Nice conferences are outlined largely by what does occur: what themes are mentioned, what developments generate essentially the most passionate conversations. However nice conferences are additionally outlined by what doesn’t occur: by these matters and developments which have develop into exhausted, didn’t reside as much as the hype within the first place, or just aren’t prepared for prime time.
Having simply checked out among the fundamental matters of dialogue at FinovateEurope, as we speak we’re taking a fast tour by way of the pound to study extra concerning the canine that didn’t bark at FinovateEurope 2026 final week.
Sustaining Sustainability within the Age of AI
Sustainability has been a stronger theme amongst fintech innovators within the UK and the EU in comparison with the US—and arguably all of the extra so given the fusillade of disincentives from the Trump Administration. Previous Finovate conferences have showcased fintechs akin to Join Earth (UK), ecolytiq (Germany), and Little Blocks (India) which might be serving to establishments and people calculate their environmental impression; scale back carbon emissions by way of on-line marketplaces, and align their investing and banking preferences with their attitudes towards the surroundings.
Whereas by no means a big fraction of the demoing corporations at any given present, it was notable that no corporations centered on sustainability on the demo stage. This seemingly displays no less than partly the shift in emphasis towards AI and blockchain-related improvements, particularly as these improvements are more and more shifting from the experimental to real-world use circumstances. Whilst these enabling applied sciences seem like of their earliest levels, the truth that they already are responding to actual issues in monetary providers makes them an particularly engaging area for innovation in comparison with sustainability.
It is very important observe that this doesn’t essentially imply that there was a decline in curiosity in sustainability and climate-related fintech innovation. Actually, funding in climate-related fintech—and climatetech usually—elevated from 2024 to 2025. Europe represented a big quantity of the $103 billion raised globally at 56%, with US-based funds contributing 16% towards the worldwide complete. However sustainability is more and more being seen much less as a standalone answer, and extra as a cost-cutting characteristic to be built-in as in embedded finance or as a part of a broader threat and information analytics bundle. These on the lookout for sustainability to return to the middle stage will seemingly have to see the rise of stronger regulatory mandates akin to these for stricter environmental monetary disclosure or different incentives. Technological innovation alone could not do it.
Quantum Computing: Ready for the Nice Leap Ahead?
Whereas there was a sole presentation on quantum computing at FinovateEurope, the dialogue of this know-how nonetheless stays restricted in most fintech boards. That is regardless of the conviction by analysts that quantum computing will make a big impression on all know-how—together with monetary know-how—within the years to return. It is usually attention-grabbing insofar as we’re seeing rising, enabling applied sciences in AI and the blockchain that proceed to shock detractors and outperform expectations with regards to sensible use circumstances. Why not quantum computing?
First, credit score the place credit score is due: Day Considered one of FinovateEurope featured Amal Nazar, Head of GTM at Wultra, a agency that gives post-quantum authentication options to monetary establishments all over the world. Nazar’s Particular Handle emphasised that it was essential for banks and different monetary establishments to transition to post-quantum cryptography with a purpose to safe long-term digital operations. With regulators urging companies to finish this shift by 2030, it’s clear that no matter conversations we aren’t but having with regard to quantum computing will seemingly start prior to we predict.
However not fairly but. In contrast to AI and blockchain-based applied sciences like stablecoins, quantum computing continues to be considerably “pre-commercial,” that means that whereas there’s appreciable funding curiosity, sensible industrial functions in monetary providers have but to materialize. There are a variety of causes for this, however primarily the difficulty is developmental (learn: {hardware}) moderately than software program or regulation-related within the circumstances of AI and stablecoins, respectively. Arguably, with regards to quantum computing, this know-how because it applies to monetary providers is about the place AI and stablecoins had been seven to 10 years in the past: lengthy on hype and promise, however brief on use circumstances. These use circumstances are growing; as Nazar’s presentation suggests, cryptography is likely one of the major areas the place we should always anticipate quantum computing use circumstances rising. However in comparison with AI and stablecoins, quantum computing could expertise the “at all times a bridesmaid, by no means a bride” syndrome for a number of extra seasons, no less than.
“No person Right here However Us Cloud Firms …”
If you happen to suspected that the inclusion of “cloud” as a theme that was underrepresented at FinovateEurope was little greater than a ruse to speak about AI, then I confess to being responsible as charged. However the comparability between the “cloud revolution” and the “AI revolution” was one I heard from Finovate delegates and on-stage consultants alike, and an attention-grabbing notion so as to add to this dialog on fintech developments.
No firm demoing declared themselves a cloud firm this yr. That’s as a result of, in a way, they’re all “cloud corporations.” The ubiquity of cloud know-how in fintech has rendered the descriptor virtually out of date. And more and more one thing related is going on with AI. Whereas we did undergo the compulsory interval when corporations felt the necessity to append “ai” to their names, we’re however seeing a powerful urgency with which corporations are searching for to leverage AI to enhance effectivity for each their very own staff in addition to for his or her clients. Maybe not for the reason that early days of digital banking has as a lot consideration been paid and innovation dedicated to each side of the client expertise on the similar time.
What this implies, as Senior Finovate analyst Julie Muhn remarked to me within the run-up to FinovateEurope this yr, is that there’s much less and fewer a dialog about “AI,” and an increasing number of a dialog about generative AI, or explainable AI, or agentic AI, or moral AI … You get the purpose. The evolution in our method of speaking about AI displays nothing greater than our rising understanding of the varied methods AI know-how could be deployed, in addition to the myriad duties concerned in deploying it. So whereas we gained’t cease listening to about “AI” anytime quickly, we needs to be ready for a brand new method of speaking concerning the know-how as our relationship to it evolves.
Picture by Anoir Chafik on Unsplash
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