Littlechild & Haley were pleased to exhibit at FinTech Wales Festival at Swansea Arena earlier this month, joining businesses, founders, advisers, institutions and established names from across the Welsh fintech community.
What stood out was the breadth of the Welsh financial technology sector. The festival brought together established financial services names, emerging fintech companies, technology providers, advisers, universities and support organisations. That mix matters. Welsh fintech is not just about early-stage innovation; it is also about scaling, resilience, investment, governance and long-term confidence.
Exhibiting at the festival also gave us a useful view of the breadth of the Welsh financial technology sector. The event brought together established financial services names, growing fintech businesses, technology providers, universities, advisers and support organisations. With around 400 attendees, and a steady flow of conversations throughout the day, it was a reminder that Welsh fintech is not just about early-stage innovation; it is also about scale, resilience, investment, governance and long-term confiden
Fintech is often associated with innovation, speed and new ideas. That remains true. But as businesses grow, the questions around them naturally change. The focus is no longer only on the product, platform or market opportunity. It also becomes about trust, resilience, governance and confidence.
How are risks being understood? Can controls keep pace with growth? Are responsibilities clear? Are technology, data and third-party dependencies being managed? Are boards, investors, partners and customers getting the confidence they need?
These are not questions designed to slow innovation down. They are questions that help protect it.
| As fintech businesses grow | Assurance helps ask |
|---|---|
| Products and services evolve quickly | Are risks being considered early enough? |
| Teams and operations scale | Are responsibilities and controls clear? |
| Data and technology become more central | Are cyber, AI, data and third-party risks understood? |
| Investors and partners ask harder questions | Is there credible evidence behind the growth story? |
| Regulation and resilience expectations increase | Can the organisation demonstrate control and accountability? |
Donna Littlechild, co-founder of Littlechild & Haley, reflected:
“What stood out for me was the range and quality of the conversations. Welsh fintech businesses are dealing with innovation, growth, regulation, resilience and technology all at once, so assurance needs to be framed as something that supports better decisions, not something that sits in the way of progress. Good governance and good growth should reinforce each other.”
That was one of the strongest themes from the day. As Welsh fintech businesses grow, the assurance conversation becomes less about process and more about confidence: confidence that risks are understood, decisions are well informed, and growth is being built on foundations that can support the next stage.
For Littlechild & Haley, the festival was also a useful moment in our own journey. Eighteen months after launch, we remain proudly boutique, independent and senior-led, but the conversations we are having have evolved. We are increasingly talking to organisations about how assurance can support growth, transformation and more complex decision-making.
Paul Haley, co-founder of Littlechild & Haley, said:
“As fintech businesses scale, the questions inevitably become more complex. It is no longer only about the idea, the product or the platform. It is also about trust, accountability, resilience and whether decision-makers have the right information at the right time. That is where assurance can make a practical contribution.”
Recent recognition has also given us a moment to reflect. Being nominated for Fintech Advisory Firm of the Year 2026 and being named runner-up at the Wales Small Business Awards feels like validation of the approach we set out to build: independent, relationship-driven and focused on helping organisations manage risks to success.
> Read more about our nomination for Fintech Advisory Firm of the Year at the FinTech Awards Wales.
Our main reflection from FinTech Wales Festival is that useful assurance conversations rarely start with a report. They start with understanding what an organisation is trying to achieve, where uncertainty sits, and what confidence decision-makers need in order to move forward.
For a sector built on innovation, that kind of conversation matters. Innovation creates opportunity. Assurance helps protect the confidence needed to sustain it.
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