NatWest Group has opened applications for the second year of its Fintech Programme, targeting fintechs across the UK that are using AI to help redefine the future of customer experience in financial services.
Successful applicants will join a 12-week programme, gaining support from the NatWest Innovation team to explore collaboration opportunities with the bank, access mentorship from senior decision makers, and connect with NatWest’s wider innovation ecosystem through in-person events and workshops – some of which will take place in NatWest’s Accelerator Hubs, including the new London Hub.
Building on last year’s success, the 2026 programme encourages more fintechs from across UK regional hubs and will address rapid technological change and evolving customer expectations, including agentic AI and the emergence of smart devices. It targets pre-series A and series A fintechs with proven product-market-fit and traction, delivering solutions for the customer of the future - whether that’s improving engagement and customer relationships in an agentic AI landscape, creating immersive banking experiences beyond apps, or supporting vulnerable customers.
David Grunwald, Director of Innovation at NatWest Group, said: “The pace of advances in AI and technology is fundamentally changing how customers interact with financial services. To stay ahead – whether through new channels, emerging technologies, or smarter engagement – innovation and collaboration are non-negotiables. Fintechs play a vital role in meeting these challenges, so it’s essential we support them to thrive as we come together to shape the future of banking.”
Programme participants can explore collaboration opportunities with NatWest - with several of last year’s start-ups engaging in extended discussions with the bank and its partners. This includes Tunic Pay, an award-winning, real-time payment intelligence platform dedicated to preventing fraud and scams, which formed a partnership with NatWest following the access and support the programme provided. Together, NatWest Group and Tunic Pay are now piloting fraud prevention for NatWest’s Retail customers through transaction authentication in the mobile app.
Nicky Goulimis, Co-founder at Tunic Pay, said: “Joining NatWest’s Fintech Programme gave us a unique opportunity to connect directly with the bank’s teams and learn from their experience serving millions of customers. The access and support we received helped us understand how our platform could make a real difference for NatWest’s business and its customers. Working together, we’re now able to pilot new ways to protect people from fraud and scams, using technology to make banking safer for everyone.”
For more information and to apply for the programme, please visit the website.
Notes to editors:
- Last week, NatWest shared news that it has exceeded its ambitious target of lending £2bn to female-led businesses by the end of 2025, reaching an impressive £2.84bn across more than 55,900 loans.
- NatWest also recently announced partnerships with four leading UK universities - the University of Manchester, University of Brighton, and University of York – to strengthen the UK’s innovation and startup ecosystem, driving growth, business productivity and creating high-value jobs across all regions of the country.
- This follows NatWest’s recent strategic minority investment in Bourn, a UK fintech reinventing the business overdraft for the growth economy by offering businesses flexible working capital and overdraft services via its trade account.
Media contact:
Alexandra Dee
Media Relations Manager
07967 865 819
Alexandra.dee@natwest.com
