a real passion for finance and financial inclusion in particular.
In a recent report EY point out that the big advantage the UK has in “Fintech” is it’s progressive policy from Government and Regulators. This post examines the latest policy the regulatory sandbox; to understand how it might work, what companies entering it need to know, and how other jurisdictions could repeat the trick. Can it help financial services be a bit more awesome?
Recently, Nick Miller, Senior Ventures Strategist at 11:FS, published an article on why ESG investing is broken. If you haven't already, go and give it a read before you dive into this one.

David Brear and Simon Taylor are joined by some great guests to talk about some of the most interesting stories of the last 7 days, including: The challenges facing challenger banks in the current climate, Freetrade’s record-breaking raise and PayPal sees a rise in 'silver tech' as older generations test digital payments for the first time. All this and much more on today's episode!

Sarah Kocianski and Adam Davis are joined by some great guests to talk about some of the most interesting stories of the last 7 days, including: A round up of the pandemic and financial aid stories on both sides of the pond; Sofi and Samsung Pay team up for a debit card; and Mastercard's massive new pledge for financial inclusion.

Simon Taylor and Sarah Kocianski are joined by some great guests to talk about some of the most interesting stories of the last 7 days, including: RBS closes Bó, big banks book $50bn against bad loans in the wake of corona, and a round-up of the more international stories of the week.

Sam Maule is joined by John Pitts, Policy Lead, and Niko Karvounis Product Lead at Plaid to talk all things data, customer driven innovation, their European expansion and much more.

Sam Maule is joined by John Pitts, Policy Lead, and Niko Karvounis Product Lead at Plaid to talk all things data, customer driven innovation, their European expansion and much more.

Simon Taylor and Adam Davis are joined by some great guests to talk about some of the most interesting stories of the last 7 days, including: 100% backed business loans; big banks results are in and corona is hitting their profit margins hard and even Animal Crossing's Bank of Nook is slashing its interest rates in an unwelcome reflection of the real world.

11:FS's David Brear, Simon Taylor, Sarah Kocianski and Benjamin Ensor come together to talk about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial services industry.

Sarah Kocianski and Nigel Walsh are joined by a panel of guests to talk through Covid-19 and what this might mean for the insurance industry going forward! All this and much much more on today's Insurtech Insider!

Sarah Kocianski and Simon Taylor are joined by some great guests to talk about some of the most interesting stories of the last 7 days, including: Starling and OakNorth join coronavirus loan programme, US fintechs to help distribute coronavirus aid, and a women-only neobank is coming to Brazil.

David Brear and Simon Taylor are joined by some great guests to talk about some of the most interesting stories of the last 7 days, including: SoFI's $1.2bn takeover of Galileo; Kabbage cuts off its funding and the FCA allow selfies as ID.

Sam Maule is joined by Varo Money COO, Wesley Wright, to talk about how the company came to be, their goals of financial inclusion and their recent FDIC insurance approval.

David Brear and Eric Fulwiler are joined by some great guests to talk about some of the most interesting stories of the last 7 days, including: US banks to halt lay-offs, start-ups may be barred from stimulus, and April Fools in the age of coronavirus.

Welcome to a brand new show brought to you by 11:FS! This is Fintech Insider USA where our host Sam Maule will be joined by the movers and shakers in the US fintech industry. In today's episode, Sam Maule is joined by Michael Schlein at Accion!

Welcome to episode 2 of Fintech Insider USA where our host Sam Maule will be joined by the movers and shakers in the US fintech industry. In today's episode, Sam Maule is joined by Lowell Putnam at Plaid!

Welcome to a brand new show brought to you by 11:FS! This is Fintech Insider USA where our host Sam Maule will be joined by the movers and shakers in the US fintech industry. Stay tuned for some incredible interviews with some of the brightest and the best from the New York Fintech Scene.

Hey, banks! This might sting a bit. You’re getting loyalty all wrong - and it’s costing you customers. But all is not lost!

David M. Brear, our 11:FS CEO, takes us through legacy technology within banks - but of course, with a really cool Lightboard.
Welcome to episode 5 of our new video series, Decoding: Banking as a Service!
11:FS CEO David M. Brear takes to the lightboard to give us the full run-down, with examples of companies that are leading the way.
Welcome to episode 4 of our new video series, Decoding: Banking as a Service!
Welcome to episode 3 of our new video series, Decoding: Banking as a Service!
Welcome to episode 2 of our new video series, Decoding: Banking as a Service!

Welcome to episode 1 of our new video series, Decoding: Banking as a Service!

When people discuss 'banking being broken', they often refer to the technology itself. However, that isn't necessarily the case.

Minimum Lovable Brand | 11:FS Explores

In this video, our Head of Research, Sarah Kocianski, unpacks exactly how banks make money - with the handy edition of a super cool lightboard!

Fintech is only 1% finished. But what do we mean by that? Simon Taylor, Head of Ventures at 11:FS takes us through the landscape of financial technology in this Lightboard edition of 11:FS Explores.

In this episode of 11:FS Explores, Adam Davis picks apart Open Finance, and what we have to look forward to if this technology became a reality.
Inclusive design is a mindset and a process that suggests that you should bring as many people as possible - and the most diverse of voices that you can - into your product design product process, so that you're being truly inclusive. It's designing with people rather that just at them. Charlotte Fereday, Product Director, Ventures, explains what inclusive design is, why it's important, how you can design more inclusively, and answers - how possible is truly inclusive design?

The UK banking battlefield has never been more competitive. Customers expectfinancial apps that are personalised, seamless, and that genuinely make a differenc...


The UK banking battlefield has never been more competitive. Customers expectfinancial apps that are personalised, seamless, and that genuinely make a differenc...

