INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
We’re shining a light on the innovation and momentum driving growth. From in-depth research and analysis to the powerful “Beyond the Capital” podcast series, discover real-world success stories.
We’re not just talking about inclusive growth — we’re delivering it. With a solid evidence base, including case studies, our roadmap for growth, and impact reports, see how we’re delivering meaningful, long-term change.
Discover the latest insights and research from across our ProfTech ecosystem.
ECOSYSTEMS INSIGHTS
UK tech developers surveyed by Equinet revealed widespread gaps in awareness and understanding of equality law as it applies to AI. The report’s findings informed targeted capacity‑building training to embed non‑discrimination protections into AI development.
Published by BMet in April 2023, this report is described as a ‘Blueprint for Further Education in Birmingham and the West Midlands’, and provides insight with recommendations on how to strengthen our region’s FinTech sector.
A deep dive into the business professional services sector in Birmingham, commissioned by the Dept of BEIS and the Professional Services Businesses Council.
Our evidence-based strategy and roadmap reflect our measurable impact and ambitious vision for the future—explore what’s next below.
SUPERTECH STRATEGY & IMPACT
A roadmap for the growth of the ProfTech sector, covering FinTech, LegalTech and PropTech. Developed in the West Midlands, to support the prosperity of the region and the UK.
As part of the Consumer Duty Financial Regulation Innovation Lab, led by FinTech Scotland in partnership with SuperTech WM, research from the Gillmore Centre of Financial Technology, Warwick Business School, looks at how consumers interpret financial information and the implications for financial services.
Impact Report commissioned by SuperTech, reveals that Birmingham and the West Midlands are on track to achieve £1 billion in economic output.
CASE STUDIES
Participants in our programmes and ecosystem share their innovation journeys and reflect on the partnerships with and support from SuperTech.
BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK is at the forefront of digital transformation in the financial services sector and as a result, is an active contributor to programmes aimed to supercharge the industry. This includes being a founding participant of the FinTech incubator programme, The Innovation Lab, in collaboration with SuperTech WM and STEAMhouse. But its journey with SuperTech didn’t start or stop there. We spoke with Jayne Licari, Head of Communications at BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK to find out more about the ongoing focus on technology-led innovation and our strategic partnership.
Inicio AI empowers vulnerable consumers to understand their finances using agentic AI, supporting income and expenditure assessments without human interaction. Supported by SuperTech and ecosystem programmes with BNP Paribas Personal Finance and FinTech Scotland, Inicio successfully navigated early product validation, funding, and ecosystem access, Inicio scaled rapidly, culminating in £2.86M in seed funding and collaborations with major financial services providers.
Fastcheck, , founded by Amar Rana, is a platform for providing consumers with instant pre-qualified finance quotes for retail purchases.
We caught up with Amar to find out what is next for the business and how SuperTech supported the journey.
Furbnow has now become the leading home decarbonisation platform in the UK, winning key large-scale contracts across local authorities.
We caught up with Co-Founder and CEO Becky Lane to find out what is next for the company.
Lexverify, headquartered in Birmingham, provides next generation compliance solutions so that organisations can benefit from real-time risk prevention and Legal and Risk & Compliance teams gain real-time visibility of conduct risk. We spoke with CEO and Founder Dr Cristian Gherhes, to understand how SuperTech has supported them on their growth journey.
Propfest Connect, a SuperTech event that took place in June 2024, looked at opportunities and challenges for collaborative data within the property industry, bringing over 60 delegates together for informed discussions.
NEWS
Explore our latest insights and perspectives on the evolving landscape of ProfTech and innovation.
The Future of Wealth Innovation Call has launched, bringing together 21 fintech innovators and leading financial institutions to explore new technology-driven ways to help consumers make more informed financial decisions.
Delivered through the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab (FRIL) in partnership with SuperTech West Midlands, the programme focuses on closing the UK’s “advice gap” by developing accessible, compliant and data-driven wealth support solutions aligned with evolving regulatory expectations.
Reforming Home Buying: Real Momentum, Real Opportunity
Home Buying and Selling Reform
The UK government’s new consultation on home buying and selling reformwhich welcomes contributions up until 29December, signals a defining moment for the property sector. With industry, innovators, and policymakers finally aligned, the opportunity for real change has never been greater. Here’s why this matters, and how the West Midlands is already leading the charge.
Nationwide Innovation Call Launches to Bridge the UK’s Financial Advice Gap
A coalition of leading financial institutions including PWC, NatWest, Barclays, Standard Life, M&G, Lloyds Banking Group, Dudley Building Society and BNP Paribas Personal Finance have joined forces to launch a UK-wide innovation challenge to explore how technology can reshape consumer access to financial support at the critical advice-guidance boundary.
Aston University and SuperTech WM announce strategic partnership to strengthen the region’s innovation-led economy. The collaboration will help accelerate growth in the Business, Professional and Financial Services (BPFS) sector. Aston University will contribute research, skills and thought leadership in areas such as AI.
Why the Legal Sector’s AI Future Depends on People, Not Just Tech. The latest thought leadership write up from SuperTech’s WM LawTech Forum with guest, Oxford Brookes University.
We’ve reached a point where generative AI tools are ready to reshape legal practice. Yet for many law firms, the real challenge isn’t figuring out what AI can do — it’s deciding whether to rely on it.
A coalition of leading financial institutions including Sword Group, Natwest, Morgan Stanley, Dudley Building Society, The Tipton, Unity Trust Bank, M&G, Pinsent Masons, Tesco Bank, Aberdeen and KPMG have joined forces to launch a UK-wide innovation challenge focused on strengthening operational resilience across the financial sector.
Our Beyond the Capital is the UK’s first podcast dedicated to showcasing professional services technology (ProfTech) outside of London, with each episode exploring how ProfTech industries and professionals thrive across the UK regions.
Hosted by Hilary Smyth-Allen, Professional Services champion and CEO of SuperTech, this free-to-listen to podcast features experts in the fields of ProfTech within the professional services sector. We speak to thought leaders from around the world to hear their views, gain insights on future trends, and look at the changing landscape of professional services.
PODCASTS
In this final episode of Beyond the Capital, part of SuperTech’s Women in Finance Collective mini-series, host Hilary Smyth-Allen talks with Florence Govier, Product Manager at Moneyinfo, and Naya Hemans-Westerway, Business Consultant at Jigsawtree.
They share frank reflections on entering the industry, navigating male-dominated spaces, and why FinTech continues to attract ambitious young professionals.
They discuss:
The career journeys that led Florence and Naya into fintech
Why financial services remains a stable but evolving career path
Experiences of being the “only woman in the room” and how confidence, preparation and community help
The reality of ageism and gender bias, and how younger women are pushing for change
Setting boundaries, finding role models, and using networks like the Women in Finance Collective
In this episode of Beyond the Capital, part of SuperTech’s Women in Finance Collective mini-series, host Hilary Smyth-Allen talks with Amira Norris, Co-Founder of The Mentor Standard, and Julie Goddard, Business Psychologist and Founder of The Success Architect.
Together, they explore how behavioural psychology shapes leadership and decision-making in the high-pressure world of finance and fintech. The conversation looks at why clarity often matters more than confidence, how trust underpins strong teams, and the impact of constant change and uncertainty on performance.
They also challenge ideas around imposter syndrome, suggesting that a bit of self-doubt can actually support better leadership. Honest, practical, and thought-provoking, this episode offers valuable insights for anyone leading through complexity or navigating fast-paced environments.
In this episode of Beyond the Capital, part of our Women in Finance Collective mini-series, host Hilary Smyth-Allen is joined by Kim Jenkins, COO of fintech firm Afternoon, and Liz Basten, founder of marketing agency Kiss My Brand. Together, they explore how women in finance can build authentic personal brands, overcome hidden biases, and navigate career transitions. From mentorship to AI, this conversation is packed with practical advice, honest reflections, and empowering insights for every stage of a career.
This episode dives deep into the realities of working in fintech and financial services as a woman. Liz and Kim reflect on the cultural and structural barriers that persist in the industry—from male-dominated environments to the subtle biases that shape career progression. They share personal stories and hard-won lessons, offering a candid look at what it takes to thrive and lead in these spaces.
In this new four-part mini-series, we’ve partnered with the Women in Finance Collective – a new Midlands-based network dedicated to empowering and supporting women working in finance and fintech.
In the first episode, we’re joined by Tessa Lee, Managing Director at Moneyinfo, and Gemma Lowndes, Director of Operations at Jigsaw Tree – the founding companies behind the Collective. Together, they discuss why the network was needed and the unique value of local support.
The conversation highlights how community and connections build confidence, why sharing success stories inspires the next generation, and how early education about finance careers opens new pathways for young women. They also explore the opportunities technology brings – including how AI can enhance, rather than replace, roles in the sector.
This episode is about more than challenges – it’s about building a movement. By connecting talent, championing diverse voices, and creating opportunities, the Women in Finance Collective is helping the region lead with inclusion and innovation.
This is the final episode of a four-part mini-series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech WM, in partnership with the TiPS Accelerator—a programme helping regional law and accountancy firms adopt new technology.
This episode explores how regional accountancy and audit firm Armstrong Watson navigated the cultural, technical, and client-facing challenges of adopting new audit technology through the TiPS accelerator programme.
Host Hilary Smith-Allen is joined by Steve Preston and Lucy Hughes, who share their experience implementing data analytics tools across Armstrong Watson’s offices, managing team engagement and collaborating with both clients and suppliers.
They discuss how a mindset shift—at board level and across teams—was essential to success, how change management workshops helped guide the process, and why rolling out the pilot at scale made all the difference.
This is the third episode of a four-part mini-series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech WM, in partnership with the TiPS Accelerator—a programme helping regional law and accountancy firms adopt new technology.
This episode features leaders from Thorntons Law LLP, a full-service Scottish law firm, who speak to host Hilary Smyth-Allen about their journey through the TiPS Accelerator.
Sarah Blair, Jane McCance, and Lewis Quinn unpack how the firm used service design thinking to drive digital transformation, build AI literacy, and surface the real human challenges behind legal tech adoption.
From co-creating solutions with colleagues to embracing “messy” innovation, they share a deeply people-first approach to change—and how that’s shaping a new internal transformation programme for the firm.
Our selection of videos showcases the collaboration opportunities and impact we create through our programmes.