We were promised that fintech disruptors were going to revolutionise banking and sweep away the legacy players forever. So, what happened?
I’m often asked what I spend most of my time thinking about at 11:FS. Honestly, most of the time it's something to do with how to scale 11:FS in a way that places culture at the forefront of everything we do and keeps it there.
Money 20/20 Europe 2019 is almost upon us and this year I’m looking forward to hearing from some of the sharpest minds in the industry, and also having a good argument ;).
Digital-only banks have been all the rage for some time now. Who hasn't heard of Monzo and Starling or, if your gaze is stateside, Chime? This is taken from our Unfiltered newsletter. Subscribe now for a no BS, uncensored analysis of fintech news and hot topics delivered to your inbox each fortnight.
"Mastercard to push up fees for UK purchases from EU" was the headline we all wanted to see last month amid lockdowns, vaccine shortages and Brexit debacles.
In the wake of UBS’ takeover of Credit Suisse, we’ve been thinking a lot about the impact that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have on technology and architecture.
ChatGPT is unavoidable. Everyone has an opinion on it, but we haven’t yet scratched the surface of what it could unleash for financial services. Big banks are already turning their backs on it, but are they making a huge mistake?
A banker keen to stay under the radar has written us another insider’s perspective on where problems and their solutions are found in incumbent banks. The Stigcumbent, who you’ll remember from their insight on TSB and Open Banking APIs, has returned. Read on to discover just where the problems and solutions in every bank live…
If you change how money moves, you change the world. Money touches everything. Want to build a school? You need money. Want to prevent unsustainable business models? Want to prevent human trafficking? Manage the money flow.
Every day on our podcasts, our social forums, videos, and events, we have the privilege of talking to the founders, the builders, the passionate people shaping the future of financial services.
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.
Happy 2023, fintech fans!
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.

For years, banking has been framed as a battlefield: incumbents defending their turf while fintech challengers attack with better tech and customer experience. But in 2026, that picture may have changed.

Host Laura Watkins (Director of Media and Marketing at 11:FS) is joined by a brilliant panel to unpack these topics before diving into some of the biggest fintech stories of the week.

In this episode of Fintech Insider, David M. Brear sits down with Emily Turner, the newly appointed CEO of HSBC Innovation Banking UK, for a conversation about leadership, innovation, and the future of fintech in the UK.

In this episode of Fintech Insider Insights, Kate Moody is joined by an expert panel of product leaders to unpack a question every startup and scale-up eventually faces: how do you build the dream product team?
.jpg)
Host Ross Gallagher, Head of Ventures at 11:FS, is joined by some great guests to discuss the biggest stories from the world of financial services over the past week.
.jpg)
In this episode of Fintech Insider, David M. Brear sits down with ClearBank’s UK CEO, Emma Hagan, to explore how the UK’s first new clearing bank in over 250 years is reshaping financial infrastructure from the ground up.
.jpg)
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.
.jpg)
In this special live edition of Fintech Insider Insights, recorded at the FCA’s Supercharged Sandbox Showcase, David M. Brear is joined by leaders from the regulator, industry and the technology ecosystem to unpack the UK’s first AI-focused regulatory sandbox.
.jpg)
Host Benjamin Ensor, Director of Research and Strategy at 11:FS, is joined by some great guests to discuss the biggest stories from the world of financial services over the past week.
.jpg)
What’s next for fintech UX in 2026? Ross Gallagher, Head of Consulting at 11:FS, is joined by some great guests to break down six financial services UX predictions from the latest 11:FS Pulse Report, covering the shifts shaping digital banking, customer experience, onboarding, product design, and user research.
.jpg)
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.
.jpg)
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.
.jpg)
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?
.jpg)
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.

David M. Brear, our 11:FS CEO, takes us through legacy technology within banks - but of course, with a really cool Lightboard.

Fintech Marketing Podcast Season 2: Coming soon

After Dark - Open Finance: fact or fantasy?

Banks are facing a lot of challenges compared to their fintech rivals.
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!

In this episode of Spotlight on LinkedIn Live, we're speaking to Paul Riseborough and Rachael Sinclair, Mission Leaders from Nationwide, about how they're switching up their business structure to ensure they are aligned to their customers and creating the most effective teams in the industry along the way.

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!

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...

