Welsh Fintech Leaders Meet Adam Price to Discuss Capital and Talent 2026

Key Points

• Leading representatives of the fintech and finance service sectors in Wales had an exclusive meeting with Adam Price MS, the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy for the Welsh Government.
• The roundtable discussion was around access to investment and funding, skills and talent, innovation, business development, and the overall brand of Wales as a fintech location.
• FinTech Wales said that the roundtable provided the opportunity for industry leaders to voice the issues and priorities of the sector.
• Attendees discussed how collaboration between the public and private sectors can assist businesses in starting and growing within Wales, getting investments and building ecosystems.
• The event comes amid an overall agenda of the Welsh Government focused on productivity, scaling businesses, innovation and capturing value from the economy in Wales.
• The Development Bank of Wales has recently introduced its £10 million pilot program aimed at assisting high-growth Welsh businesses in raising bigger equity investment rounds.
• Sarah Williams-Gardener OBE, founder member of Starling Bank and Chair of FinTech Wales, has become vice-chair of the expert advisory panel which is assisting with developing a proposal of a new development agency for Wales.

Wales (Wales Times) October 2026 — Senior leaders from Wales’s fintech and financial-services sector have met Adam Price MS, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, to discuss how the country can improve access to capital, develop talent and support companies seeking to grow beyond Wales.

As reported by FinTech Wales, the private roundtable brought together leaders from across the fintech and financial-services community. The organisation said the meeting was designed to allow industry representatives to engage directly with the Cabinet Minister and set out their views on the sector’s opportunities, challenges and priorities.

The discussion covered investment and access to funding, skills and talent, innovation, business growth, and Wales’s reputation as a destination for fintech and financial services. FinTech Wales said it also considered how government and industry could collaborate to strengthen the ecosystem, support firms to start and scale in Wales, attract further investment, and build the country’s standing as a leading fintech hub.

What Did Welsh Fintech Leaders Discuss With Adam Price?

The central themes were the barriers that can prevent promising Welsh businesses from expanding, particularly when they need capital, skilled staff and access to wider markets.

FinTech Wales said the roundtable explored “investment and access to funding, skills and talent, innovation, business growth and Wales’ profile as a destination for fintech and financial services”. It added that the meeting considered how industry and government can work together to strengthen the ecosystem, support businesses to start and scale in Wales, attract further investment and ensure Wales continues to build its reputation as a leading fintech hub.

The meeting did not appear to produce a single announced policy, funding commitment or formal agreement in the material published by FinTech Wales. Instead, it was presented as an opportunity for dialogue between policymakers and senior figures in the sector.

That distinction matters for businesses and investors assessing the Welsh fintech landscape. The roundtable signals continued engagement between the Welsh Government and the industry, but the published information does not establish what specific measures, if any, will follow.

Why Is Access to Capital a Priority for Welsh Fintech?

Access to capital is a recurring issue for high-growth technology businesses, including fintech firms that may need investment to develop products, meet regulatory requirements, hire specialist staff and expand into new markets.

The Welsh Government has recently placed greater emphasis on helping ambitious firms scale. In a written statement published on 2 October 2026, Adam Price described Sbardun, a new model of support bringing together resources from the Development Bank of Wales and Welsh Government business support.

According to the Welsh Government, Sbardun will deliver a 24-month programme of intensive, entrepreneur-led support alongside access to active capital investment. Participating businesses are expected to receive help identifying barriers to growth, strengthening leadership capability, accessing finance and networks, entering new markets and building resilience to scale sustainably.

Price said his vision was for Wales to become “a nation where more ambitious businesses are able to start, scale and stay”. He added that growth should be matched by productivity, innovation and good jobs, and that more Welsh-headquartered firms should have the confidence, capability and capital to compete at home and internationally.

What Investment Support Is Already Available?

The roundtable followed the launch of a £10 million pilot scheme by the Development Bank of Wales, announced in September 2026.

As reported by FinTech Wales, the scheme is designed to help high-growth Welsh businesses secure larger equity investment rounds and scale from a Welsh base. The Development Bank said the programme would bring expertise, networks and long-term backing that could help businesses grow faster, improve productivity and support sustainable economic growth across Wales.

For fintech founders, such schemes may be relevant where a company has outgrown early-stage funding but still faces difficulty raising a larger round from private investors. The published material does not say that the scheme is specifically reserved for fintech businesses, nor does it set out eligibility criteria in the information available.

The broader policy direction is also relevant. In June 2026, the Welsh Government announced an economic mission intended to close Wales’s productivity gap with the rest of the United Kingdom and boost pay. It said the approach would be delivered with businesses, trade unions, regional stakeholders and the UK Government, with a focus on supporting firms to scale so they can compete in high-value markets.

How Does the Meeting Fit Wales’s Fintech Strategy?

The roundtable forms part of a wider effort to position Wales as a credible location for financial technology, investment and skilled employment.

FinTech Wales hosted the first Wales Fintech Festival in Swansea on 3 June 2026. The event brought together founders, investors, policymakers, academics and ecosystem partners at the Swansea Building Society Arena.

At the festival, Adam Price said: “Wales isn’t asking if it belongs in global fintech, but is shaping where it goes next.” He also said the sector was creating jobs, attracting investment and building international reach, adding that Wales was “building real scale, creating high-value jobs and earning global recognition”.

The Welsh Government said at the time that it was committed to backing talent, supporting innovation and bringing more global investment into Wales. It also called for support for innovators, adoption of new technologies and the development of a financial sector able to meet future challenges and opportunities.

The September roundtable therefore appears consistent with the Welsh Government’s stated approach: bringing industry voices into discussions about investment, skills and growth rather than treating fintech as a separate policy issue.

What Role Does FinTech Wales Play?

FinTech Wales is the industry body that organised the roundtable and described it as an exclusive event for senior leaders across its community.

The organisation said the roundtable would provide an opportunity for leaders from Wales’s fintech and financial-services ecosystem to share perspectives directly with the Cabinet Minister. Its published description of the event placed particular emphasis on the need for collaboration between industry and government.

FinTech Wales also has a role in the development of Welsh economic policy beyond the roundtable. Sarah Williams-Gardener OBE, a founding member of Starling Bank and Chair of FinTech Wales, was appointed vice-chair of the Expert Advisory Panel for a proposed new national development agency for Wales.

According to the Welsh Government, the panel will advise Adam Price on the form and function of the new agency. Williams-Gardener’s listed areas of responsibility include innovation, investment attraction and business ecosystem development.

What Has Adam Price Said About Business Growth?

Adam Price has framed the issue as one of enabling Welsh businesses to grow without necessarily having to leave Wales.

In the Welsh Government’s written statement on Sbardun, he said he wanted more Welsh-headquartered firms to have the confidence, capability and capital to compete successfully at home and internationally. He also said growth should be accompanied by productivity, innovation and good jobs.

That language aligns with the themes raised at the fintech roundtable. For a sector built around digital financial services, the ability to retain headquarters, research and development activity, skilled employment and investment in Wales may be central to whether local firms can compete nationally and internationally.

The Welsh Government has also said inward investment should strengthen Welsh firms, deepen supply chains, support priority economic platforms, increase exports and bring technology or management capability into Wales. It said this should help retain more value in the Welsh economy.

What Has Not Been Confirmed?

The available reporting does not confirm a new fintech-specific fund, tax measure, regulatory change, skills programme or timetable for action following the meeting.

FinTech Wales described the roundtable as a forum for discussion. The Welsh Government’s related announcements concern wider business-support and investment policy, rather than a measure announced specifically as a result of the meeting.

It is therefore not possible, on the published evidence, to say that the meeting directly produced new funding for Welsh fintechs or a binding commitment from the Welsh Government. Any such conclusion would go beyond the information made public by FinTech Wales and the Welsh Government.

Background of the Development

Wales’s fintech sector has been developing within a broader national economic agenda focused on productivity, innovation, skills and business scaling. The Welsh Government has said it wants to halve Wales’s productivity gap with the UK average within ten years, and has identified support for firms to scale as a key part of that effort.

The first Wales Fintech Festival, held in Swansea in June 2026, brought together parts of the sector and highlighted the role of fintech in job creation, investment and international growth. Adam Price used the event to argue that Wales was not merely participating in global fintech but helping shape its future direction.

In September 2026, the Development Bank of Wales launched its £10 million pilot scheme for high-growth businesses seeking larger equity rounds. Later that month, the Welsh Government appointed an expert advisory panel, including FinTech Wales Chair Sarah Williams-Gardener as vice-chair, to advise on a proposed new national development agency.

The roundtable with Adam Price took place against that backdrop. It gave fintech and financial-services leaders a formal channel to raise concerns about funding, talent and growth directly with the minister responsible for enterprise, connectivity and energy.

Prediction: How Could This Affect Welsh Fintech Businesses?

For Welsh fintech founders, investors and employees, the most immediate effect of the meeting is likely to be greater visibility of the sector’s needs within Welsh Government economic policy discussions.

If the issues raised at the roundtable influence future programmes, businesses could benefit from improved routes to growth capital, stronger connections between firms and investors, and more coordinated support for leadership, market entry and scaling. The Welsh Government’s Sbardun programme and the Development Bank’s £10 million pilot suggest that access to finance and business-support capacity are already areas of policy attention.

For founders, the practical implication is to monitor Welsh Government and Development Bank announcements, particularly those relating to equity investment, business support and the proposed national development agency. Firms that can demonstrate growth potential, a credible leadership team and a clear plan to enter wider markets may be better placed to respond if new support becomes available.

For investors, continued government engagement with the sector could improve the visibility of Welsh fintech opportunities and strengthen the local ecosystem. However, the published information does not yet show a new sector-specific investment commitment, so investors should treat the roundtable as a signal of policy engagement rather than a confirmed funding pipeline.

For workers and graduates, a stronger focus on talent could lead to more opportunities in fintech, financial services, technology and related roles if government and industry translate the discussion into skills and employment initiatives. The extent of that impact will depend on whether the discussions lead to concrete programmes and whether Welsh firms are able to convert improved access to capital into sustained growth.