Author

Trilliam Jeong

Published

8 September 2025

Estimated Read time

3Mins

Trilliam Jeong, CEO at Wealthblock, analyses the key investment industry trends in 2025 so far…

Every year the once-staid investment management industry experiences trends in technology, markets, and services that are viewed by many as sure to change the next year’s ways of doing business. Here are three key trends shaping up in 2025… And three from the recent past that turned out to be not-so-trendy.

Trend 1: AI Will Continue to Transform All Areas of Investment Management

Artificial Intelligence (AI), like cloud computing a decade ago, is reshaping the way investment firms acquire, onboard, and manage clients. In 2025, we expect to see deeper integration of AI, providing real-time portfolio insights and automating client communications. Firms will increasingly rely on AI to enhance efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Throughout the past year, leading investment firms have been upgrading their platforms to automate tasks like investor onboarding, marketing, and reporting. This has reduced manual work and human errors. Today, with rapidly advancing technologies like AI and cloud-based solutions, firms are creating customised workflows. These solutions not only benefit clients but allow firms to quickly adjust to changing compliance needs.

Trend 2: Secondary Market Growth

The market for private stakes is likely to expand, offering clients liquidity options beyond traditional public market exits like IPOs. Investors may look to secondary markets for more flexible and immediate exposure to private equity investments. With IPOs remaining limited, secondary market transactions (where private equity stakes are bought and sold) are expected to grow. Both Limited and General Partnership secondaries provide liquidity without requiring a full exit, making them appealing in a market with constrained traditional exit options.

Trend 3: Hyper-Personalisation Through AI

The move toward hyper-personalisation will intensify, with AI tailoring investment firm client interactions to individual preferences. This is crucial for retaining clients in a competitive market. To ensure continues success in 2025, organisations should focus on adopting AI, strengthening their capabilities in secondary markets, and enhancing cybersecurity to protect client data.

Investors now expect quicker, more transparent communication. The state-of-the-art engagement and analytics tools available today have helped reduce delays, but demand for even faster response remains. We foresee further advances in 2025 and beyond.

Beyond these positive trends it is interesting to take note of some oft-hyped predictions in investment technology over the recent past that have not exactly worked out as predicted:

ESG Investing

ESG investing, which gained significant traction between 2019 and 2022, is now witnessing a notable decline. The percentage of new funds labeled as ESG has sharply decreased, and online searches for ESG investing have reverted to 2019 levels.

Tokenisation of Investments

Blockchain and tokenization initially promised a revolution in private investments. But adoption has been slow, primarily due to complex regulations. Firms are now being more selective about blockchain’s real value.

Neobanks and Digital Wallets

Neobanks for private investors have struggled to compete with traditional banks’ digital offerings, leading to a shift in focus. Digital wallets also face security and compliance hurdles in private investment.

AI and Cloud Takes Centre Stage

Generative AI is clearly transforming private equity, with firms exploring AI tools for due diligence, portfolio optimisation, and cost reduction in portfolio companies. While this area is rapidly growing, the high cost and expertise required could limit smaller firms from fully implementing AI solutions across the board.

In 2025, you can expect to see AI more deeply integrated, from real-time portfolio insights to automating investor communications. Firms will likely lean on AI to cut costs and improve response times, making operations smoother overall.

We see the continued investment in AI and Cloud as the overriding trend in 2025. As AI is deployed to help streamline everything from data analysis to investor communication, firms that focus on automating routine tasks will find their team can spend more time on high-level strategy.

  • Artificial Intelligence in FinTech
  • Digital Payments

Author

Dan Brightmore

Published

4 September 2025

Estimated Read time

5Mins

The Financial Transformation Summit (FTS), presented by MoneyNext, took place June 18-19 2025 at London’s ExCeL Centre, Royal Victoria Dock. With over 2,000 attendees, 300+ speakers, and 400 roundtables, it stood out as one of the most immersive and interactive events in the financial services calendar.

FinTech Strategy hit the conference floor at the heart of the action delivering insights from experts across Banking, Insurance, Wealth, and Lending at Financial Transformation Summit (FTS).

Financial Transformation Summit attendees from banking, insurance, wealth, lending, fintech, consultancy, and regulatory sectors convened for two days packed with keynotes, panel talks, immersive demos, and networking among 60+ exhibitors and startups.

Co-located streams – Banking, Insurance, Wealth, and Lending part of themed zones – meant that ticket-holders could explore adjacent sectors fluidly across a guiding theme: culture, collaboration, and customer centricity driving tech adoption and transformation.

Programme Highlights

Keynotes & Panels

1. Data Silos & Cross‑Institutional Collaboration

A panel featuring senior leaders from EVLO, Aon, Schroders, and Brit Insurance tackled how institutions – despite collectively spending over $33 billion annually on data – still struggle to collaborate due to privacy concerns and regulation. Innovative solutions included federated learning, anonymised client IDs and consent-backed APIs.

2. Digital Insurance via Wallets

Anna Bojic (Miss Moneypenny Technologies) unveiled a fresh take on insurance – embedding policy and claim data into Apple/Google Wallets. The idea: dynamic customer interaction directly from smartphone wallets, enhancing real‑time engagement and retention.

3. ESG Economics & Market Reality

Marc Kahn (Investec) challenged ESG orthodoxy, urging firms to emphasise human and planetary wellbeing – beyond purely financial returns – to capture stakeholder trust and sustainable growth.

4. People & Psychological Safety

Kirsty Watson (Aberdeen Group) and Vikki Allgood (Fidelity International) underlined that technological investments are futile without organisational design and psychological safety. Allgood cited a McKinsey study revealing only 26% of leaders build teams with a sense of safety – a critical step toward innovation.

5. Human‑Centred AI

Monica Kalia (Planda AI) championed AI that models individual financial contexts – recognising diversity within demographic cohorts and personalizing services accordingly.

Roundtable Experiences at FTS

At the event’s heart were the TableTalk roundtables – 400+ small-group sessions, each led by a subject-matter expert. These were limited to six participants each, enabling deep, peer-led discussions on themes like:

  • AI in risk and compliance
  • Open banking integration
  • ESG data standards
  • Cyber resilience
  • Change management and culture adaptation

Attendees consistently praised their interactive nature – far removed from the stage‑focused “listening” format often critiqued at other conferences.

Demonstrations & Exhibitor Showcase

Over 60 exhibitors presented tech-driven innovations: Generative AI, open‑banking APIs, ESG reporting tools, embedded finance solutions, and more. A few standouts were:

  • CRIF highlighted AI-powered credit scoring with ESG overlays – promising dynamic risk assessments backed by sustainability data
  • Emerging FinTechs demoing AI compliance engines, digital wallet insurance packaging, and data-sharing platforms
  • Hyland demonstrated the intuitive end-user experience of its Hyland Content Innovation Cloud™ and showed how easy it is to configure, tailor and deploy solutions that can empower key stakeholders across any business

The demo zone allowed engaging, hands-on exploration and real-time Q&As; it complemented the content with practical insights.

Standout Themes & Strategic Insights

1. Tech is Not Enough Without Culture

Recurrent messaging emphasised that culture, trust, governance, and psychological safety are foundational – not secondary – to digital initiatives. Technology alone won’t deliver transformation without a people-first mindset.

2. Cross‑Sector Data Collaboration

Despite heavy investment, institutions still operate in silos. Shared, secure infrastructure and regulatory-aligned frameworks are being prototyped, but broad adoption remains a work in progress.

3. AI-as-a-Personalisation Backbone

AI is shifting from automation to empathy. Organisations showcased tools to hyper-personalise offers yet maintain privacy and inclusion – moving beyond outdated demographic frameworks into genuine behavioural understanding.

4. Embedded Finance & Digital Wallets

Insurance via wallet applications and embedded finance models point to seamless customer journeys – less app hopping, more value delivered at the point of need.

5. Rebalancing ESG & Profit Metrics

Speakers emphasised integrating ESG factors into performance metrics – not just for compliance, but as an operative advantage anchored in long-term stability and stakeholder trust.

Who Should Attend FTS Next Year?

Ideal for:

  • Transformation and change leaders
  • CTOs, CIOs, and Heads of Innovation
  • Data and AI strategists
  • Operational and HR leaders focused on culture
  • FinTech innovators and solution providers

If you’re crafting digital transformation strategies, an attuned leader in financial services, or a consultant embedding tech in legacy environments, this summit provides rich, actionable content.

Expect next year’s event to build on this foundation:

  • More AI-specific tracks, possibly Generative AI streams
  • ESG deep-dives with case studies on implementation
  • Expanded regulator involvement around data governance and cross-border compliance

FTS: Final Verdict

Overall, the FTS 2025 delivered on its brand promise:

  • Interactive and inclusive: 400 roundtables empowered voices across levels.
  • Cross‑sector learning: Banking, Insurance, Wealth, and Lending streams offered both breadth and depth.
  • Insightful keynotes: Big ideas on AI, ESG, data-sharing, and culture were well-explored.
  • Real-world relevance: Exhibitor demos connected theory with practice.
  • Networking with purpose: Opportunities to engage, learn, and collaborate were abundant.

The Financial Transformation Summit struck a compelling balance between big-picture vision and granular, execution-level insight. It emphasised that while technology enables; culture, customer centricity and collaboration drive real progress. The format – with its roundtables, demos, and keynotes – offered a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange.

If you attended, chances are you left with practical next steps. If you didn’t, you missed one of the most interactive, future-focused events shaping financial services transformation today.

  • Artificial Intelligence in FinTech
  • Digital Payments
  • Embedded Finance
  • Events
  • Host Perspectives
  • InsurTech

Author

Dan Brightmore

Published

1 September 2025

Estimated Read time

2Mins

Join thousands of data centre industry leaders and innovators at London’s Business Design Centre for three co-located events – DCD>Connect, DCD>Compute and DCD>Investment September 16-17

Data Center Dynamics (DCD) is connecting the data center ecosystem. Secure your pass for three-colocated events covering the entire digital infrastructure ecosystem across two days at London’s Business Design Centre – DCD>Connect, DCD>Compute and DCD>Investment.

DCD Connect

Connecting the data center ecosystem to design, build & operate sustainable data centers for the AI age…

Bringing together more than 4,000 senior leaders working on Europe’s largest data center projects. DCD>Connect | London will drive industry collaboration, help you forge new partnerships and identify innovative solutions to your core challenges.

“First class event that presented a wide variety of perspectives and technologies in an engaging and informative forum” – Data Center Project Architect, AWS

DCD Compute

Uniting enterprise and hyperscale leaders driving scalable AI Infrastructure from silicon to software…

New workloads are fundamentally reshaping IT infrastructure, as accelerated hardware innovation is enabling more new workloads. How can you keep up in this rapid cycle of new AI models, new hardware, new software, and the race to be first to market?

The Compute event series, run in partnership with SDxCentral, empowers leaders to make sharp decisions on IT infrastructure and AI deployment. Join 400+ peers from enterprise, hyperscale, and top IT infrastructure and architecture innovators to shape the future of compute—on-prem or in the cloud.

  • 400+ Decision-Makers for IT Infrastructure, Architecture, AI, HPC and Quantum Computing
  • 60+ industry-leading speakers at the forefront of innovation across cloud and on-prem compute
  • Hosted in partnership with SDxCentral

DCD Investment

Connecting senior dealmakers driving the economic evolution of digital infrastructure…

The world depends on digital infrastructure, and there’s never been more pressure on the industry to scale at speed. The Data Center Dynamics Investment series helps the leading dealmakers behind this growth to make informed decisions faster, through top-tier content, tailored networking, and best-practice sharing.

  • Dynamic Programme: A brand new format including leadership roundtable discussions allows for 2025 attendees craft their own agenda at the Forum.
  • 50 Speakers: The C-suite operators, leading investors, and advisors in data centers are converging to strategize on the industry’s evolving landscape.
  • Exclusive Networking Opportunities: The Investment Forum is separated from the main DCD Connect programme and show floor, offering private networking and dealmaking opportunities to take place in an optimal setting.

Secure your pass for three-colocated events September 16-17 – DCD>Connect, DCD>Compute and DCD>Investment.

  • Cybersecurity
  • Data & AI
  • Digital Strategy
  • Event Newsroom
  • Events
  • Fintech & Insurtech

Author

Dan Brightmore

Published

15 October 2024

Estimated Read time

6Mins

Read in brochure format

Our cover story reveals the digital transformation journey at global insurance services company Innovation Group using InsurTech advances to disrupt…

Our cover story reveals the digital transformation journey at global insurance services company Innovation Group using InsurTech advances to disrupt the industry.

Welcome to the latest issue of Interface magazine!

Read the latest issue here!

We’re excited to be publishing the biggest ever issue of Interface this month. It’s packed with insights from the cutting edge of digital technologies across a diverse range of sectors; from InsurTech to Travel via eCommerce, Banking, Manufacturing and Public Services.

Innovation Group: Enabling the Future of Insurance

“What we’ve achieved at Innovation Group is truly disruptive,” reflects Group Chief Technology Officer James Coggin.

“Our acquisition by one of the world’s largest insurance companies validated the strategy we pursued with our Gateway platform. We put the platform at the heart of an ecosystem of insurers, service providers and their customers. It has proved to be a powerful approach.”

Leeds Building Society: Tech Transformation Driven by Data

Carole Roberts, Director of Data at Leeds Building Society, on a digital transformation program driven by the mutual power of people and culture.

“We’ve made the decision to move to a composable architecture. It’s going to give us much more flexibility in the future to be able to swap in and out components rather than one big monolithic environment.”

AvePoint: Securing the Digital Future

Kevin Briggs, Vice President of Public Sector at AvePoint, discusses pioneering data security and management transformation in the global public sector.

“We ensure the security, accessibility and integrity of data for customers with missions from everything from finance and health services, through to national security, innovation, and science.”

Saudia: Taking off on a Digital Journey

Abdulgader Attiah, Chief Data & Technology Officer at Saudia, on the digital transformation program towards becoming an ‘offer and order’ airline.

“By the end of this year we will have established the maturity level for data technology, and our digital and back-office transformations. In 2025 we will begin implementing our retailing concept and the AI features that will drive it. The building blocks will be in place for next year’s initiatives where hyper personalisation for retailing is a must.”

Publicis Sapient: Global Banking Benchmark Study

Dave Murphy, Financial Services Lead, International – gives Interface the lowdown on the third annual Global Banking Benchmark Study and the key findings Publicis Sapient revealed around core modernisation, GenAI, data analytics transformation and payments.

“AI, machine learning and GenAI are both the focus and the fuel of banks’ digital transformation efforts. The biggest question for executives isn’t about the potential of these technologies. It’s how best to move from experimenting with use cases in pockets of the business to implementing at scale across the enterprise. The right data is key. It’s what powers the models.”

Habi: Unleashing liquidity in the LATAM market

Employees at Habi discuss its mission to help customers buy and sell their homes more effectively.

“At Habi, you can talk with the AI agent and you can provide information that streamlines the whole process.”

USDA FPAC: Achieving customer experience balance

Abena Apau and Kimberly Iczkowski, from USDA FPAC on the incredible work the organisation is doing to support farmers across America.

“We’ve created a new structure for ourselves, based on the fact that the digital experience is not the be all and end all, and we have to balance it with the human touch.”

Adecco Group: Digital Transformation driven by business outcomes

Geert Halsberghe, Head of IT, Benelux, at Adecco Group, talks transformation management, cultural consensus, and ensuring digital transformation starts (and stays) focused on solving business problems.

“It’s very crucial to make sure that we aren’t spending money on IT transformation for the sake of IT transformation.”

La Vie en Rose: Outcome-focused Digital Transformation

Éric Champagne, CIO of La Vie en Rose, on ensuring digital transformations are defined by communication, vision, and cultural buy-in. 

“I don’t chase after the latest technology just because it seems cool… My focus is on aligning technology with the business strategy and real needs.”

Breitling: Digital Transformation and the omnichannel experience

Rajesh Shanmugasundaram, CTO at Breitling, talks changing customer expectations, data, AI, and digitally transforming to deliver the omnichannel experience.

 “The CRM, the marketing, our e-commerce channels — they’ve all matured so much… we’re meeting our customers wherever they are or want to be.” 

Read the latest issue here!

  • Digital Strategy

Author

Kevin Davies

Published

28 October 2020

Estimated Read time

5Mins

Data revealed as Tech Nation and Dealroom launch the Impact & Innovation database…

New research from Tech Nation and Dealroom reveals that investment into UK impact startups increased 9.5x between 2014 and 2019. UK impact startups have raised €1.4B so far in 2020 with Cleantech and Climate tech companies raising the most capital of all UK impact startups. 

The biggest rounds for UK impact startups in 2020 include Octopus Energy, Arrival, Connexin (Hull), Tokamak Energy (Abingdon), Compass Pathways, Cera, Highview Power, FiveAI (Cambridge), The Meatless Farm Company (Leeds).

It comes as Tech Nation and Dealroom launch the  Impact and Innovation database, that catalogues 4,939 startups and scaleups, 7,472 funding rounds, and 232 exits of innovative companies addressing the world’s most pressing challenges. 

George Windsor, Head of Insights at Tech Nation, commented: “UK impact tech firms have come on leaps and bounds over the last six years – with nearly 10x more investment made into groundbreaking companies in 2020 than 2014. UK tech must continue to play a key part in tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges, including  climate change. This revolution is happening right across the country. Tech Nation is pleased to work with some of the leading companies in this space through our world-first Net Zero programme – ensuring that companies working in this sector can scale to have the greatest impact.”

The data also reveals that European startups are more impact-focussed than their global peers. €6B was invested into European impact startups in 2019, making up over 15% of all VC investment in the region. This research shows that what was once fringe investment and innovation activity is finding traction and proven success in Europe, becoming a core part of European innovation ecosystems.

Climate tech startups, which includes electric vehicles, have attracted the most investment within the Impact sub-sector, with European players emerging as global market leaders. European companies working to tackle climate change and its impacts have attracted €9.8B in VC investment in the last five years. 

Impact innovation startups are also fueling growth and job creation. Crucially, these startups are actively hiring, the Impact & Innovation database lists over 2,100 jobs in impact startups that are currently hiring in Europe – over 390 of these are in the UK. 

The Impact and Innovation platform will bring together startups, investors, non-profits, governments, and corporates in one open-access data-driven platform. The new mapping of the global impact and innovation ecosystem will facilitate data-driven policy and decision making, the sharing of cross-industry knowledge, and will foster the partnerships required to help next generation innovators succeed on the global stage.