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Fintech

Fintech is booming in Scotland, with a collaborative community that’s grown considerably since 2018.

With more than 200 fintech companies, and a density of fintech firms around 60% greater than the UK average outside London, Scotland could be your opportunity to grow too.

Fintech in Scotland

  • A booming sector

    Scotland is home to more than 200 fintech companies - with opportunities in both established giants and start-ups.

  • A 10-year roadmap for fintech success

    FinTech Scotland's 2022 strategic plan outlines how it'll create 30,000 jobs in the sector.

  • A place to develop your skills

    There are around 200 financial services-related courses taught across Scotland's 19 universities.

Come to Scotland and work in an established financial cluster with an international profile that's brimming with respected academic and industry expertise - known as the best in Europe. 

Discover Scotland's community of fintech companiesopens in a new window 

Your skills are in demand

Scotland is the largest UK financial hub outside London – and it needs your skills.

The FinTech Scotland cluster of companies reported 8% year-on-year employment growth in 2024 bringing the total number of people working in fintech in Scotland to more than 11,300.

FinTech Scotland has outlined an ambitious 10 year research and innovation (R&I) roadmap for fintech success. This strategic plan from 2022 outlines exciting opportunities that include the creation of 30,000 jobs in open finance, climate finance, regulation, and payments and transactions. The roadmap also highlights plans to increase economic value (GVA) by more than 330% over 10 years, from £598 million to more than £2 billion.

Global fintech companies have benefited from Scotland’s capabilities and so can you. In fact, 37 international fintechs have made Scotland their base. By moving here, they’ve become part of a collaborative, distinctive cluster of smaller fintech companies and larger financial organisations that are revolutionising the industry. Fintech companies that have chosen Scotland include:

So where are your skills most in demand? The ‘Big Three’ recruiters are JP Morgan, which has a European Technology Centre in Glasgow, Barclays and NatWestopens in a new window. Other prominent employers include NCRopens in a new window in Dundee, BlackRockopens in a new window in Edinburgh, and Ingenico Northern Europeopens in a new window in Fife.

TranSwapopens in a new window, the Singapore-based cross-border payment platform, has created a new research and development (R&D) centre in Edinburgh.

And Lloyds Banking Group has made a £200million commitment to Scotland with their new head office due to open in Edinburgh in 2027 – attracted by our vibrant fintech scene.

We have ambitious fintech start-ups here too, which also recruit locally. If you’re interested in fast-scaling companies with international outlooks, consider businesses such as:

Find the latest fintech roles in Scotland

We’re constantly innovating in the fintech sector. So, whatever your passion, and however niche your expertise, you’ll find a home for it in Scotland.

Find fintech jobs on LinkedInopens in a new window 

How Scotland supports fintech

Start your career journey with FinTech Scotlandopens in a new window – a body dedicated to developing an innovative community of small and medium-sized fintech firms. Its strategic partner network consists of more than 30 companies and organisations, from big financial firms like Barclays and TSB to government and academia.

The network promotes collaboration and innovation and runs a targeted programme of initiatives for scale-ups.

If it’s happening in the sector, FinTech Scotland is very likely to play a part. It's attained the silver level of ‘Cluster Excellence’ accreditation, the highest in the UK and Europe.

A new £1 million Scottish Centre of Excellence in Digital Trust and DLT (Distributed Ledger Technologies) has also been launched, with funding of £487,000 from Scottish Enterprise. It brings together leading experts in technology and finance to build knowledge, innovation and skills that will help boost jobs, talent, company creation and economic development.

The centre will be hosted by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow and Fintech Scotland. This hub for innovation is part of a wider strategy to position Scotland as a global leader in digital trust innovation, supporting a range of industries from financial services to healthcare and beyond.

Meanwhile, Scotland Financial Enterprise (SFE) – the representative body for the financial services sector  launched its growth strategy in 2023. This identified fintech as an important area of growth for financial services. The strategy sets a target to put both Glasgow and Edinburgh in the top 30 global financial centres in the next five years.

The fintech sector at a glance

Diversify your skills in Scotland across a range of innovation categories, including:

  • Payments
  • Blockchain and cryptocurrency
  • Open finance
  • Regtech and security
  • Lending
  • Personal finance
  • Wealth management.

Fintech in Scotland is growing fast – along with opportunities for new talent. According to FinTech Scotland, over £1.7 billion has been invested in the Scottish sector since 2018. This funding has fuelled innovation, scaling and international expansion, positioning Scotland as a thriving hub for fintech.

Opportunities in education

Make the most of Scotland’s world-class knowledge and increase your skills. 

Scotland continues to lead in research and academia, with around 200 financial services-related courses taught across 19 universities. In fact, the universities of Strathclyde, Stirling, Edinburgh, and Glasgow have all developed their own MSc Fintech degree.

Explore Scotland’s accelerator programmes, centres of excellence or academic research institutes. You can also connect with like-minded individuals from the fintech community in Scotland’s collaborative hubs.

Advanced research and development

The Financial Regulation Innovation Lab is Scotland’s flagship collaboration between FinTech Scotland and Glasgow and Strathclyde universities. It brings together industry partners, fintech entrepreneurs, universities, and regulators to revolutionise the future of financial regulation and fintech innovation. It reflects the immense support for the sector, and the Scottish government’s commitment to the high-growth potential of Scottish fintech innovation.

Perhaps your next move is to blockchain? Scotland exists on the cutting edge of tech, with more and more large Scottish firms and start-ups looking at blockchain within financial services. Scottish start-ups in this area include Siccaropens in a new window and MaidSafeopens in a new window, and The University of Edinburgh has a Blockchain Technology Labopens in a new window within its School of Informatics.

Bring your skills to Scotland and grow your career in our leading international fintech hub.

Quality of life

Scotland has lots to offer outside of work.

Wherever you decide to work in Scotland, you’ll discover welcoming communities, rich history and vibrant culture. Enjoy shorter commutes, world-class education, free healthcare, and plenty of green space on your doorstep.

Building a career in Scotland comes with a lower cost of living than in many other major locations.  You’ll benefit from flexibility for hybrid and remote working while being fully supported by reliable digital connectivity. 

As one of the best-connected places in Europe, Scotland has six airports offering daily direct flights to 150 destinations worldwide. We also have fast and frequent rail links to all parts of the UK. 

Moving to Scotland

We welcome people from around the world who want to build exceptional careers across Scotland. 

Learn more about moving to Scotland on Scotland.orgopens in a new window