The winners of the 2026 Fintech Awards Wales were revealed on Friday evening at a sold-out ceremony at the iconic Tramshed in Cardiff.
Headline sponsored by Confused.com, the awards honour exceptional achievements across the Welsh FinTech industry, recognising the individuals, companies and academic institutions driving innovation and excellence in the sector.
Final Rentals enjoyed a standout evening, with founder Ammar Akhtar named FinTech Leader of the Year and colleague Ricky Gamble crowned Rising FinTech Star of the Year. IEHub took home FinTech Company of the Year, while Capital On Tap was recognised twice, winning Best Place to Work and Team of the Year for its Customer Insights Team. de Novo Solutions was named FinTech Scale-Up of the Year, with apprentice Marina Parry-Jones also winning Apprenticeship of the Year, and Valart Ltd was named FinTech Start-Up of the Year.
The winners were selected following two days of in-depth, in-person judging on 7th and 8th July, where finalists presented to a panel of industry leaders and experts chaired by Louise Brett.
Matthew Hyde, Founder of Fintech Awards Wales, said: “What a night. Every one of this year’s winners has earned their place through real innovation, ambition and hard graft, and it was a privilege to celebrate them alongside the whole Welsh FinTech community at the Tramshed. From first-time founders to established names scaling at pace, the quality of this year’s entries shows just how far Welsh FinTech has come – and how much further it can go. Huge congratulations to all of our winners and highly commended finalists.”
Louise Brett, Chair of the Judging Panel for Fintech Awards Wales, added: “This year’s winners demonstrate exactly why the UK remains one of the world’s leading fintech ecosystems – harnessing technologies such as AI, open banking and digital innovation to solve real-world challenges, drive growth and improve customer outcomes. With the UK’s renewed focus on regional fintech growth and competitiveness, it is increasingly clear that regional fintech hubs like Wales are playing a critical role in shaping the future of financial services across the UK. Meeting the finalists over two days of judging was a real privilege, and the winners should be enormously proud.” Steve Dukes, CEO of Confused.com and Headline Sponsor of the Fintech Awards Wales 2026, said: “It's energising to see so many businesses adopting a challenger mindset – refusing to accept the status quo and pushing themselves and their industries to bring talent and innovation to the fintech ecosystem. These awards highlight the incredible achievements and momentum we're building and we're delighted to support Welsh Fintech.” The ceremony brought together industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and key stakeholders from across the Welsh financial services and technology community for an unforgettable celebration of the sector’s achievements.
Fintech Awards Wales 2026 – Winners
FinTech Leader of the Year
- Winner: Ammar Akhtar – Final Rentals
- Highly Commended: Sally Tuhami – Confused.com
Rising FinTech Star of the Year
- Winner: Ricky Gamble – Final Rentals
Apprenticeship of the Year
- Winner: Marina Parry-Jones – de Novo Solutions
- Highly Commended: Zoe Davies – Iris Care Group
FinTech Company of the Year
- Winner: IEHub
FinTech Start-Up of the Year
- Winner: Valart Ltd
FinTech Scale-Up of the Year
- Winner: de Novo Solutions
Team of the Year
- Winner: Capital On Tap – Customer Insights Team
- Highly Commended: Driverly
Best Place to Work
- Winner: Capital On Tap
- Highly Commended: Bipsync
Best Use of AI
- Winner: Menna Ltd
- Highly Commended: Bipsync
New Product of the Year
- Winner: Small Print Compare
FinTech for Good of the Year
- Winner: Proveit
Cyber Security Team of the Year
- Winner: Socura
Best Advisory of the Year
- Winner: HCR Law
Best Academic Programme Supporting FinTech / FS Companies
- Winner: Admiral – Data & AI Academy
- Highly Commended: Hartree Centre Cardiff Hub
