Event recap · March 2025
The Innovation Stage at PAY360, hosted and curated by Fintech Fringe, was a high-energy journey through the cutting edge of payments, fintech innovation and the future of financial services.
Maintaining our “No Fluff, No BS” mantra, we ensured that each session delivered practical insights, fresh perspectives and actionable takeaways that left attendees better equipped to tackle the industry’s biggest challenges.
Key highlights
Brand & Build
The Brand & Build session spotlighted the crucial intersection of brand identity and customer experience in driving fintech growth. Featuring industry leaders from Klarna and Kustom, it explored how payments are becoming the backbone of brand loyalty. As fintechs scale, creating seamless, trust-building payment experiences will play a pivotal role in their success.
Key takeaways included the evolution of retail experiences, from TikTok shops to content-driven commerce, and how embedded payments, design for conversion and frictionless experiences fuel brand loyalty. As Klarna’s team highlighted, in today’s competitive landscape, payments are no longer just about completing a transaction; they’re about building lasting relationships with customers.
“Great payments disappear into the background, but they power brand love and repeat usage. Design for conversion, not friction.”
Embedded payments
Embedded payments was a full house, exploring how they’re transforming customer experiences and moving beyond buzzwords to demonstrate real, scalable implementations. Speakers from OpenPayd, CCgroup, NatWest Boxed and Griffin shared lessons on navigating the operational challenges of embedding finance into platforms.
Breakfast Brainfood
The Breakfast Brainfood sessions, hosted by Simon Taylor from Sardine, brought together fintech media insiders from SkyParlour, The Fintech Times, Payments Cards & Mobile and FF News for a rapid-fire review of what’s breaking, what’s changing and what’s worth paying attention to in fintech. Key themes included the rise of AI in fintech, the need for smarter fraud prevention and fast-evolving media narratives.
The Innovation Challenge with Project Nemo
The Innovation Challenge with Project Nemo was one of the event’s standout moments, spotlighting practical, high-impact solutions for financial inclusion. Companies like Cleva Card, Hope Macy, Money Carer, Vouchsafe and Sibstar presented innovative products directly addressing the needs of underserved communities, while Project Nemo led the charge in advocating for more inclusive financial services.
Unplugged with 11:FS
And then there was Unplugged with 11:FS: two days of open, candid conversation that pulled no punches, aided by a few espresso martinis to oil the wheels. The sessions tackled the realities of scaling fintech, the importance of operational excellence, and the need for fintechs to focus on solving real problems, not just chasing hype.
Sessions that delivered
Generative AI and the future of payments
Companies like Alipay UK, Google and Nvidia explored how AI is going beyond automation, discussing its potential to predict and prevent fraud, optimise payment flows, and create personalised, seamless payment experiences at scale.
The evolution of buy now, pay later
The BNPL model is expanding across both online and in-store transactions. Lloyds Banking Group, The Payments Association and SkyParlour discussed how AI-driven solutions are changing the BNPL landscape, turning it into an embedded feature of many payment systems.
Tokens and stablecoins: payments without borders
The session on tokenisation and stablecoins reshaping cross-border payments highlighted how fintechs are driving the future of treasury and trade finance. Travers Smith, Coinbase and Agant explored the potential of blockchain to enable faster, cheaper and more secure transactions.
Fraud prevention and the scamdemic
Fraud is no longer just a back-office concern; it’s a customer experience, revenue and regulatory issue. Barclays, Salv, fscom and Pay.UK discussed how to tackle fraud through smarter design, real-time visibility and greater collaboration across the industry.
Innovation in open banking and embedded finance
Leaders from Mastercard, SWIFT, EY and Finnovation UK tackled how the UK’s regulatory landscape is evolving to support innovation, reinforcing that compliance is not a roadblock but a launchpad for the future of open banking and embedded finance.
What’s next?
The success of the Innovation Stage is just the beginning. Fintech Fringe is committed to continuing to shape the future of fintech through events that drive real-world impact and foster collaboration. Our tagline, “No Fluff, No BS”, resonates not just in our sessions but also in the relationships we’re building across the ecosystem.
The future of fintech is now, and we’ll be there, pushing boundaries and driving innovation every step of the way.
The Innovation Stage was sponsored by SAP Fioneer, rock-solid technology to empower banks, insurance companies and challengers to grow and transform at scale and speed.