2026 Agenda

Early-stage fintech founders take the stage to pitch their innovations live. Two standout startups will be awarded $50,000 SAFE notes, selected by a panel of expert judges.

Fintech Meetup’s tech-enabled meetings program is your fast track to ROI. For 2026, we’re delivering even more curated, pre-qualified, and guaranteed meetings between decision makers, buyers, and solution providers. Hosted Meetings give vendors priority access to high-value conversations - designed to maximize impact and accelerate outcomes.

Member-first. Tech-forward. Collaborative. Credit unions are surprising the industry with their digital transformation strategies, and fintech partnerships.

Hear from CU leaders pushing innovation in lending, personalization, and digital access.

Takeaways:
• See what makes CUs agile despite regulatory constraints.
• Learn how member data is driving smarter lending experiences.
• Hear real use cases of fintech partnerships in action

Core replacement is no longer the only, or even best, path to transformation. Today’s leaders are blending modular architecture, middleware, and smart orchestration layers to evolve in place. But modernizing without a massive replatforming isn’t simple, it requires thoughtful sequencing, internal buy-in, and partner alignment.

This session brings together banking execs and infrastructure providers who’ve made real progress without blowing up their systems or budgets. Learn how they phased transformation, avoided the integration trap, and scaled innovation through targeted modernization.

Takeaways:
• Understand how middleware and orchestration enable modernization without disruption.
• Learn how to build a phased transformation roadmap for legacy environments.
​​• Explore real use cases from banks balancing innovation with operational risk.

After the valuation rollercoaster of 2021-2024, smart capital is back. Today’s investors are betting on smaller, leaner, sharper companies with real margins, not just big visions. Meanwhile, founders are approaching funding with clarity, constraint, and purpose.

This session features top-tier VCs and high-performing founders sharing insights on navigating today’s fintech capital stack, from pre-seed to growth.

Takeaways:
• Learn how fintech investment criteria have evolved post-bubble.
• Hear how top founders are positioning for long-term sustainability and growth.
• Understand what it takes to raise aligned capital in 2026.

FedNow. RTP. Each claims to be the future of faster payments. But what are banks, platforms, and merchants actually using, and why?

This session reveals what real-time payments look like in practice, where adoption is lagging, and which rails are proving reliable, scalable, and profitable.

Takeaways:
• Compare real-world use cases for RTP, FedNow, and stablecoins.
• Learn which rail types align with various use cases: B2B, P2P, C2B.
• Hear from banks and fintechs on how they’re investing and experimenting

AI holds massive potential, but many banks get stuck in endless pilots. What separates those who scale AI from those who stall? This session explores the real-world path to production: integrating AI in fraud, operations, personalization, and compliance without overbuilding or overpromising.

Hear from institutions who have moved beyond the hype to deploy agentic and predictive AI at scale. We’ll break down vendor selection, internal governance, and change management strategies that work.

Takeaways:
• Learn what it takes to move AI from pilot to production within a bank.
• Hear strategies for building trust with stakeholders and regulators.
• Explore successful use cases in CX, risk, fraud, and back office

In a world where crossing borders is harder than it’s been in a decade, moving money across them is no longer just a technical challenge - it’s a strategic one. From FX volatility to fragmented rails, cross-border payments demand orchestration, agility, and trust at scale.

This panel brings together leaders from platforms, banks, and PSPs who are building global infrastructure without boots on the ground. Hear how they’re navigating regulatory patchworks, local preferences, and liquidity constraints - while keeping speed and UX front and center.

Takeaways:
• How global platforms are stitching together local rails and payment cultures.
• Smart strategies for FX, settlement, and liquidity in a fragmented world.
• Where stablecoins, wallets, and new tech are reshaping the cross-border stack.

SMBs make up the majority of businesses globally, yet still struggle to access credit that fits their needs. Traditional lenders cite high servicing costs and lack of data, while many fintechs focus elsewhere. The result? A massive market gap with underserved demand and clunky user journeys.

That’s changing fast. Fintechs and vertical platforms are now embedding credit directly into the tools SMBs already use, like POS, payroll, and invoicing systems. This session explores how contextual underwriting, real-time cash flow models, and flexible repayment terms are helping SMBs access smarter, faster credit, without leaving their workflows.

Takeaways:
• Understand why SMB lending has been historically overlooked—and why it matters now.
• Learn how fintechs and platforms are embedding credit into real business tools.
• Explore how modern data models are reshaping underwriting and risk.

Early-stage fintech founders take the stage to pitch their innovations live. Two standout startups will be awarded $50,000 SAFE notes, selected by a panel of expert judges.

Join fellow fintech and financial services leaders for Table Talks - curated roundtable discussions designed to spark candid conversations around the industry’s most pressing innovation opportunities. These small-group sessions offer a unique chance to exchange ideas, share challenges, and connect with peers shaping the future of finance.

Sponsored by DATAMARK

As lean teams look for exponential leverage, a new class of agentic fintechs is rewriting the playbook on growth. Instead of hiring armies of operations staff, these companies are deploying autonomous AI agents to run support queues, close compliance gaps, and even manage reconciliation workflows. But what’s hype, and what’s hitting real milestones?

Join a candid conversation with founders, engineers, and investors behind some of the boldest AI-native companies in fintech. We’ll explore how they’re deploying agentic systems in production, what tooling they rely on, and how they measure value beyond the demo.

Takeaways:
• Understand how AI agents are being used to replace, not just augment, core operations.
• Learn which tools and frameworks startups are using to operationalize agentic workflows.
• Gain insights into early benchmarks and investor criteria for AI-native traction.

Fraud is evolving faster than ever, with deepfakes, synthetic identities, and bot-led scams scaling up. Can AI defenses keep pace?

This session covers the real-world deployments of fraud prevention tools and what it takes to stay ahead in a generative threat landscape.

Takeaways:
• Learn what’s working and what's not working in AI-driven fraud detection.
• Discover how banks combat fraud by deploying innovative, proven technologies.
• Understand why deepfake and synthetic ID detection are urgent priorities.
• Hear how collaboration across fintechs, banks, and merchants is the new moat.

Community institutions are quietly leading innovation through agility, partnership, and mission alignment. With fewer layers and more trust, some of the most forward-looking digital plays are coming from regional banks and credit unions.

This panel features a diverse set of leaders showing how they’ve leapfrogged legacy peers in UX, CRM, and embedded finance. Their secret? Less red tape, more guts, and better use of fintech.

Takeaways:
• Understand why smaller institutions can innovate faster.
• Learn how to build partnerships that accelerate - not complicate - change.
• See examples of agile teams winning in regulated environments.

Lending is being embedded into every product and platform. But instant credit decisions introduce complexity around data, compliance, and customer experience.

This session looks at how leaders are underwriting in real time, without sacrificing risk controls or trust.

Takeaways:
• Learn how open banking, APIs, and alt data power real-time approvals.
• Hear from platforms embedding lending natively into workflows.
• Understand how to manage fraud, compliance, and credit risk dynamically.

Instant reconciliation. Embedded payments. Self-serve onboarding. B2B buyers expect the same ease they get from consumer tools, but with enterprise controls.

This session reveals how fintechs are winning the B2B payments battle with elegant UX, smart data, and real-time integrations.

Takeaways:
• Learn how embedded finance is transforming B2B payments.
• Hear how UX is becoming the competitive edge in commercial banking.
• Understand the backend infrastructure enabling real-time B2B flows.

It’s game on as banks and fintechs go head-to-head in this fast-paced, Family Feud-style showdown. Using real-world consumer survey data, teams will battle it out to guess the top answers on financial health, literacy, and behavior. Expect laughs, surprises, and sharp insights - followed by a candid panel unpacking what the results reveal about the future of financial wellbeing

AI agents are poised to fundamentally reshape the lending landscape. Unlike traditional automation, these autonomous systems can analyze credit risk, process applications, adjust pricing, and manage customer relationships with minimal human oversight.

This session explores how banks and fintechs must adapt as AI agents transform everything from underwriting to collections and examines whether lenders are ready for a future where their customers might be AI agents too. We'll cut through the hype to focus on how innovative lenders can position themselves to lead in this brave new world.

Takeaways:
• Learn how AI agents differ from existing automation and why this distinction matters for lending operations.
• Discover which lending functions are most vulnerable to agent-driven disruption and which represent the biggest opportunity for efficiency gains and risk reduction.
• Explore how lenders can prepare for both deploying AI agents internally AND serving customers who use agents to shop for loans.

Open banking is in a state of flux. With big banks securing deals with aggregators, the CFPB reexamining the 1033 rules, what impact is all this going to have on the open banking ecosystem? Where does that leave fintech companies that need open banking data to survive? What about smaller banks and credit unions?

This session will cut through the noise to examine what these watershed developments mean. Attendees will leave with a sharper understanding of how to navigate this complex terrain, whether they represent banks, fintechs, or policy-focused organizations.

Takeaways:
• Understand the new economics of data sharing on both the banking and fintech sides.
• What regulatory risks and uncertainties remain, and how to account for those.
• Learn how changing financial incentives could influence the speed, reliability, and security of data access.

 

For years, stablecoins were speculative. Today, they’re powering cross-border flows, merchant settlement, and treasury operations. But are they here to stay, and do they have regulatory buy-in?

We’ll explore the shift from trading instrument to infrastructure rail, and whether the ecosystem is finally ready to scale responsibly.

Takeaways:
• Learn how stablecoins are used in real-time B2B and cross-border payments.
• Understand the regulatory roadmap ahead in 2026.
• See case studies from platforms embedding stablecoins into core payment logic.
 

Most lenders know when their portfolios are deteriorating, early delinquency rates tick up and quarterly vintage reports show weakness. But knowing what's causing the deterioration is another matter entirely.

In this session, you will learn the counterintuitive insights and practical methodologies that enable winning lenders to spot problems more quickly, and more importantly, know exactly what to do about them.

Takeaways:
• Why traditional metrics don’t help that much
• Why focusing solely on defaults leaves millions on the table
• Learn what gives winning lenders their edge

With the explosion of AI, real-time personalization, and cross-platform insights, banks are collecting, and exposing, more data than ever. So, where’s the line between intelligence and risk?

This session explores how leading institutions are designing consent layers, security protocols, and ethical frameworks to use customer data with confidence, not fear.

Takeaways:
• Learn how to turn data into trust, not just targeting.
• Understand the regulatory and reputational risks of personalization.
• See frameworks for customer data governance at scale.

From accounting tools to logistics platforms, SaaS companies are embedding lending into their products. But lending infrastructure isn’t just plug-and-play, it requires risk, compliance, and servicing capabilities.

This session unpacks how fintech partners and platforms are solving this complexity while delivering credit in context.

Takeaways:
• Learn what makes a SaaS platform “credit-ready.”
• Hear how risk and servicing are handled within embedded flows.
• Understand how to monetize lending without disrupting core UX.
 

Fintech Meetup’s tech-enabled meetings program is your fast track to ROI. For 2026, we’re delivering even more curated, pre-qualified, and guaranteed meetings between decision makers, buyers, and solution providers. Hosted Meetings give vendors priority access to high-value conversations - designed to maximize impact and accelerate outcomes.

Explore cutting-edge fintech innovations in themed, high-energy Tech Spotlight sessions. Each 40-minute session features lightning talks from three speakers, followed by a fast-paced panel discussion. This sessions spotlights emerging technologies, niche solutions, and real-world success in the world of artifical intelligence.

Sponsored by Resistant AI, 4Point

Join us as we crown the winners of the Startup Pitch competition—two standout founders selected by our expert judges to receive $50,000 SAFE notes.

Fintech Meetup’s tech-enabled meetings program is your fast track to ROI. For 2026, we’re delivering even more curated, pre-qualified, and guaranteed meetings between decision makers, buyers, and solution providers. Hosted Meetings give vendors priority access to high-value conversations - designed to maximize impact and accelerate outcomes.

Explore cutting-edge fintech innovations in themed, high-energy Tech Spotlight sessions. Each 40-minute session features lightning talks from three speakers, followed by a fast-paced panel discussion. This sessions spotlights emerging technologies, niche solutions, and real-world success in the world of digital assets.

Join fellow fintech and financial services leaders for Table Talks - curated roundtable discussions designed to spark candid conversations around the industry’s most pressing innovation opportunities. These small-group sessions offer a unique chance to exchange ideas, share challenges, and connect with peers shaping the future of finance.

Global eCommerce is booming, but merchants face complexity in serving local markets. Consumers expect localized checkout, payment preferences, and support, but merchants want global reach and consistency.

This session brings together PSPs, platforms, and merchants building payments that feel local, at global scale.

Takeaways:
• Learn what it means to truly localize checkout flows.
• Explore strategies for balancing cost, speed, and flexibility in global payments.
• Hear how leading platforms manage risk and compliance across borders.
 

In the game of lending, credit scores have kept track of who is winning and who is losing for decades. Today, ‘alternative' data sources and methodologies from yesterday have become mainstream as lenders, regulators and consumers grapple with a changing economy. What’s working today and what will scale tomorrow on the new field of play?

Takeaways:
• Explore the emerging underwriting models beyond FICO.
• Learn how AI interprets cashflow and behavior in credit decisioning.
• Hear how inclusion-focused lenders are balancing risk and mission.

As banks explore embedded finance, APIs, and white-labeled tools, a strategic question emerges: Are we a bank - or a platform? This session dives into the models, pros and cons, and decision points banks face as they explore new ways to monetize infrastructure and data.

Hear from executives who’ve chosen different paths, from enabling fintechs to building their own platforms, and learn what’s working, what’s hard, and what regulators think.

Takeaways:
• Compare models for API monetization and fintech partnerships.
• Understand the platformization risks and rewards.
• Learn what governance and product support looks like at scale.
 

As digital wallets evolve, providers are taking divergent paths to growth. Some are embedding payments into broader service ecosystems - seamlessly integrated with everyday digital experiences. Others are building standalone financial platforms designed for control, utility, and depth. This back-to-back case study session explores how different models are shaping user engagement, monetization, and the future of wallet design.

Banks are investing billions in regtech, but is it transformative, or just digitized bureaucracy? This session unpacks how leading institutions are using low-code tools, AI, and continuous monitoring to reinvent, not just replicate, compliance.

Learn how forward-thinking compliance leaders are reducing manual effort, creating auditable workflows, and driving down time-to-report across lines of business.

Takeaways:
• Discover what “transformational compliance” really looks like.
• Learn how to use automation for both efficiency and risk reduction.
• Hear case studies on deploying regtech with internal and external alignment.
 

APIs from Plaid, MX, and others enable real-time cashflow insights and personalized underwriting. But how are lenders actually using these tools to improve decisioning, and what are the pitfalls?

We’ll dive into how top lenders are using financial data access to fuel better, faster, and fairer credit decisions.

Takeaways:
• Explore use cases for financial APIs in modern underwriting.
• Learn how data normalization and enrichment improve models.
• Understand the data privacy and regulatory implications of open access.

Consumers expect more than coupons. They want relevance, anticipation, and value. Loyalty is shifting from static rewards to dynamic ecosystems that reward behaviors, not just purchases.

This session breaks down how payments players are building loyalty into orchestration layers, identity, and embedded commerce.

Takeaways:
• Explore loyalty strategies rooted in real-time behavior and personalization.
• Learn how merchant-owned programs are replacing network-driven ones.
• See how loyalty becomes a competitive differentiator beyond offers.

Top equity analysts from leading banks join fintech specialists and market influencers to unpack the public market outlook for fintech. From valuation models and growth projections to investor sentiment and sector comparisons, this panel dives deep into what’s driving upside - and what might be priced in. Expect sharp analysis, candid debate, and a few bold calls on the stocks to watch.

Fast isn’t always future-proof. Lenders building the next generation of credit platforms are investing in decisioning, compliance, and servicing stacks that scale.

We’ll bring together CTOs powering modular lending at speed, and with control.

Takeaways:
• Understand the modern tech stack for lending infrastructure.
• Learn what to build, buy, or partner on.
• Hear from leaders future-proofing their platforms for scale.

Forget the charter chase - some fintechs are skipping the queue and buying the whole bank. But once the champagne’s flat and the deal’s inked, reality sets in: legacy tech, compliance curveballs, and a whole lot of regulators on speed dial.

This panel pulls back the curtain on the M&A shortcut that’s suddenly back in vogue. Expect spicy takes on what it really means to own the rails - from staffing surprises to system spaghetti - and why this strategy might be the fastest way to go full-stack.

Perfect for your end-of-day wind-down: part therapy, part strategy, and just enough sass to keep the energy up.

Takeaways:
• Why fintechs are saying “skip the licence, buy the bank”.
• What ownership unlocks—from regulatory reach to product velocity.
• How to survive the legacy hangover (and maybe even thrive).
 

The future of cards isn’t plastic, it’s programmable. Tokenized deposits, pay-by-bank, and biometric approvals are redefining the mechanics of consumer payments. But how do banks and issuers compete when cards are just infrastructure?

Join a forward-looking panel on what comes after the card, and how issuers can innovate their way into relevance.

Takeaways:
• Learn about the rise of account-to-account and pay-by-bank rails.
• Understand tokenization’s role in securing next-gen payments.
• Explore how banks and fintechs are competing with wallets and platforms.
 

Fintech Meetup’s tech-enabled meetings program is your fast track to ROI. For 2026, we’re delivering even more curated, pre-qualified, and guaranteed meetings between decision makers, buyers, and solution providers. Hosted Meetings give vendors priority access to high-value conversations - designed to maximize impact and accelerate outcomes.

Explore cutting-edge fintech innovations in themed, high-energy Tech Spotlight sessions. Each 40-minute session features lightning talks from three speakers, followed by a fast-paced panel discussion. This sessions spotlights emerging technologies, niche solutions, and real-world success in the world of security.

Fintech Meetup’s tech-enabled meetings program is your fast track to ROI. For 2026, we’re delivering even more curated, pre-qualified, and guaranteed meetings between decision makers, buyers, and solution providers. Hosted Meetings give vendors priority access to high-value conversations - designed to maximize impact and accelerate outcomes.