
You know they say you shouldn’t start a diet and give up smoking at the same time? Or get married and start a new job? Or whatever?

Seven years ago, the first new retail bank in the UK in almost a century got its licence to open, as Chris Skinner noted in a recent blog post. Now, there are nearly 50 banks in the pipeline: app-only startup banks, foreign exchange payment cards, personal financial management apps, business accounts, and more. How are they all going to make money? And how will they differentiate themselves enough to win the hearts of customers? In episode 228 of FinTech Insider, we discuss with guests from FinTech challenger banks Fidor, Starling Bank, and Loot.

Every Thursday, Leda Glyptis, 11:FS Chief of Staff creates #LedaWrites. This week she turns her attention to innovation in big banks and why partners, vendors and many more should take caution when talking to innovation.

Core banking might not be the sexiest of subjects, but if you don’t get it right, your bank will suffer financially and lose its edge to the truly digital competitors coming your way. But how do you strengthen your core when you’re stuck with a Frankenstein legacy system? In episode 225 of FinTech Insider Insights, we break down what you need to do.

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US published an official report, following an investigation into a token sale by an organisation called The DAO, where it decided that these particular tokens the DAO were offering were in fact, securities and therefore subject to the requirements of the federal securities law in the US. Read the full story via Fintech Insider News here.

Each week, Leda Glyptis, CEO of 11:FS Foundry, creates #LedaWrites. This week, with the aid of Bryan Adams lyrics, on why the best is yet to come.

Right now, every company is tackling how to handle the move to remote working. We made a decision recently to not return to the office until November and wanted to share how and why we got there.

The ability to get users through the onboarding process quickly and painlessly has never been more in demand, with Signicat reporting an average drop-off rate of 52% during the onboarding processes of Europe’s retail banks in 2018.

The consulting firm CG42 recently reported that it expects the ten largest banks in the US to lose $159 billion in deposits to smaller competitors over the next year.

You may have noticed from our newsletter (sign up here) and podcast (listen here or click play just below) that we’re celebrating our second birthday at 11:FS. It’s also Fintech Insider’s 200th episode. So to make it extra special we’ve done a roundtable with some of the most vital people in the 11:FS team who don’t normally get behind a microphone.

Users of Pulse will no doubt be familiar with our visual design rating, which sits at the bottom of each post and gives our analysts’ view on a journey’s design strengths.

This award is given to the incumbent financial institution that is executing the best digitalisation strategy.

Every Thursday, Leda Glyptis, 11:FS Chief of Staff creates #LedaWrites. This week she turns her attention to assets, habits and the wand that chooses the wizard.

If there is one thing we don’t talk about enough in the start-up world, it’s mental wellbeing. That’s strange, because it’s one of the most crucial things to get right in your company. I used to think that company culture is built on leadership and focus. I also used to believe that negative attitudes at work cannot lead to poor mental health or affect perceptions of health, beliefs, and results. Well, today is a different day. Armed with the growing awareness of the impact wellbeing can have on employees, businesses and the obvious link between positive workplace culture and productivity, I’m here to bust the myth that every start-up has a cut-throat environment which grinds down its employees.

The One to Watch award is given to the company with the firmest foundations onto which it can build truly digital services in the next 12 months.
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On this week’s episode, in partnership with Pleo, host Benjamin Ensor is joined by Jeppe Rindom, Co-Founder and CEO of Pleo; Søren Westh Lonning, CFO at Pleo; and Megan Cooper, CEO of Caywood, to explore how the role of finance has evolved over the past decade - and what it will take for finance teams to win the next 10 years.
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Host Kate Moody, Customer Strategy Director at 11:FS, is joined by some great guests to discuss the biggest stories from the world of financial services over the past week.
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On this week’s episode, host David Barton-Grimley is joined by Matt Weaver, Head of Solutions for EMEA at OpenAI, to explore the impact OpenAI is having on the financial services industry - and the meaningful collaborations taking place between the sector and the AI innovation giant.
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Host Laura Watkins, Director of Media & Marketing at 11:FS, is joined by some great guests to discuss the biggest stories from the world of financial services over the past week.

On this week's episode, David M. Brear is joined by some great guests to tack a question on every bank and fintech leader’s mind: is AI redefining consumer-focused banking in 2026?
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In a fresh wave of fintech consolidation and strategic moves, Flutterwave has acquired Mono. JPMorgan has launched its Special Advisory Services initiative to give key clients access to consulting services drawn from the bank’s own practices. PicPay has filed for a U.S. IPO, and Mercury has applied to the OCC for a national bank charter.
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David M. Brear, Group CEO at 11:FS, sits down with two heavyweights in the payments world: Tracy Birdsall, Managing Director and Head of EMEA & APAC, Merchant Services Sales, at J.P. Morgan Payments, and Kristen Morrow-Greven, Vice President and Head of Global Payments at Netflix.
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In this episode, the team is kicking things off with bold predictions for the year ahead, some you might have seen coming and some that might surprise you. They stake their reputations, embrace a bit of friendly ribbing, and share their most daring forecasts for the future of fintech.
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On this week’s final news show of the year, we hear from GoCardless about their exciting acquisition by Mollie. It’s been a big week for Monzo, which has secured an Irish banking licence and acquired UK mortgage brand Habito. We also take a look at Orange Payments and Visa’s new partnership.
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Join our hosts as they break down the year’s most memorable moments. From the fintech feel-good story of the year and the buzziest new term, to the partnership that caught everyone off guard and the glow-up that wowed the industry - we cover it all.
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Host Kate Moody, Customer Strategy Director at 11:FS, is joined by a fantastic panel of guests as we dive into some of the biggest stories from the worlds of fintech, banking, and wider financial services this week.

Banks aren’t just building apps anymore - they’re building digital CFOs. Join Kate Moody in this episode of Fintech Insider as she explores how SMB banking is evolving from simple dashboards to intelligent financial guidance.
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Host David Barton-Grimley, Fintech Strategy Director and Head of Product at 11:FS, is joined by a fantastic panel of guests as we dive into some of the biggest stories from the worlds of fintech, banking, and wider financial services this week.
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With the US GENIUS Act reshaping digital-asset oversight, the EU’s MiCA rules setting a unified standard, and the UK opening the door for stablecoins as an official form of payment, one thing is clear: stablecoins are going mainstream, fast.
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Host Ross Gallagher, Head of Consulting is joined by a fantastic panel of guests as we dive into some of the biggest stories from the worlds of fintech, banking, and wider financial services this week.

Hey, banks! This might sting a bit. You’re getting loyalty all wrong - and it’s costing you customers. But all is not lost!
The entire world is buzzing about AI, and that ain't changing anytime soon. But as AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, what impact will it have on financial services and how people interact with them?
It's not just a buzzword.
Ever wanted to know what’s going on behind the scenes every time we make a payment?
Regulation is essential. It stops banks from going bust or behaving badly.
The invention of the computer revolutionised banking in the 1950s.
Lending has been around for thousands of years and is one of the cornerstones of banking.
They're down, but they're not certainly not out.
Mastercard and Visa are the two biggest credit card networks in the world.
We kick off our Decoding: Banks series with a look at the banking landscape today and how we got here.

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...

