Erin Lovett, Associate Director

2025 saw a real shift in tone when it came to fintech. Headlines referenced the UK ‘losing its fintech crown’, investment cooled, the macro narrative turned gloomy, and reporters were (understandably!) pulled towards bigger economic and political stories.  

So, what really happened here? And what can it teach fintech communicators as we edge towards 2026?  

Corporate and commercial news became scarce  

Fintech funding in the UK slowed its pace this year. Certainly not as concerningly as some made out, but enough that investment announcements were harder to come by.  

Sales cycles at financial institutions and large enterprises got lengthier too, meaning many fintechs had less to shout about and fewer “easy wins” in the media. 

When those deals were signed, fintechs saw more caution from their customers. Banks in particular have become increasingly selective about what they want to put into the public domain, which left in-house comms teams trying to spin something meaningful from slow-moving pipelines. 

The learning for 2026 is not to wait for news, but to create it. Fintechs are sitting on a goldmine of data and insights, and there’s a huge opportunity to use it to tell the stories that your business wants to tell. Success next year, more than ever, will be from the brands that build their own momentum 

Not-so pole position 

Another noticeable change this year was the reluctance of many fintechs to take a position on anything. Macroeconomic and political uncertainty created fear – and I get it. No one wants to be the brand with the confident prediction that ages badly six months later! 

But staying silent comes with its own risk. When the wider industry is quiet, the voices that do speak become exponentially more visible. Plus the views being shared are no longer representative, or from across the spectrum, so a single narrative can overtake.  

Trends never apply to every single business in an industry, and the fintechs that did perform well here this year all had something in common: they had already done the internal work. They knew their POVs, their red lines, their expertise and their blind spots. When a regulatory update dropped, or AI reshaped something overnight, they weren’t asking “should we say something?” because they already knew the answer – and if the answer was ‘yes’, they already knew what they were going to say. 

This level of preparedness doesn’t just mean communicators can be faster out of the gate (i.e. giving journalists the insights they need at the moment they need it). It means that they eliminate the nerves around sharing spokespersons’ views.  

In 2026, forward thinking communicators will invest time at the beginning of the year, alongside their leadership teams, on understanding their positioning, mapping how this aligns to both the news agenda and what their prospects believe, and, critically, media training. This will give spokespeople the confidence to share their unique insights and expertise in a way that adds value to the business. Then, whenever the story breaks, they will have been ready to comment yesterday. 

The decline of the business desk 

If, like me, you’re an avid reader of Simon English’s newsletter, you’ll know all about the decline of business and financial news. And although this isn’t a new development, it did seem to hit harder this year. Editorial teams shrank, and big name reporters moved roles or left the industry entirely.  

But here’s the thing(s). First, it really isn’t all bad. Fintech trade publications held firm, and many grew. Independent digital media, Substack newsletters and niche influencers have become more prominent – and with highly targeted readers, you know that coverage there is speaking directly to a relevant audience.  

Second, opportunities in the national media absolutely can still be converted, as the Missive team has shown throughout 2025! Communicators just need to look at every story through the lens of what is being covered by these publications.  

In 2026, the communicators that deliver the most impact will be those that secure coverage in what their target audiences see as the most credible sources. And if that is the national media, they’ll push hard to connect their stories to macroeconomic themes in a meaningful way. 

Let’s start off strong in 2026 

2025 wasn’t an easy year for UK fintech. But it was clarifying; it stripped away the comms strategies that relied on external momentum and rewarded those who built their own. 

The fintechs that win next year will be the ones who embrace that reality with confident positioning, narrative clarity, and a willingness to show up - even when the market feels uncertain. 

If you want help shaping that story, I’m always up for a conversation. Get in touch here.